Rock of Ages (Def Leppard song)

Last updated

"Rock of Ages"
Def Leppard - Rock of Ages single.jpg
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Pyromania
B-side
  • "Action! Not Words" (UK)
  • "Billy's Got a Gun" (US)
ReleasedJune 1983 (1983-06) [1]
Recorded1982
Studio
Genre
Length4:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Photograph"
(1983)		"Rock of Ages"
(1983)		"Foolin'"
(1983)
Music videos
"Rock of Ages" on YouTube

"Rock of Ages" is a song by Def Leppard from their 1983 album Pyromania . When issued as a single in the United States, the song reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #19 on the Cash Box Top 100. It also hit #1 on the Top Tracks Rock chart. [6]

Contents

In 2012, the band re-recorded the song, along with "Pour Some Sugar on Me", under the title "Rock of Ages 2012". Both were released digitally on 4 June 2012. [7]

Lyrics

The song begins with "Gunter glieben glauten globen", a German-like nonsense phrase introduced by Mutt Lange, who is of German descent. According to the official Def Leppard FAQ,

What does "Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen" mean? Nothing in particular (although the band sometimes jokingly claims it means "running through the forest silently"). It's gibberish said by producer Mutt Lange during the recordings of "Rock of Ages", instead of the regular one, two, three, four. [8]

(That same count-in was sampled by The Offspring at the beginning of their 1998 song "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)". [9] )

As the song's melody begins, Elliott speaks the lines, "All right/I've got something to say/It's better to burn out/Than to fade away"; the second two lines are a reference to Neil Young's song "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)". [10] Def Leppard's four-line version was quoted in the 1986 movie Highlander by the film's villain, The Kurgan. Young's line would later become immortalized in rock history when it was used in the suicide note of grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain. [11]

During the guitar solo, several vocal phrases were backmasked. When played forward, the phrases "Fuck the Russians" and "Brezhnev's got herpes" can be heard. [12]

Title

According to the liner notes of the compilation release Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection , the band was at a recording studio when lead vocalist Joe Elliott stumbled upon a hymn book left by a member of a children's choir that had just used the studio. In the book, he saw the words "Rock of Ages", which prompted him to write the lyrics of the song. [13]

Reception

Cash Box described it as a powerful rock anthem that "pulls out just about every 'Long live rock ‘n’ roll' cliche there is." [10]

Music video

The music video was directed by David Mallet [14] and shot on 8 December 1982 (guitarist Phil Collen's 25th birthday), in Battersea, London, England. Former Def Leppard co-manager Peter Mensch appears in this video as one of the monks.

The song's video was placed on New York Times list of the 15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos. [5]

Track listing

7": Vertigo / VER6 (812 858-7) (UK)

  1. "Rock of Ages"
  2. "Action! Not Words"

12": Vertigo / VERX6 (812 293-1) (UK)

  1. "Rock of Ages"
  2. "Action! Not Words"

7": Mercury / 812 604-7 (US)

  1. "Rock of Ages"
  2. "Billy's Got a Gun"

Personnel

Def Leppard

Additional musicians

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report) [15] 96
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [16] 24
UK Singles (OCC) [17] 41
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] 16
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [19] 1

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Def Leppard</span> British rock band

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1976. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen, and Vivian Campbell. They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal of the early 1980s. Their greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and mid–1990s.

<i>Pyromania</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Def Leppard

Pyromania is the third studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 20 January 1983 through Vertigo Records in UK and Europe and through Mercury Records in the US. The first album to feature guitarist Phil Collen who replaced founding member Pete Willis, Pyromania was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. The album was a shift away from the band's traditional heavy metal roots toward a more radio-friendly sound, finding massive mainstream success. Pyromania charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on the Canadian RPM Album chart and No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart. Selling over ten million copies in the US, it has been certified diamond by the RIAA.

<i>High n Dry</i> 1981 studio album by Def Leppard

High 'n' Dry is the second studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released on 6 July 1981. High 'n' Dry was Pete Willis' last full-time album with Def Leppard. It charted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 and No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart. "High 'n' Dry ", ranked No. 33 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. Following the success of Pyromania, the album re-entered in the US chart and reached No. 72 in 1983.

<i>Hysteria</i> (Def Leppard album) 1987 studio album by Def Leppard

Hysteria is the fourth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 3 August 1987, by Mercury Records. The album is the follow-up to the band's 1983 breakthrough, Pyromania. Hysteria's creation took over three years and was plagued by delays, including the aftermath of drummer Rick Allen's accident that cost him his left arm on 31 December 1984. Subsequent to the album's release, Def Leppard published a book titled Animal Instinct: The Def Leppard Story, written by Rolling Stone magazine senior editor David Fricke, on the three-year recording process of Hysteria and the difficult times the band endured through the mid-1980s. Lasting 62 minutes and 32 seconds, it is the band's longest studio album to date.

<i>Adrenalize</i> 1992 studio album by Def Leppard

Adrenalize is the fifth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 31 March 1992 through Mercury Records. It is the first album by the band recorded without guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991, although most songs were written and partially demoed before his death, they were re-recorded solo by Phil Collen in 1991-1992. It is the only album recorded by Def Leppard as a four-member band. Spawning seven singles, four of them – "Let's Get Rocked", "Make Love Like a Man", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", and "Stand Up " – were major hits.

<i>Slang</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Def Leppard

Slang is the sixth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 14 May 1996. The album marked a musical departure from their signature sound; it was produced by the band with Pete Woodroffe and was their first album since 1980 without involvement by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Slang is the first album with new material to feature new guitarist Vivian Campbell. It charted at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It is also the only Def Leppard album that does not feature their recognisable font logo on the album cover, though all its singles still bore the classic logo.

