Can You Match the Famous Lyrics to the Old-School Metal Band?

Brian Whitney

"Oh we're not going to take it"? were the lyrics to what super rebellious song?

Twisted Sister was led by lead singer Dee Snider. The song "We're Not Going to Take it" which these lyrics are from, hit number 21 on the charts making it the band's highest charting single ever.

"Is this love that I'm feeling" was one of the most romantic metal songs ever. What band sung it?

These lyrics are from the English band Whitesnake's song "Is This Love." It charted really well both in the England and the United States where it made it all the way to number 2.

"Woke up to the sound of pouring rain"? was a line from what band's melodramatic metal ballad?

This song called "I Remember You" was a huge success for the band Skid Row. While they never duplicated the sales of this song, the band, led by lead singer Sebastian Bach, still tours today.

Who would want to brag "Yeah, I am the astro creep"?

White Zombie's song "More Human Than Human" was the source of these lyrics. The band was fronted by lead singer Rob Zombie, who has had continued success in the movies as well as music.

What fake band from a mockumentary sang "Stonehenge, where the demons dwell"?

These lyrics were by Spinal Tap, a fake band in one of the funniest movies ever that was called "This is Spinal Tap." The movie was done as a fake documentary, making fun of the heavy metal lifestyle.

What death metal band wrote the words "The curse is launched, beware"?

Sepultura wrote "The Curse is Launched" and is a Brazilian heavy metal band that was formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera. These guys didn't mess around and are considered one of the best metal bands by some.

What charismatic lead singer of what band feels "Up, and nothing gets me down"?

Van Halen wrote the song "Jump" and was one of the most popular metal bands of all time. They were first fronted by David Lee Roth, and then later Sammy Hagar. Eddie and Alex Van Halen were their driving force.

What band known for wearing makeup wrote "Out on the street for a living"?

These lyrics are from the song "Black Diamond" by the band KISS. This song was later recorded by the Minneapolis band The Replacements, and remains one of either band's hardest rocking songs.

What hair metal band wrote "We both lie silently still in the dead of the night"?

While it might seem hard to believe now, Poison was once a really big band. These lyrics are from its biggest hit "Every Rose has Its Thorn." The band still tours on occasion, when they aren't starring in reality shows.

What band fronted by Ozzy Osbourne thinks that "People think I'm insane because I keep frowning all the time"?

These lyrics are from the song "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath. Led by lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, they have long been thought of as one of the best and most influential metal bands of all time.

What band featuring a one-armed drummer asks "Oh can you feel it, do you believe it?"

For a while one couldn't go anywhere without hearing a song by Def Leppard, they had a huge number of hits. This song is called "Hysteria" and was one of many of theirs to hit the charts.

What hard-partying band sang "Ooh are you ready girls"?

Motley Crue was totally '80s rock and roll. They came out of Los Angeles and consisted of bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, Mick Mars on the guitar and Vince Neil singing. This song was "Kickstart My Heart."

What rodent-inspired band was hanging "out on the streets, that's where we'll meet"?

"Round and Round" was the band Ratt's biggest hit, and no wonder, the song was incredibly catchy. They were biggest in the '80s and have had gold records. They still can be found on tour today.

What Seattle band spends time "Sitting on an angry chair"?

Alice in Chains used to be a Seattle-based rock band. They became famous in the early 1990s as part of the whole grunge thing. Sadly, their lead singer, Layne Staley, died of an overdose.

What metal-rap hybrid band spent "Fifteen years in the academy"?

"I Am the Law" is the song the above lyrics are from, by the popular band Anthrax. They were one of the first heavy metal bands to experiment with combining metal with hip hop and rap.

What band named for predatory arachnids sang that "My body's burning, it starts to shout"?

"Rock You Like A Hurricane" was one of the most popular songs ever by the band Scorpions, and was also one of the most popular songs ever. You can still hear it often on the radio today.

Which band whose lead guitarist wore a top hat wondered "Where do we go now"?

"Sweet Child of Mine" was the name of this song by the band Guns "N Roses. If you're of a certain age you don't know how popular these guys became. Led by lead singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash, they were a huge success.

Which legendary band formed in 1968 saw"Fire in the sky"?

If you didn't know that this was "Smoke on the Water" by the band Deep Purple, then you probably should turn in your heavy metal card. This is one of the biggest heavy metal songs of all time.

Which very dramatic metal band sang "Silence we hunt for the queen"?

Dio, led by lead singer Ronnie James Dio, sang this song called "Killing the Dragon". Dio had an absolutely incredible voice, which helped his band become very successful and have numerous hits.

One of the most famous bands ever sang "There's a lady I know" which one was it?

"Stairway to Heaven" is one of the coolest and most famous songs ever by legendary metal band Led Zeppelin. This is thought of as one of the very best rock songs of all time.

What hard-rocking Australian band yelled? "I'm Back"?

