Raw Deal

Judas Priest

I made the spike about nine o'clock on a Saturday
All eyes hit me as I walked into the bar
The spikey leather guys were foolin' with the denim dudes
A couple cards played rough stuff, New York, fire island

I cased the joint, straining at the seams

I moseyed up to the counter and the tender came a-grinnin'
I snapped the smile off his face and snarled give me a bourbon
The mirror on the wall was collecting and reflecting
All the heavy bodies ducking, stealing eager for some action
The scene screwed me up, I saw some contact
Then there he was, saw me and knew that

I'd had too much, foolin' around
Statues alive, seconds are hours

Sex is like a hurricane it grabs and then it shatters
I was barely holding on to this fine body symphony
I guess I dream in pictures, not colors
The true free expression I demand is human rights right?

I came the light, I am immortal

I'm going, no loss
I'm going, no loss
I'm going, no loss
I'm going, no loss

Nightmare, just a bunch of goddamn, rotten, steaming, raw
Deal


Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by odoli41

Raw Deal Lyrics as written by Rob Halford Glenn Raymond Tipton

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing

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Raw Deal song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentIt's about gay bars. I feel gayer for even having read these lyrics.
    Chain Nooseon October 06, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIf you feel even gayer, must mean you're gay to begin with.

    Not a bad song, an odd one for Priest. It almost doesn't even sound like Judas Priest.
    Hybrid1492on September 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentPure Priest Attitude, this is an old one, but shows why Halford and crew were known as "Metal gods"
    Chain Noose is right Halford did say it has a Homosexual meaning; however, those are not my memories of Judas Priest. they always will be my favorite metal band!!
    -Kevin82abn
    kevin82abnon October 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentRob Halford has stated in interviews that he's been gay his whole life.I always thought he turned gay after a relationship with woman went sour because of all the misogony in their early songs like Cheater and Victim Of Changes.I wouldn't expect him to admit that if it's true.These lyrics really are homo erotic though.What's so wild is that Rob was thrusting it right down our throats(bad choice of words,lol.) and none of us got it.Damn were we blind.I was only 13 when I first heard this song and had no idea what he was singing about.I thought Fire Island was a drink.I realized what it was about years later,but even that wasn't until he admitted he was gay.It doesn't matter to me,listen to the guitar work in this song.Sin After Sin is one of their best damn albums,and Judas Priest influenced three generations of metal bands so Rob can be gay all he wants,just keep the metal coming and make it heavy.
    tyranny_soulson January 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentPriest's best album, to me...Sin After Sin. The first 9 are their greatest. You can take the rest (although I found Angel of Retribution to be pretty decent).

    antp56on August 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSome of these lyrics are probably wrong. I just saw Halford talking about this song in a very recent interview on Youtube where he mentioned the line being sung during the fast part as "love knoweth no laws". Makes a lot more sense than "I'm going no loss".

    And, obviously, he explained that the song is indeed about visiting a gay bar on Fire Island. Something he hadn't even done at the time of writing this, so this song was him fantasising about the experience.
    BaptizedinFireon October 11, 2020   Link

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