Lyrics & Translation
Dive into the raw power of Judas Priest's "Hell Bent for Leather," a quintessential heavy metal anthem that offers an electrifying way to engage with English. Through its direct and impactful lyrics, you can explore dynamic vocabulary related to speed, power, and defiance, while immersing yourself in the song's iconic imagery of a relentless, mysterious rider. This track is not just a metal classic; it's a linguistic thrill ride.
[English]
Seek him here, seek him on the highwayNever knowing when he'll appear
All await, engine is ticking over
Hear the roar as they sense the fear
Wheels! a glint of steel and a flash of light!
Screams! from a streak of fire as he strikes!
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Black as night, faster than a shadow
crimson flare from a raging sun
An exhibition, of sheer precision
Yet no one knows from where he comes
Fools! self destruct cannot take that crown
Dreams! crash one by one to the ground
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
There's many who tried to prove that they're faster
But they didn't last and they died as they tried
There's many who tried to prove that they're faster
But they didn't last and they died as they tried
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
Key Vocabulary
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
seek /siːk/ A2 |
|
appear /əˈpɪr/ A2 |
|
await /əˈweɪt/ B1 |
|
roar /rɔːr/ A2 |
|
strike /straɪk/ A2 |
|
hell /hɛl/ A1 |
|
bent /bɛnt/ B1 |
|
leather /ˈlɛðər/ A1 |
|
black /blæk/ A1 |
|
crimson /ˈkrɪmzən/ B2 |
|
flare /flɛər/ B1 |
|
precision /prɪˈsɪʒən/ B2 |
|
crown /kraʊn/ A2 |
|
faster /ˈfæstər/ A1 |
|
prove /pruːv/ A2 |
|
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Key Grammar Structures
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Seek him here, seek him on the highway
➔ Imperative sentence
➔ The verb "Seek" is in its base form, giving a direct command to the listener.
-
Never knowing when he'll appear
➔ Present‑participle (non‑finite) clause
➔ The gerund "knowing" functions as a modifier, expressing a continuous state without a finite verb.
-
All await, engine is ticking over
➔ Simple present + present progressive
➔ "All" is the subject of the simple‑present verb "await"; "engine" is the subject of the progressive verb "is ticking".
-
Hear the roar as they sense the fear
➔ Imperative + adverbial clause of time (as)
➔ "Hear" is an imperative verb; the clause "as they sense the fear" uses "as" to show the timing of the action.
-
Wheels! a glint of steel and a flash of light!
➔ Exclamatory noun phrase
➔ "Wheels!" and the following noun phrases are presented as exclamations, lacking a finite verb.
-
Hell bent, hell bent for leather
➔ Past participle used adjectivally (compound adjective)
➔ "Hell bent" uses the past participle "bent" as an adjective meaning "determined".
-
Black as night, faster than a shadow
➔ Comparative constructions (as … as, than)
➔ "Black **as** night" uses the "as … as" pattern; "faster **than** a shadow" uses the "than" comparative.
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There's many who tried to prove that they're faster
➔ Existential there + plural noun + relative clause
➔ "There's" introduces the existence of "many"; the relative clause "who tried to prove that they're faster" describes them.
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But they didn't last and they died as they tried
➔ Past simple with coordinating conjunction "and" + adverbial clause "as"
➔ "didn't" is the negative past of "do"; "and" links two past actions, and "as they tried" gives the circumstance of the second action.