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Holy Diver (5:50)

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This song is about Satan, and his descent to Hell (his “dive”). The lyrics deal specifically with Revelations 12:9 where Satan was cast to the earth. The tiger is symbolic of the wild beast that comes out of the sea, as mentioned in Revelations 13:1.

The album cover depicted Satan whipping a priest with a chain. The priest was shackled and drowning in a turbulent sea. This caused some controversy, although not as much as one might think.

This was covered, ironically, by Gospel singer Pat Boone on his In a Metal Mood album. Acknowledging the subject matter, the song ends with Pat reciting Psalm 23:4. Dio sang backup vocals this - he thought it was hilarious.

In 1989, Japanese video game company Irem made a game based on this song, featuring a protagonist who resembles Ronnie James Dio. The game was never released outside of Japan.

The song is prominently featured on the soundtrack to the radio station V-Rock in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and is also one of the tracks on the game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. It was also played in the South Park episode Hooked on Monkey Phonics, and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Pat Burrell used the song in 2005 and 2006 as his at-bat music. The song was also the lead off song in the Matchstick Films Ski Movie trilogy.

The music video for Holy Diver, directed and edited by Arthur Ellis, features Dio as a barbarian adventuring through a desolate town. First he strikes two rascals with his sword, but instead of killing them he turns them into rats. He later visits a blacksmith who reforges his sword.

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heavy metal, hard rock, metal, classic rock, dio
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Video

Added by HoskieDC

Dio's Holy Diver minus Jimmy Bain.
And a tip on plucking thrown in at no extra charge. Enjoy.

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Albums featuring this track

Holy Diver
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Diamonds: The Best of Dio
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The Collection
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The Very Beast of Dio
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dollmassacre wrote:
yesterday evening

Wait a minute, I've never heard Dio say anywhere that this song was about Satan. Wikipedia is made of fail.

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dollmassacre wrote:
yesterday evening

Dio = <3 Killswitch Engage KILLED this song. >:( Screw Guitar Hero for killing it as well.

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rexkingdiamond2 wrote:
Sunday morning

rjd is a god!

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sfakianos7 wrote:
Saturday morning

HOLIE DAIVAH

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Thatkidsam wrote:
Wednesday afternoon

It's about a tiger who's clean.

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AlexGSavchuk wrote:
last week

HOLY DIVAH. This song is so classic.

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timberwolf98 wrote:
last week

RRRRIDE THE TIGER!!! Epic pretty much sums it up! \m/

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sebadagostino wrote:
last week

@Evolenilec: Are you fucking stupid or what? DIO has nothing to Satan, you have to read between the lines! It's obvious that too much Elton John and Celine Dion makes people stop relying on their brains and make them slaves of the shit they buy from politicians, religion and fucking tv.

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timmahcheese wrote:
last month

This guy is amazing in concert with black sabbath (now Heaven and Hell)

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timmahcheese wrote:
last month

EPIC TO THE MAX!!!

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l0ker wrote:
last month

<3

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Irishwunda wrote:
last month

Epic

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the_sweetness wrote:
last month

What a bunch of douchebags on here! Dio is the SHIT, even your mama knows that.

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VanHelsingFreak wrote:
last month

@theone317: Newsflash, douchebag this IS real metal

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traubster wrote:
last month

HOLY DIVER!!!!

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slashnthrash wrote:
last month

"Dio's Holy Diver is good but Killswitch Engage one is better"..No...Really...Just no

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elciscokid wrote:
last month

I see what ya mean Ronnie but apparently not many others do judging by most of these comments...

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Stormwatch1986 wrote:
last month

One of the Best Metal Artist of the 80s

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poisonedagain wrote:
last month

Great Metal Classic!!!!!!!

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gingergladiator wrote:
last month

GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!!!!!!!!

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