10 Worst Hard Rock Lyrics Of The ‘80s
1. Holy Diver - Dio
Ronnie James Dio is one of the few hard rock singers who can really do it all. As opposed to being drenched in the blues or being just a screamer, Dio’s work in Black Sabbath and Rainbow are brilliant showcases for just how much of a virtuoso he is when it comes to singing. It was pretty much a no-brainer for him to move on to a solo career, but the more grandiose elements of his sound ended up backfiring on him in some places.
At the outset, “Holy Diver” is a badass tune, with a melody and lyric sheet that has just the right medieval bombast that Dio does so well. Though it’s never made clear the identity of the diver, the real questionable lyrics come with the journey to find him. As Dio expounds wisdom to “ride the tiger,” the line “you can see his stripes but you know he’s clean” is one of the most throwaway lines in the metal canon. Of course he has stripes, but you do know that those are genetic and not dirt... right?!
Though that one lyric is pretty questionable coming from an alumnus of Black Sabbath, Dio’s voice absolutely sells every minute of this song, as he goes from shouting like a banshee to some of the most tasteful high notes in the metal canon. Not knowing the genetic makeup of a tiger is pretty hilarious, but if you have someone like Dio leading the way, it seems to make all the sense in the world.