<i>Euphoria</i> (Def Leppard album) 1999 studio album by Def Leppard

Euphoria is the seventh studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 8 June 1999 in the United States and on 14 June 1999 in the United Kingdom by Mercury Records. The album aimed to return to their signature sound made famous by the band in the 1980s. It was produced by the band with Pete Woodroffe. The album charted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart. It includes the song "Promises", which hit the number one spot on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

<i>Retro Active</i> 1993 compilation album by Def Leppard

Retro Active is a compilation album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released in 1993. The album features touched-up versions of B-sides and previously unreleased recordings from the band's recording sessions from 1984 to 1993. The album charted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bringin' On the Heartbreak</span> 1981 single by Def Leppard

"Bringin' On the Heartbreak" is a song by English rock band Def Leppard. A power ballad, it was the second single from their 1981 album High 'n' Dry. The song was written by three of the band's members, Steve Clark, Pete Willis and Joe Elliott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Bites (Def Leppard song)</span> 1988 single by Def Leppard

"Love Bites" is a song by English glam metal band Def Leppard from their album Hysteria. The power ballad is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. On the UK Singles Chart, the track peaked at number 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pour Some Sugar on Me</span> 1987 single by Def Leppard

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 23 July 1988, behind "Hold On to the Nights" by Richard Marx. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is considered the band's signature song, and was ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal (Def Leppard song)</span> 1987 single by Def Leppard

"Animal" is a song recorded by English rock band Def Leppard in 1987 from the album Hysteria. It was the first single release off the album, and became the band's first Top 10 hit in their native UK, reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armageddon It</span> 1987 single by Def Leppard

"Armageddon It" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It was released as a single in 1988 and went to No. 3 in the United States, becoming their 3rd top 10 hit. It also reached the top 10 in Canada and New Zealand and the top 20 in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photograph (Def Leppard song)</span> 1983 single by Def Leppard

"Photograph" is a song by the English rock band Def Leppard and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. It is the lead single from the band's third studio album, Pyromania (1983). Their lead vocalist Joe Elliott has described the song as generally about "something you can't ever get your hands on". When released as a single it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart, where it stayed for six weeks, and No. 12 on the Pop Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hysteria (Def Leppard song)</span> 1987 song by Def Leppard

"Hysteria" is a song by English rock band Def Leppard. It is the tenth track on their 1987 album of the same name and was released as the album's fourth single in November 1987. The song became the band's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Late for Love (Def Leppard song)</span> 1983 single by Def Leppard

"Too Late for Love" is a 1983 power ballad by English band Def Leppard from their Diamond album Pyromania. When released as a single, it reached #9 on the Mainstream Rock charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let It Go (Def Leppard song)</span> 1981 single by Def Leppard

"Let it Go" is a 1981 song by English rock band Def Leppard from their multi-platinum album High 'n' Dry. It was one of two singles from the album, and reached number 34 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. It was originally titled "When the Rain Falls" with different lyrics as played at New Theatre in Oxford in 1980.

<i>Songs from the Sparkle Lounge</i> 2008 studio album by Def Leppard

Songs from the Sparkle Lounge is the tenth studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard. It was released on 25 April 2008 in Europe and 29 April in North America.

<i>Live: In the Round, in Your Face</i> 1989 video by Def Leppard

Live: In the Round, in Your Face is a live video from Def Leppard. The video contains a full Def Leppard live show at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado and additional footage from shows at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, compiled from footage shot during the band's 1987/1988 US Hysteria World Tour. On DVD, it is bundled with Historia.

<i>Viva! Hysteria</i> 2013 live album by Def Leppard

Viva! Hysteria is a double live album by the English rock band Def Leppard released on the 22 October 2013. The album was recorded on 29 and 30 March 2013 during the band's residency of the same name at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

References

  1. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 212. ISBN   9780862415419.
  2. ↑ Tucker, Dan (28 February 2014). "13 Classic Hard Rock Songs That Will Make You Scream "More Cowbell!"". VH1 . Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (27 March 2020). "Def Leppard Reflects on the 'Early Years' and Why Those Iron Maiden Comparisons Were 'Tiresome'". Billboard . Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Sleazegrinder (4 December 2015). "The 20 Best Hair Metal Anthems Of All Time Ever". loudersound. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 Edwards, Gavin (5 May 2020). "15 Essential Hair-Metal Videos". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004) for a single week. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 170.
  7. ↑ "Def Leppard Release New Versions of 'Rock of Ages,' 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'". Ultimate Classic Rock. 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "FAQ". DefLeppard.com. 5 October 2001. Archived from the original on 5 October 2001. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Irwin, Corey. "Rick Allen Reveals the Origin of 'Gunter Gleiben Glauchen Globen'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 11 June 1983. p. 10. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Margaritoff, Marco (4 June 2023). "'Thank You All From The Pit Of My Burning, Nauseous Stomach': The Last Words Of Kurt Cobain". All That's Interesting. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Ryan Delmonico (14 February 2014), Def Leppard - Rock of Ages REVERSED vocals during guitar solo! what he really says!!, archived from the original on 20 November 2020, retrieved 22 September 2016
  13. ↑ "The Story of DEF LEPPARD's "Rock of Ages"". MY ROCK MIXTAPES. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Def Video 2 Pyromania 1983/High 'n' Dry 1984 Archived 20 July 2007 at archive.today , Def Leppard UK.com
  15. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4309." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.