Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, formed in 19… Read Full Bio ↴Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, formed in 1976 by guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and former members Udo Dirkschneider (vocals) and Peter Baltes (bass). Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s, when the band got its start under the name Band X. Accept's lineup has changed over the years, which has included different singers, guitarists, bassists and drummers.

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)

Bad Religion
Accept Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As long as I remember
I was left all by myself
When trouble crossed my way I stood alone
My old man hit the bottle
My mom was running scared
The old forgotten prayers turned to stone

I'm searching for identity

I don't show who I am
The past has cast a shadow over me

Like a bad religion
The only one I know
I never had no shelter
Never had a place to go
A bad religion
My life is make-believe
Bad religion
I'm beggin' for relief

I tried to break the circle
To break the vicious spell
But the past is always heavy on my mind
I'm dancing with the devil
A dangerous romance
A daring way to leave it all behind

I'm searching for identity
I don't know who I am
The past has cast a shadow over me

Like a bad religion
The only one I know
I never had no shelter never had a place to go
A bad religion
My life is make-believe
Bad religion

I need someone to talk to
Someone to understand
I need a friend to lend a helping hand
I'm gonna pull myself together
Shed this battered skin
I'm ready for the challenge
This loser's out to win

Like a bad religion
The only one I know
I never had no shelter
Never had a place to go
A bad religion
My life is make-believe

Bad religion
I'm beggin' for relief, bad religion

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Accept's song "Bad Religion" speak of a troubled past that has defined the singer's present. The song starts with the singer reflecting on the difficult childhood they had - their father was an alcoholic and their mother was scared. The "old forgotten prayers turned to stone" reflects the hopelessness and lack of faith the singer feels. The past seems to have left a lasting impact on the singer's life, leading to identity issues and a feeling of being lost.

The title of the song, "Bad Religion," is a metaphor for the singer's life. Just like a religion, the experiences and beliefs of their past have shaped and defined their present identity. However, just like a bad religion, the experiences and beliefs are not helpful or positive ones, instead causing the singer pain and confusion. The repeated line "I never had no shelter, never had a place to go" emphasizes the lack of support the singer had during their troubled childhood and how it has continued into their adult life.

The song shifts towards the end, as the singer expresses a desire for change and a willingness to take control of their life. They seek help and guidance from friends, and recognize that they need to shed their old identity and start anew. It is a message of hope and resilience, a reminder that even though our past may have had a hold on us, we have the power to take charge and create a better future for ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

As long as I remember
For as long as I can remember

I was left all by myself
I was on my own

When trouble crossed my way I stood alone
I had to face trouble alone

My old man hit the bottle
My father became an alcoholic

My mom was running scared
My mother was living in fear

The old forgotten prayers turned to stone
The prayers I used to say lost their meaning and became pointless

I'm searching for identity
I'm looking for who I am

I don't show who I am
I keep my true self hidden

The past has cast a shadow over me
My past keeps haunting me

Like a bad religion
My life is like a bad religion

The only one I know
It's the only way of life I'm familiar with