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
Never Surrender
Gotthard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hold the power and I
I keep the pain
Yeah I keep the pain
You say wrong when I say right
Saying black when you should say white
Believe me, this fight is all insane
Every time you're in need
And the smile on your face
Is an every days mystery
I can't tell you how I feel
What's illusion, what is real
But tonight I won't give up
The role of pretender
I'll give no mercy, not this time
You won't break this heart of mine
'cause' tonight I won't give up,
I'll never surrender
I need a break, I'm outta here
Time has come to make things clear
Believe me, that's only wasting time
And if I'm wrong so tell me please
I'll go down right on my knees
Believe me, baby baby, believe me
The lyrics to Gotthard's song Never Surrender expresses a relationship in which one person holds all the power and the other keeps the pain. The singer of the song has had enough of the power dynamic in their relationship and is ready to break free. The song talks about the constant battle between the two parties and the confusion that comes with it. The one in power always runs back to the other in times of need, leaving the other to struggle with their feelings and decipher what is real and what is not.
Despite the confusion and pain, the singer in the song decides to take a stand and not surrender to the power play anymore. He vows to be the one in control this time and not give any mercy. He is standing up to the one who has been causing him pain and is finally taking charge of his own heart. The song is a message of empowerment and taking control of one's own life.
Overall, the song is a cry for independence and freedom from a toxic relationship. It expresses the sentiments of someone who is tired of being controlled and hurt and is finally taking a stand for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Same old story, same old game
I'm tired of repeating the same patterns in our relationship
You hold the power and I
You have control over our situation
I keep the pain
I'm the one who suffers the consequences of our situation
You say wrong when I say right
We can never seem to agree
Saying black when you should say white
We can't even agree on the simplest things
Believe me, this fight is all insane
Our constant disagreements are driving me crazy
Every time you're in need
Whenever you need something from me
You run the way back to me
You come back to me for help
And the smile on your face
Even though you need my help, you still act aloof
Is an every days mystery
I don't understand your motives
I can't tell you how I feel
I don't know how to express my emotions to you
What's illusion, what is real
I can't differentiate between what is truthful and what isn't
But tonight I won't give up
I won't let you win this time
The role of pretender
I won't act like everything's okay anymore
I'll give no mercy, not this time
I won't go easy on you this time
You won't break this heart of mine
You won't be able to hurt me anymore
'cause' tonight I won't give up,
I won't let you win this battle
I'll never surrender
I won't give up the fight
I need a break, I'm outta here
I need some space from you
Time has come to make things clear
It's time to be honest with each other
Believe me, that's only wasting time
Avoiding the truth won't solve our problems
And if I'm wrong so tell me please
If I'm the one in the wrong, let me know
I'll go down right on my knees
I'm willing to apologize and make things right
Believe me, baby baby, believe me
Please trust me, I want to make things work
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hekaikinimi9679
Same old story, same old game
You hold the power and I
I keep the pain
Yeah I keep the pain
You say wrong when I say right
Saying black when you should say white
Believe me, this fight is all insane
Every time you're in need
You run the way back to me
And the smile on your face
Is an every days mystery
I can't tell you how I feel
What's illusion, what is real
But tonight I won't give up
The role of pretender
I'll give no mercy, not this time
You won't break this heart of mine
'Cause' tonight I won't give up,
I'll never surrender
I need a break, I'm outta here
Time has come to make things clear
Believe me, that's only wasting time
And if I'm wrong so tell me please
I'll go down right on my knees
Believe me, baby baby, believe me