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Def Leppard Tour History Fan Archive.
Joe Elliott Wrote Blind Faith Lyrics On Tour In Phoenix, Arizona

Thursday, 3rd March 2016





Joe Elliott 2014.
Screenshot by dltourhistory

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott was interviewed by Claire Sturgess for Absolute Radio in December 2015 to promote the new album.

Joe talked about musical influences, PSSOM/Let's Go, the new album recording, tracklisting, playing live, band longevity, Man Enough, the 2015 UK tour/1981 story and Blind Faith.

Joe mentioned he wrote the lyrics to Blind Faith whilst on tour in Phoenix, AZ in 2014. The band played the city with KISS on 9th July 2014. The next show was on the 12th in Austin, TX. So the day off Joe refers to was mostly likely the 10th July.

Visit the Album News section. For more news on new music (based on band member quotes) dating back to January 2011.

Absolute Radio In Conversation - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes

Blind Faith/Album Tracklisting

"When we started putting the music together. We knew that if we get this right, this could be something very special. To the point where it's like where do we balance this song?. Do we put it in the middle of the album. So that we see saw around it. So it's like the pinnacle point. Or do we make it the Freebird stroke Stairway To Heaven and make it the last song."

"We tried to make this album a balanced record and take in all those things into consideration. For example since the kind of, the rise of CD or just downloads. There is no split. There's no side one or two. Where you needed a strong track at the beginning of each side and when people were just able to - 'ah OK I've heard enough of this song' - hit the forward button to the next song without having to wreck the record by lifting the needle up and that kind of thing. People started front loading their records. Putting all the good songs at the front and then the weak ones at the back. Which made it a totally unbalanced record."

"We didn't want to do that and so we were taking all that on board like where do you go?. because we were having to make our own rules up. The song in theory should be the last rack on the record. If it was a indeed record. Or do we put it in the middle so that people actually get to hear the thing because they might not get that far. People have no attention span the way that they did in the days of only vinyl if you like."

Blind Faith Song Writing

"So we just said no we're making an album. Let's pretend it's got a split. We're gonna make this the last track. And I remember we had the backing track. It was very moody. It was very cleverly done. It starts off with an electric guitar. It comes in with this kind of other worldly guitar and then the mellotrons come in and then we said to Rick. Look, don't be shy, don't be scared. You need to play this like Ringo. You need to play like Ringo. Don't play like anybody else. Play like Ringo."

"So that's why I think it's working title was 'I Am The Rain Song' or something like that. We were on tour with KISS last year and I remember we were in Phoenix, Arizona and we had a day off and I'd got this bee in my bonnet about wanting to get it done. And I'd got a theme in my head about the futility of organised religion. Or the potential futility of it."

"I live in Dublin and so I used to read a lot on a daily basis about the abuse that happened in the Catholic church or stuff like that. And it wasn't just the Catholic church, it was every kind of religion. And I'm not knocking religion. It was just an observation of this happens a lot and 'you'll burn in hell if your parents about this' and all that kind of stuff. And it's not necessarily something where Def Leppard goes all the - people think you know, you wrote Let's Get Rocked how can you go there?. But we always have. We went there on the first album with When The Walls Came Tumblin' Down. Even though that was actually written by a friend of mine. We did it with Gods Of War. We did it with White Lightning on Adrenalize."

"We've always touched on the real side of life if you like. Mostly it's in with relationship stuff but with this it was like just observation of the that humanity can be abused if you like. And I set out writing this thing and I just had this stream of conciousness. It just came pouring out of me but I made a very concious effort to not be preachy and finger waggy about it. If you actually read the lyrics. And I did say to the guy when he was putting the artwork together. I want a question mark putting at the end because I want everybody to realise. I'm asking a question and I'm not telling you what's going on. I'm asking is it really what's going on?. You know. Make your own mind up. So in that - it is poking a little bit but it's not preaching. I want the listener to make their own mind up as to whether you know what they're hearing is representative of what they're thinking as well because it's certainly what a lot of people think."

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