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'Breaking the Law' is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on their 1980 album British Steel. The song was written by Rob Halford and Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Songwriters | Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K. K. Downing |
| Band | Judas Priest |
| Album | British Steel |
| Year | 1980 |
| Genre | Heavy metal |
| Song features | Sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren |
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What You'll Learn
- The song was written by Rob Halford and Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing
- It was released on their 1980 album British Steel
- The song features sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren
- The lyrics tell of someone who is bored of their ordinary life and starts breaking the law
- Rob Halford has said that the song was a form of social commentary, inspired by his dislike of Margaret Thatcher
The song was written by Rob Halford and Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. The song was written by Rob Halford and Judas Priest guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.
Halford, Tipton and Downing were the first trio to write every song on a Judas Priest album as a team. The song was originally released on their 1980 album British Steel.
The song is one of the band's better-known singles and is readily recognised by its opening guitar riff. It combines a recognisable minor-key opening riff and a rhythmic chorus as its main hooks. There is a change-up on the mostly instrumental bridge, a new chord progression with Halford shouting "You don't know what it's like!" before the sound effect of a police car's siren leads back into the main riff.
The song features some social commentary, with Halford explaining that he tried to put himself in the mind of a jobless young man at his wits' end. He also said that he didn't like what Margaret Thatcher was doing as British Prime Minister in 1979.
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It was released on their 1980 album British Steel
Judas Priest's 1980 album British Steel included the song 'Breaking the Law', which was written by Rob Halford and the two Judas Priest guitarists: Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. This was the first album where this trio wrote every song as a team.
'Breaking the Law' is one of the band's better-known singles, recognised by its opening guitar riff. The song is about someone who is tired of their ordinary life and starts breaking the law. Halford wrote the lyrics, which include some social commentary about the political climate at the time.
The song was written in a farmhouse in Staffordshire, with Tipton taking the basic framework to his writing partners, Halford and Downing, who helped with the final arrangement. The song combines a recognisable minor-key opening riff and a rhythmic chorus as its main hooks. There is a change-up on the mostly instrumental bridge, a new chord progression with Halford shouting "You don't know what it's like!" before the sound effect of a police car's siren leads back into the main riff.
The song also features the sound of breaking glass, and has been performed countless times around the world.
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The song features sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren
"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album British Steel. The song features sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren.
The song was written by Rob Halford and the two Judas Priest guitarists: Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. It was the first album where this trio wrote every song as a team.
The song is one of the band's better-known singles and is readily recognised by its opening guitar riff. The song combines a recognisable minor-key opening riff and a rhythmic chorus as its main hooks. There is a change-up on the mostly instrumental bridge, a new chord progression with Rob Halford shouting "You don't know what it's like!" before the sound effect of a police car's siren leads back into the main riff.
According to lead singer Rob Halford, who wrote the lyrics, he baked some social commentary into the song. Margaret Thatcher took over as British Prime Minister in 1979, and Halford didn't like what she was doing. "A lot of bad stuff was going on," he wrote in his autobiography, Confess. "The heavy industry and the car makers in the Midlands and around the country were struggling, and there was already talk of factory closures. Unemployment was shooting up. Worst of all, millions of young people had no hope and felt they were being ignored. Writing the lyrics for 'Breaking the Law,' I tried to put myself in the mind of a jobless young bloke at his wits' end."
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The lyrics tell of someone who is bored of their ordinary life and starts breaking the law
'Breaking the Law' is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album British Steel. The song is one of the band's better-known singles and is readily recognised by its opening guitar riff.
The lyrics tell of someone who is tired of their ordinary life and starts breaking the law. The song was written by lead singer Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing. Halford has said that he baked some social commentary into the song, inspired by the political climate of the time. Margaret Thatcher had recently become British Prime Minister, and Halford didn't like what she was doing. He wrote in his autobiography, "A lot of bad stuff was going on... The heavy industry and the car makers in the Midlands and around the country were struggling, and there was already talk of factory closures."
The song combines a recognisable minor-key opening riff and a rhythmic chorus as its main hooks. There is a change-up on the mostly instrumental bridge, a new chord progression with Halford shouting "You don't know what it's like!" before the sound effect of a police car's siren leads back into the main riff.
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Rob Halford has said that the song was a form of social commentary, inspired by his dislike of Margaret Thatcher
The song 'Breaking the Law' was written by Rob Halford and the two Judas Priest guitarists: Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. Halford has said that the song was a form of social commentary, inspired by his dislike of Margaret Thatcher, who became Prime Minister in 1979.
Halford wrote in his autobiography, *Confess*:
> A lot of bad stuff was going on. The heavy industry and the car makers in the Midlands and around the country were struggling, and there was already talk of factory closures.
The song was written at a time when unemployment was rising and young people felt they were being ignored. Halford tried to put himself in the mind of a jobless young man at his wits' end. The song features sound effects including breaking glass and a police siren.
'Breaking the Law' was released on Judas Priest's 1980 album *British Steel*. It was the first album where Halford, Tipton and Downing wrote every song as a team.
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Frequently asked questions
'Breaking the Law' was written by Rob Halford and the two Judas Priest guitarists: Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing.
Judas Priest.
1980.
*British Steel*.
Rob Halford wrote the lyrics as a form of social commentary. He said: "Unemployment was shooting up. Worst of all, millions of young people had no hope and felt they were being ignored. Writing the lyrics for 'Breaking the Law,' I tried to put myself in the mind of a jobless young bloke at his wits' end."
