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)

Down And Out
Accept Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, here I am, I'm feelin' good
Takin' a ride on a hot summer night
'Cause on a long, hot, hot summer night
Just don't know why I know what I am

So let 'em keep on runnin'
So let 'em keep on chasin' me

Yes, here I am, all heavy legged
Been dancin' on, on a hot summer night
Call me a scrounger, a degenerate bum
Every day hear it over again

So let 'em keep on runnin'
But let 'em keep on chasin' me

You are down and out
When you're just being your self
We ain't down and out
Man take a look at yourself

See a summer night sky,
I feel like runnin'
I feel like livin' the way I do
That's who I am,
What I'm doin's right, it ain't wrong
I'm livin' this way, if livin' is true

So let 'em keep on runnin'
But let 'em keep on chasin' me

You are down and out
When you're just being your self
We ain't down and out
Man take a look at yourself

You're always sayin',
I'm sleepin' all day
A day's too long to sleep it away
You gotta think it over, over again
My eyes may be closed
But I'm livin' within

Let 'em keep on runnin'
For let 'em keep on chasin' me

You are down and out
When you're just being your self
We ain't down and out
Man take a look at yourself

You are down and out
When you're just being your self

We ain't down and out
Man take a look at yourself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Accept's song "Down and Out" express a sense of defiance and rebellion against societal expectations and norms. The singer sings about feeling good and taking a ride on a hot summer night, but also acknowledges that others may view him as a scrounger or degenerate bum. However, he asserts that he is living the way he wants to and will continue to do so, despite others' criticisms.

The chorus, "You are down and out when you're just being yourself / We ain't down and out, man take a look at yourself," further emphasizes this theme of individuality and rejecting societal labels. The singer is proud of who he is and how he is living, even if it goes against what others may consider to be acceptable behavior.

Despite the confident and rebellious tone of the lyrics, there is also a sense of vulnerability and defensiveness. The singer responds to criticisms about sleeping all day by insisting that he is still living within, indicating a fear of being seen as lazy or unproductive.

Overall, "Down and Out" is a song about finding the courage to be oneself and rejecting societal pressures to conform to certain expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, here I am, I'm feelin' good
I am present and content with myself

Takin' a ride on a hot summer night
Going for a drive on a warm evening

'Cause on a long, hot, hot summer night
Because during a lengthy, hot summer evening

Just don't know why I know what I am
I cannot explain why I am who I am

So let 'em keep on runnin'
Let others keep striving for something

So let 'em keep on chasin' me
Let them continue pursuing me

Yes, here I am, all heavy legged
Present, albeit exhausted

Been dancin' on, on a hot summer night
Dancing on a warm evening

Call me a scrounger, a degenerate bum
Refer to me as a low-life, lazy person

Every day hear it over again
Hear these insults on a daily basis