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)
The King
Accept Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But time has changed where he was proud
It's a far away
He took living easy, his bad reputation
Oh it was known all around
But he didn't care no, he made dirty money
Now he is down and out
Thought he knew the tricks of life
Prowling in the dark
Now he's left by all his friends
'Cause he lived apart, of them
He was a leader, malicious and violent
His fame is covered with blood
Now he's just a number, he lost all his power
The king has lost his face
Down down down, though the king lost his crown
Caught and sentenced, he was guilty
Down down down, though the king lost his crown
It's too late far too high
Late far too high
The song "The King" by Accept is a powerful depiction of a once-powerful man who has fallen from grace. The lyrics speak of a man who was known for committing crimes, but once felt proud of his defiance of the law. However, time has caught up with him and he is no longer in a position of power or respect. He has lost his reputation and his friends have abandoned him. The man thought he knew the tricks of life but is now left to prowl in the dark.
The song speaks of the man's downfall from being a "leader, malicious and violent" to someone who has lost all of his power and is just a number in the eyes of society. He may have made a lot of money through his illegal activities, but he is now down and out. The chorus of the song emphasizes the fact that it is too late for him - he has been caught, sentenced and found guilty for his actions.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of cautionary tale. The man in the song is depicted as being once-powerful and notorious, but in the end, his actions caught up with him and he ultimately paid the price for his crimes.
Line by Line Meaning
Committing crimes each day
He used to commit crimes on a daily basis.
But time has changed where he was proud
He was once proud of his criminal activities, but now times have changed.
It's a far away
His past is now a distant memory.
He took living easy, his bad reputation
He didn't take life too seriously and was known for his bad reputation.
Oh it was known all around
Everyone knew about his bad reputation.
But he didn’t care no, he made dirty money
He didn't care about his reputation because he was making money through illegal means.
Now he is down and out
He has hit rock bottom.
Thought he knew the tricks of life
He believed he knew all the tricks to succeed in life.
Prowling in the dark
He used to wander around in the dark, possibly looking for ways to commit crimes.
Now he's left by all his friends
He has lost all his friends and supporters.
'Cause he lived apart, of them
He lived differently from his friends and family.
He was a leader, malicious and violent
He was a leader of a violent and malicious group of people.
His fame is covered with blood
His fame was earned through violent means.
Now he's just a number, he lost all his power
He has lost all his power and is now just a number.
The king has lost his face
He is no longer seen as the powerful leader he once was, his face is lost.
Down down down, though the king lost his crown
The king has lost everything.
Caught and sentenced, he was guilty
He was caught and convicted for his crimes.
It's too late far too high
It's too late for him to turn back now.
Late far too high
He is regretting his actions, but it's too late to make things right.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind