With 2 million albums sold (1 million of which were sold in Switzerland, which only has 7 million habitants), they managed to get multi-platinum awards in different parts of the world.
Influences include Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Aerosmith. Singer Steve Lee is especially fond of Whitesnake and has based his singing style on their lead singer David Coverdale.
Gotthard also performed "Immigrant Song" (originally by Led Zeppelin) live and it featured exclusively on a CD by Classic Rock (a long running monthly UK rock magazine). "Hush" was also performed live and can be found on Made In Switzerland album.
Another cover of a song they have recorded is "The Mighty Quinn", originally called Quinn The Eskimo, by Bob Dylan.
Singer Steve Lee was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 5th 2010. A truck struck him while he was stopped on the side of a desert road in Nevada (USA), putting on rain gear.
Current line-up:
Nic Maeder: Vocals
Leo Leoni: Lead Guitar
Freddy Scherer: Rhythm Guitar
Marc Lynn: Bass
Hena Habegger: Drums
Break Away
Gotthard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many times have I tried to escape this black hole
Night after night, always darkness, I long for the light
As I dive in an ocean of hope, with no island in sight
Time to break away, face another day
Find the courage to pull down the wall
That's built around me
Drop the chains of that dull indecision
And go all the way, this time, I'll break away
There is a story inside me waiting to unfold
An urge within to come out of this terrible cold
As I stop this illusion a world of confusion inside
Venus release me, cuz I'm on the verge to collide
Time to break away, face another day
Find the courage to pull down the wall
That's built around me
Time to break away, and let come what may
Drop the chains of that dull indecision
And go all the way, this time I'll break away
And all those voices around me keep telling me no
There's no better place you can be
Than the one that you already know
But it's not in my nature, nor part of my plan
Cuz I'm born a gambler
I'll roll the dice straight off my hand
Time to break away, face another day
Find the courage to pull down the wall
That's built around me
Time to break away, and let come what may
Drop the chains of that dull indecision
And go all the way, this time I'll break away
Break away
Break away
Break away
The lyrics of "Break Away" by Gotthard are about breaking free from a life of confusion, indecision, and lies, to find the courage to move forward and face new challenges. The opening lines speak of the internal conflict experienced by the singer who has lied to settle their soul and tried to escape a figurative black hole. Night after night, the singer is confronted with darkness and longs for the light. The metaphorical language is potent here, with the ocean representing hope, and the lack of an island symbolizing the absence of certainty in life.
The singer then declares that it is time to break away and face another day. The line "Find the courage to pull down the wall that's built around me" indicates that the singer has been a self-imposed prisoner and now needs to find the courage to shatter those psychological chains that have held them back. There is a story inside the singer that is waiting to be told, and an urge to come out of a terrible cold, which signifies a longing for emotional warmth and fulfillment. The chorus is repeated with the singer resolving to drop the chains of indecision and take bold steps to break away.
The last verse has a more defiant tone, where the singer declares that all the voices around them that tell them that there is no better place than what they already know are wrong. It is not in the singer's nature to stay still, and it is not part of their plan because the singer is a gambler, willing to take risks to live life to the fullest. The lyrics conclude with the repeated chorus, with the singer determined to break away from their self-imposed limitations and embrace life fully, come what may.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times have I lied just to settle my soul
I have frequently lied to myself in order to pacify my inner self.
How many times have I tried to escape this black hole
I have attempted multiple times to get out of this state of depression.
Night after night, always darkness, I long for the light
I constantly experience darkness within me and badly wish for some hope or positivity.
As I dive in an ocean of hope, with no island in sight
Even though I have hope within me, I don't see any immediate way out of my current situation.
There is a story inside me waiting to unfold
I feel like there is a story within me that still has to be told to the world.
An urge within to come out of this terrible cold
I have a strong desire to come out of this dark and dreary state of mind.
As I stop this illusion, a world of confusion inside
Once I break free from my delusions, there will still be a lot of confusion and inner turmoil that I'll have to deal with.
Venus release me, cuz I'm on the verge to collide
I'm about to experience a significant breakdown and I need some external help to avoid it.
And all those voices around me keep telling me no
Everyone around me is telling me that I should not take any risks and stick to what I already have.
There's no better place you can be
Than the one that you already know
They are suggesting that I stay in my comfort zone and not try anything new.
But it's not in my nature, nor part of my plan
Cuz I'm born a gambler
I'll roll the dice straight off my hand
This is not my personality, and I'm naturally inclined to take risks and experiment with new things.
Break away
Break away
Break away
It's time for me to break free from the chains that are holding me back and take control of my life.
Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.