Founded in 1969 by guitarist Frank Bornemann, the band has endured several line-up changes, with Bornemann being the only consistent member of the group. In the 1980s, after a series of major splits (like in 1984 although reformed in 1988) in the group, Bornemann pursued a more commercial direction. Despite attracting a large following, the band never gained popularity in the United States.
However, in later years, former members of the band re-joined, and in 1998 fans delighted in hearing Ocean 2, a return to the classic symphonic progressive genre that the band was so well known for. A sequel to the 1977's original, it is commonly thought among fans that it successfully recaptures the spirit of the band, and is a worthy follow-up to the much beloved classic.
Of the band's numerous records, fans generally consider Inside, Floating, Dawn, Ocean, Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes, Planets and Ocean 2 to be the superior albums.
Despite their nationality, the band is not generally considered krautrock due to their sound which has much more in common with English progressive groups such as Pink Floyd and Yes.
In 2009 after a decade of hiatus Frank Bornemann released a DVD celebrating their 40th anniversary and a new album called Visionairy.
In the following period he worked on a concept double album about the life of the Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. The album The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 1 was released in 2017, followed by The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Pt. 2 in 2019.
Current Line-up:
Frank Bornemann
Klaus-Peter Matziol
Hannes Arkona
Hannes Folberth
Bodo Schopf
Racing Shadows
Eloy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the fatman and his lies
A TV puppet-politician
He thinks his words so fine
Great, important, and divine
A 20th century magician
In reality he's nothing but a shark
He's making rules and laws
To satisfy his greedy paws
He's got this art down to perfection
Ideals improvised
What's good for him is legalised
For he's the leader of the nation
But a dog that bites
Will seldom ever bark
All his slogans fade to nothingness
For he is but a shadow in the dark
Every step they take
Every move they make
Everything is fake
Just an illusion
Madmen rise and fall
Many heads may roll
But they don't care at all
And sow confusion
Their perverted schemes are reaching their peak
Insanity reigns
Simple parasites they feed off the weak
Posessing their brains
Undercover of the titles they hold
That makes them so bold
Another blindman trips and falls
And deaf men cannot hear at all
They smile towards their self destruction
Yes-men nod and bow their heads
Could own their own minds but instead
They're just like puppets of corruption
And they play their game while corpses pave their way
And they'll force a smile until the day
The racing shadows finally fade away
Every step they take
Every move they make
Everything is fake
Just an illusion
Madmen rise and fall
Many heads may roll
But they don't care at all
And sow confusion
Their perverted schemes are reaching their peak
Insanity reigns
Simple parasites they feed off the weak
Posessing their brains
Undercover of the titles they hold
That makes them so bold
There's a fire burning in our hearts
It throws a light upon their dubious talk
Let the fire burn to disclose all their lies
Let them play their games but be true to yourself
And the flames will rage until the day
The racing shadows finally fade away
Every step they take
Every move they make
Everything is fake
Just an illusion
Madmen rise and fall
Many heads may roll
But they don't care at all
And sow confusion
Their perverted schemes are reaching their peak
Insanity reigns
Simple parasites they feed off the weak
Posessing their brains
The lyrics to Eloy's Racing Shadows provide a powerful critique of the greed, corruption, and deception that can plague our leaders and society. The song takes aim at the TV puppet-politicians who manipulate and deceive the people with their lies and false promises. The imagery of shadows and illusions reinforces the idea that these leaders are not what they seem, and that their actions and words are just a superficial facade hiding their true intentions. The song warns of the dangers of blindly following these leaders and their perverted schemes, and instead encourages listeners to stay true to themselves and seek the truth, even if it means challenging those in power.
The chorus, with its repetition of "Every step they take, Every move they make, Everything is fake, Just an illusion," serves as a powerful refrain that underscores the central message of the song. The final verse of the song offers a glimmer of hope, as the "fire burning in our hearts" can expose the lies and deceit of these leaders and hasten the day when the "racing shadows finally fade away."
Overall, Racing Shadows is a powerful and thought-provoking song that challenges listeners to think critically about those who hold power over them and to seek the truth in a world that is often shrouded in shadows and illusions.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nowhere left to hide
There is no place to hide from the corruption and lies of those in power
From the fatman and his lies
From the lies of the powerful, who are often overweight and gluttonous
A TV puppet-politician
A politician controlled by the media and who is more interested in self-promotion than the people they serve
He thinks his words so fine
The politician believes the words they speak are of great importance and value
Great, important, and divine
The politician believes they are special and should be treated as such
A 20th-century magician
The politician is like a magician, skilled in the art of deception and making things disappear
In reality, he's nothing but a shark
The politician is like a shark, seeking to prey on the weak and vulnerable
He appears to be a shadow in the dark
The politician is often hidden in the shadows, deceiving people into thinking they are something they are not
He's making rules and laws
The politician creates laws and regulations that benefit themselves and those who support them
To satisfy his greedy paws
They create laws to benefit themselves and their interests
He's got this art down to perfection
The politician is skilled at creating laws that benefit themselves and harm others while making it seem legitimate
Ideals improvised
The politician changes their beliefs and principles to fit their agenda as needed
What's good for him is legalized
The politician works to legalize policies and laws that benefit themselves and their supporters even if it harms others
For he's the leader of the nation
They are the leader of the country and have the power and responsibility to make decisions and set policies
But a dog that bites
Someone who acts out in anger or violence
Will seldom ever bark
Will not show their true colors and intentions
All his slogans fade to nothingness
The politician's slogans and promises mean nothing and have no real impact
Every step they take, Every move they make, Everything is fake, Just an illusion
The politician and their actions are all fake and are nothing more than a mirage
Madmen rise and fall, Many heads may roll, But they don't care at all, And sow confusion
Powerful people come and go, but they do not care about the consequences of their actions and always create confusion
Their perverted schemes are reaching their peak, Insanity reigns
Those in power are reaching a point where their plans are becoming more dangerous and insane
Simple parasites they feed off the weak, Possessing their brains
The powerful prey on those who are vulnerable and weak, often manipulating and controlling their actions and decisions
Undercover of the titles they hold, That makes them so bold
The power and influence that comes from their titles gives the politician the courage to take risks and appear bold
Another blind man trips and falls, And deaf men cannot hear at all, They smile towards their self-destruction
The people who support the politician are often blind and ignorant to the truth, ignoring the problems they are creating and ultimately leading them towards their own destruction
Yes-men nod and bow their heads, Could own their own minds but instead, They're just like puppets of corruption
Those who blindly support the politician could make their own decisions but instead choose to follow and support, becoming puppets of the corruption and lies
There's a fire burning in our hearts, It throws a light upon their dubious talk
A sense of outrage and anger towards the politician and their actions is growing and becoming more visible
Let the fire burn to disclose all their lies
The outrage and anger towards the politician will reveal the lies and deception they have been hiding
And they'll force a smile until the day, The racing shadows finally fade away
The politician will continue to hide their true intentions and deceive people until the day they are no longer in power
The racing shadows finally fade away
The politician and their lies will one day disappear
Contributed by Grayson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kimolesen
Really like this track!
Matthew Slantin'mouth
This is the song I'm listening 00:00 while aging 18. Glad that's Eloy's song :)
Dennis Benzle
M'Son the Overlord that was cool
Dennis Benzle
that last track was a cool opener this is good too man peace people love the cover on this pink Floyd type band
Giorgos Papadopoulos
👍👍👍👍