Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, he was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences -- and around this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.
A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975 until 1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.
Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mudslinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.
Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009, when he released the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011 he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir that recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions.
The following April, after a long wait, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album that took a heavier approach than Anomaly. Released in 2016, Origins, Vol. 1 was an all-covers album featuring songs from Ace's favorite bands, up to and including Kiss, with new versions of "Parasite" and "Cold Gin" sitting next to songs from Thin Lizzy and Cream. The following year, Frehley joined Kiss bassist/vocalist Simmons on-stage at a Hurricane Harvey benefit for the Children Matter organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the former bandmates had performed together in over 16 years. In 2018 Frehley issued his eighth solo long payer, Spaceman, which featured a power pop cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back" and the rowdy single "Rockin' with the Boys," the latter of which was written during Kiss' '70s heyday.
In the fall of 2018, Frehley revealed that he was changing his entire solo backing band from guitarist Richie Scarlet, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan to Gene Simmons‘ solo band members consisting of Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Christopher Williams on drums.
He then released a second covers album, Origins, Vol. 2, in September 2020.
Biography by Greg Prato
Website: http://www.acefrehley.com
Ace Frehley (1978)
Frehley's Comet (1987)
Second Sighting (1988)
Trouble Walkin' (1989)
Anomaly (2009)
Space Invader (2014)
Origins Vol. 1 (2016)
Spaceman (2018)
Origins Vol. 2 (2020)
10,000 Volts (2024)
Change
Ace Frehley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you don't know that you can hold the world in your hand
And all the people surrounding you just want what you have
So you've been weak up until now that your soul has been stripped
Naked in the sand
Pick yourself up, and change
Pick yourself up and change
You couldn't see
Their faces as they were calling your name
Your head was spinning
From the laughter of strangers to you
You turned around,
Your head in your hands as confusion sets in
Was just madness you felt,
No more hearts will be broken
I give you my command
Pick yourself up, and change
Pick yourself up and change
Pick yourself up, and change
Pick yourself up
All the people around were dying for pleasure,
Not holding your hand, your hand, your hand
You see my sadness,
And pain but all about you thought was the ride,
The ride, the ride
You took for granted,
My treasures were given to unworthy hands
You lived a lie,
And you still want pity from me
I lost my patience,
It's the changing that counts, now open your eyes
Your time is over now,
No more wishes to grant your unsavory demands
Pick yourself up, and change
Pick yourself up and change
C'mon, pick yourself up, and change
Pick yourself up and change
Pick yourself up and change
Pick yourself up and change
Ace Frehley’s song "Change" is about the realization that life is not always what it's cracked up to be. The singer has come to understand that the people around him are envious of what he has, but don't necessarily want to be him. The lyrics speak of a person who has been knocked down and is struggling to get back up. The voice in the song is urging this person to pick themselves up and make a change in their life.
The lyrics highlight the fact that the person's soul has been stripped, naked in the sand. This signifies the person's vulnerability and the emotional toll that their experiences have taken on them. The lyrics also talk about how the people around the person are dying for pleasure, rather than offering comfort, support, or understanding.
The message of the song is that change is possible and necessary for growth. The voice instructs this person to pick themselves up and change, saying it twice to emphasize its importance. The person must take control of their own life and make the changes necessary to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You find your life is not quite like what you thought it would be
You realize that your life is not exactly what you had imagined and hoped it would be
And you don't know that you can hold the world in your hand
You do not realize your potential and that you have the ability to achieve great things
And all the people surrounding you just want what you have
The people around you are envious of your possessions and desire to have what you possess
So you've been weak up until now that your soul has been stripped
Your weakness has persisted until now, leaving you vulnerable and exposed
Naked in the sand
You feel helpless and alone, exposed to the harsh reality of life
You couldn't see
You were blind to the truth and unable to recognize what was happening around you
Their faces as they were calling your name
You were oblivious to the fact that people were trying to get your attention and seek your help
Your head was spinning
You felt confused and disoriented
From the laughter of strangers to you
You were the object of ridicule and mockery by strangers
You turned around,
You finally realized the situation and turned to face it
Your head in your hands as confusion sets in
You feel overwhelmed and are unable to make sense of what has been happening around you
Was just madness you felt,
You were experiencing a state of insanity and confusion
No more hearts will be broken
You are determined not to hurt others again
I give you my command
The singer is offering guidance and support
All the people around were dying for pleasure,
The people surrounding you were only seeking pleasure and not concerned with your well-being
Not holding your hand, your hand, your hand
They were not offering support or a helping hand
You see my sadness,
The artist feels sorrow and disappointment in your actions
And pain but all about you thought was the ride,
You were only concerned with enjoying the moment and not considering the impact of your actions
The ride, the ride
You were caught up in the excitement and thrill of the moment
You took for granted,
You did not appreciate or value what you had
My treasures were given to unworthy hands
Things of value were entrusted to untrustworthy people
You lived a lie,
You were living in a state of deception
And you still want pity from me
You are seeking sympathy from others despite your misdeeds
I lost my patience,
The artist has lost their patience with your behavior
It's the changing that counts, now open your eyes
What's important is that you change your behavior and perception of life immediately
Your time is over now,
You must take control of your life and make changes now
No more wishes to grant your unsavory demands
No one will fulfill your selfish desires anymore
Pick yourself up, and change
You need to motivate yourself and make positive changes in your life
C'mon, pick yourself up, and change
The artist is encouraging you to take action now and make changes in your life
Pick yourself up and change
Take the initiative to make positive changes in your life
Pick yourself up and change
You are capable of changing your life for the better
Pick yourself up and change
Don't wait for others to make changes in your life, you have the power to initiate change
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ROLAND ORZABAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind