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)
Hell Driver
Accept Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are a loser, only shit in your head
You are a fighter and devil in bet
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, drive on with me
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, (then some)
Driving the speedway like a superstar
The wheels are turning all this crap in your car
The engine is burning, explode
You know you winner, with ten in a row
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, drive on with me
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, (then some)
Down on the speedway and blood in your face
The engine is broke at the end of the race
Your life was the dagger, the edge of the knife
You thought you're the winner and you're never right
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, drive on with me
Hell driver come to me
Stay with me, (then some)
The lyrics of Accept's song "Hell Driver" seem to be a criticism of the hyper-masculine culture surrounding car racing and the idea of toxic masculinity. The lyrics describe the singer as someone who is obsessed with racing and sees it as the only thing that gives him meaning in life. He is described as having a perfect body but an ugly face, and as being a "loser" with "only shit in [his] head." Despite this, he is also described as a "fighter" and a "devil," which could be seen as glorifying his aggressive and violent behavior.
The chorus, with its repeated plea for the "hell driver" to come and stay with the singer, could be interpreted as both a celebration of and a warning against the dangers of this lifestyle. The line "driving the speedway like a superstar" could be seen as both praising the driver's skill and mocking the hero-worship that surrounds him. The final verse, with its references to blood and death, seems to be a warning that this lifestyle will ultimately lead to destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Your body looks perfect, your face like a rat
You appear attractive in physical appearance, but your face leaves much to be desired
You are a loser, only shit in your head
Your mental capacity is limited and you lack any ability to succeed
You are a fighter and devil in bet
You have a resilient spirit and a fierce, fearless attitude
Hell driver come to me
An invitation for an audacious, daring driver to join the artist
Stay with me, drive on with me
A request for the driver to continue accompanying the artist in their ventures
Driving the speedway like a superstar
Operating a vehicle at high speeds with expert skill and confidence
The wheels are turning all this crap in your car
The mechanisms of the car are causing an unpleasant sound during the ride
The engine is burning, explode
The car's engine is overheating to the point of combustion
You know you winner, with ten in a row
You have achieved multiple consecutive victories, signifying your success
Down on the speedway and blood in your face
A dangerous, intense race has resulted in injuries and blood on the driver's face
The engine is broke at the end of the race
The car's engine is irreparably damaged due to the intensity of the race
Your life was the dagger, the edge of the knife
Your experiences and risks in life were dangerous and potentially fatal
You thought you're the winner and you're never right
Despite your confidence and efforts, your expectations of success never come to fruition
Hell driver come to me
A repetition of the earlier invitation for a daring driver to accompany the singer
Stay with me, drive on with me
A repetition of the earlier request for the driver to continue accompanying the singer
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Frank Friedrich, Jorg Fischer, Peter Baltes, Udo Dirkschneider, Wolf Hoffmann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind