Judas Priest – Breaking The Law

General CommentTrue it's about breaking the law, but there are more lyrics than simply the chorus and I’ve always felt the song was more personal to the band.

They're from Sheffield, which at one time was one of, or possibly the largest steel-producing city in Britain hence the name of the album "British Steel" (1980) which this song features on.

Thatcher’s Tory party came to power in 1979 having gained support by saying that they would increase Britain’s industry and make sure that even with the collapse of its empire post WWII, it would continue to be one of the greatest nations both economically and politically on Earth, the "Golden future" we had all be promised

However this was not the case Thatcher quickly set about deconstructing Britain’s industries steel, ship building, oil drilling and coal mining were all sold and instead bought in cheaper from over seas. Only gaining a second term in the wake of victory in the Falklands conflict.

No doubt people who worked in these industries felt cheated like they'd had "Every promise broken" as if no one did care if they did "live or die".

Obviously with millions out of work, neither trained for new jobs nor offered them, crime rates soured in these once industrial cities hence "Breaking the Law".

To those who lived in cities which main economies were banking, insurance and the like and had thus not been affected Halford says, "You don't know what this is like" and "[if you found yourself in a similar situation] You'd be doing the same thing too".

This song may seem relatively straightforward however it's actually a massive protest against Thatcher’s government and the collapse of British industry.

• 2 Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @Powers
  0

  This is pretty much the best comment about a song I ever read..., thanks for the insights and please write a book( really ).

  Flag davialexanderon September 12, 2012  

  0

  @Powers I fully agree, on the same album there was the song "United". To me Priest showed to be supporting the British working class against the destruction people experienced because of neo-liberal politics.

  Flag bazizon January 18, 2019  

General Comment*Beavis and Butthead*

Huh huh...Breakin' the Law, Breakin' the law *Shakes fists*

• 1 Reply Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @Prodigal
  +1

  hell yeah!! lol, thats what i think of every time i hear this song

  Flag confusedndazedon April 14, 2010  

General CommentGrowing up so poor you have to steal to live

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @averagejoey2000

General CommentAbout the comment above me, Judas Priest are from Birmingham not Sheffield, so that basically screws up all of your link with steel, which is pretty much the rest of what you wrote.

• 1 Reply Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @minihats
  0

  True, but KK worked for British steel at one point.
  Look up the British Steel Classic Albums vid on youtube. Rob talks about what the song is about there.

  Flag k33nbl4deon August 15, 2011  

General CommentHmm, a slight over sight on my part, but the same could be said of Birmingham, factories, industries.

Basically, industry good, Thatcherism bad.

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @Powers

Song MeaningThis song is
1. Epic
2. Even better live
3. About someone coming out of school/uni who feels they deserve/have been promised a job and decent success, but can't get any work or anything so turns to Breakin' the law, breakin' the law *slide* breakin' the law, breakin' the law *slide* *slide* etc.

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @k33nbl4de

General CommentKill the police state, kill the police state, kill the police state. Well that is hoe I intepret this song.

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @fleaaaaaa

General CommentIt's about a person who in down and out in life. So he becomes as low to rob since it's better then doing nothng and just waiting to die.

Why does everbody seem to think every song has to deal with Rob being a queer?

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @LordOfLight

General CommentClassic.

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @Lucasmv

General Commentso do i.

• No Replies Log in to reply
  
    There was an error.

  @Lusyphur