10 Worst Hard Rock Lyrics Of The ‘80s

Def Leppard are one of the few bands who have been able to distance themselves from the hair metal scene they created. Though the band had the perfect mix of hooks and looks for the hair metal movement, the band were always more concerned about writing timeless rock songs that would exist long after the trends had faded away. Hysteria may remain the band’s magnum opus, but even some of the shining moments of the record have a few rough spots.

While Def Leppard’s lyrics have always been secondary to the melody most of the time, “Armageddon It” is really stretching the boundaries of what they could do. For the verses and chorus, the topic seems to stay firmly on the singer’s love for a girl, but the idea of world-ending destruction doesn’t really seem to fit right. The band does have somewhat of an explanation, but it ends up being much more stupid than anyone thought.

Knowing their massive American fanbase, Leppard thought they would take some jabs at the American accent, with “Armageddon It” being code for “are you getting it?.” The joke is a bit cheeky at first, but when you realize that one of the band’s greatest singles is a play on a syllable, the song becomes harder to take seriously with repeated listens.