"Back in Black" was one of the most famous songs by the incredible rock and heavy metal band AC/DC. Pretty much everyone knows who these guys are, they did a lot for advancing heavy metal.

Which artsy metal band sang "I don't want it, I just need it"?

"Stinkfist" was a song by the band Tool, who burst out of nowhere and became one of the most popular metal bands of their time. The group was fronted by the reclusive frontman Maynard James Keenan.

What band fronted by Dave Mustaine was kind of "Mean and infectious"?

"Skull Beneath the Skin" was the song these lyrics belong to by the band Megadeth who were led by Dave Mustaine. Megadeath is thought of as one of the most influential metal bands of all time.

What truly old school English band sang they "had every promise broken, there's anger in my heart"?

"Breaking the Law" was a legendary song by Judas Priest, that was made even more legendary after being on "Beavis and Butthead." The lead singer of the band was Rob Halford, who had one of the best voices in metal.

What legendary Californian metal band decided to "Enter Night, Exit Light"?

"Enter Sandman" was one of the most popular songs ever by Metallica, who are one of heavy metal's most popular bands. The band was formed by drummer Lars Ulrich and singer James Hetfield.

What English metal band formed in 1975 would sing "I'm Stranded in Space"?

"The Final Frontier" is the name of this song by British metal band Iron Maiden. While they're not thought of as incredibly popular, they've sold over 100 million albums over their time.

What band might make you rock out listening to them sing of "Breaking the chains around you"?

"Breaking the Chains" was a song by the band Dokken. This American metal band first formed in 1979 and has sold over 10 million records worldwide. The lead singer of the band was Don Dokken.

Does it bother you to think that "You want it all but you can't have it"?

"Epic" was the name of this song by the California metal band "Faith No More. They were led by singer Mike Patton who was also known for fronting the band Mr. Bungle. They might not be old school to everyone, but they sure are to some.

The funny-faced singer of what band sang"Girls rock your boys"?

"Cum On Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot is one of the very best metal songs of all time. If you say you like heavy metal and you don't like this song, I hate to tell you that you really don't like metal at all.

What would happen if a songwriter "fell in love with a gypsy woman"?

"Gypsy" Is the name of this song that was written and performed by the band Uriah Heep, who formed way back in 1969. The band's name came from a character in the Charles Dickens novel "David Copperfield."

What band featuring two sisters sang "We made magic that night. Oh, he did everything right"?

"All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You." was an incredibly successful song by the band Heart, which was fronted by the Wilson sisters. While this song certainly pushed the limits of being called heavy metal, that is how lots of people classify the band.

Which band couldn't wait to get some "Sweet Cherry Pie"?

"Cherry Pie" was a song by the band Warrant. The song became incredibly successful, partly because of its sexual lyrics and partly because of an even more sexual video. Warrant didn't have many more hits.

Which MTV darlings sang "Look in my eyes what do you see?"

"Cult of Personality" was a song by the band Living Colour with a video that was played in heavy rotation on MTV, back when they played videos. They were notable in heavy metal for being all African American.

What really nice Christian boys sang "Honestly I believe in you"?

"Honestly" was a song by the band Stryper, whose main claim to fame was being a Christian heavy metal band. That doesn't seem like that big of a deal until you realize how many times the devil horns are thrown in metal.

Do you think you could "Guess who just got back today"?

"Boys Are Back in Town" is one of the most popular old-school metal songs of all time. Thin Lizzy were formed in Ireland in 1969. Their next most popular song was probably "Jailbreak".

Explore More Quizzes

Image: Wiki Commons by Raph_PH

About This Quiz

To a lot of people, there is not much cooler than old-school metal. Just what old school actually means is up for debate. Some people think that Deep Purple is old school, some might say Van Halen, and some might even say Metallica, but what we're calling it is any band that has been around for at least a couple of decades. 

When one thinks of metal, one doesn't usually think about lyrics, but as you'll see as you answer questions on this quiz, you might be surprised at how easy some of these lyrics are to recognize. Of course, one thinks about metal as being about anger and rebellion, but while there are quite a few of those kinds of songs on this list, a lot of them are about falling in love, being in love, and of course, that old heavy metal standby, partying like crazy. 

So take this quiz, and see if you can match the lyrics to the old school metal bands like Def Leppard, Judas Priest and Metallica, as well as many others. We hope you do well, if you don't you can always just say that you're not gonna take it. I mean, no, you just aren't going to take it. 

About HowStuffWorks Play

How much do you know about dinosaurs? What is an octane rating? And how do you use a proper noun? Lucky for you, HowStuffWorks Play is here to help. Our award-winning website offers reliable, easy-to-understand explanations about how the world works. From fun quizzes that bring joy to your day, to compelling photography and fascinating lists, HowStuffWorks Play offers something for everyone. Sometimes we explain how stuff works, other times, we ask you, but we’re always exploring in the name of fun! Because learning is fun, so stick with us!