Their current lineup consists of Hoffmann, vocalist Mark Tornillo, guitarists Uwe Lulis and Philip Shouse, drummer Christopher Williams and bassist Martin Motnik. Before arriving at their current lineup, Accept has undergone numerous lineup changes, being Hoffmann the last remaining original member since its inception, and he is the only band member to appear on each album.
Accept played an important role in the development of speed and thrash metal, and they were part of the German heavy metal scene, which emerged in the early to mid-1980s. They have also been cited as an influence or inspiration by a number of acts, including Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, Testament, Anthrax, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Overkill, Exodus, and Annihilator, as well as fellow Germans such as Helloween, Blind Guardian, Doro, Sodom, Rage, and Grave Digger. Accept achieved its first commercial success with their fifth studio album Balls to the Wall (1983), which is the band's only album to be certified gold in the United States and Canada, and spawned their well-known hit "Balls to the Wall".
Accept have broken up and reformed multiple times. They first split up in 1989, several months after the release of Eat the Heat (which was their only album with Dirkschneider's initial replacement David Reece), but reformed in 1992 and released three more albums before disbanding again in 1997. After briefly reuniting in 2005, Accept announced their third reunion in 2009, with former T.T. Quick frontman Mark Tornillo replacing Dirkschneider (who declined to participate), and the band has recorded five albums with him: Blood of the Nations (2010), Stalingrad (2012), Blind Rage (2014), The Rise of Chaos (2017) and Too Mean to Die (2021); each of those albums renewed Accept's popularity in Germany and entered the top ten charts there.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accept_(band)
Studio albums
Accept (1979)
I'm a Rebel (1980)
Breaker (1981)
Restless and Wild (1982)
Balls to the Wall (1983)
Metal Heart (1985)
Russian Roulette (1986)
Eat the Heat (1989)
Objection Overruled (1993)
Death Row (1994)
Predator (1996)
Blood of the Nations (2010)
Stalingrad (2012)
Blind Rage (2014)
The Rise of Chaos (2017)
Too Mean to Die (2021)
Ahead of the Pack
Accept Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You gotta live your life
Yesterday's heroes
They are born to die
The people always blame you
It don't matter what they say
You've got your own freedom
Get up and roll on
'Cause there is no future
And there'll be no past
Live for today
The going is going fast
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'Cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Don't you kill the feelings
Live to your heart
You're miles away
But you know where to start
Now you've got the muscle
To knock out a lie
'Cause you're ahead of the pack
No one will spit in your eye
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'Cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Accept's song "Ahead of the Pack" celebrates individualism and going your own way, rather than following others blindly. The lyrics urge listeners to "take it easy" and "live your life," which can be interpreted as an encouragement to prioritize personal happiness and fulfillment. The line "yesterday's heroes, they are born to die" suggests that idolizing others is futile when our lives are limited in time. The song asserts that one should not let others control or limit their actions, with the line "you've got your own freedom, you've gotta go your way."
The song's refrain emphasizes the idea of being ahead of the pack, of not looking back once you've made the decision to forge your own path. The imagery of "knocking out a lie" and not letting others "spit in your eye" reinforces the idea that individualism requires strength and confidence.
Overall, "Ahead of the Pack" encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and ignore the expectations of others. It celebrates the idea of taking risks and forging one's own path.
Line by Line Meaning
You gotta take it easy
You should live life peacefully and without stress
You gotta live your life
You should live your life the way you want to
Yesterday's heroes, They are born to die
People's time in the limelight is short-lived
The people always blame you, It don't matter what they say
People will always find faults with you, ignore their criticisms
You've got your own freedom, You've gotta go your way
You have the power to make your own decisions and live life your way
Get up and roll on, 'Cause there is no future, And there'll be no past
Don't dwell on the past or future, live in the present, and keep moving forward
Live for today, The going is going fast
Enjoy the present moment because time flies quickly
You are ahead of the pack, Ahead of the pack, Never look back, 'Cause you're ahead, Ahead of the pack
You are leading in your endeavors and should keep going that way without looking back
Don't you kill the feelings, Live to your heart
Don't suppress your emotions, listen to your heart
You're miles away, But you know where to start
Even though you're far from your destination, you know what the first step is
Now you've got the muscle, To knock out a lie
You have the power to expose the truth and confront lies
Get up and roll on, Get up and go on, The going's going fast
Keep moving forward because time is limited
Ahead of the pack, Ahead of the pack, Never look back, Ahead of the pack
You are ahead of others in your journey and should continue without looking back
Ahead of the pack, Never look back, Ahead of the pack
Continue to lead and never look back
Ahead of the pack
Be a trailblazer and lead others
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: PETER BALTES, STEFAN KAUFMANN, UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER, WOLF HOFFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind