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
Yippie Aye Yay
Gotthard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left my fate and a life of rolling
Last town got me leaving
Left my ways and I made the morning
Ain’t no time for waiting,
There ain’t no time to kill
Ain’t my place to steal
Got no faith to give
Just what I feel
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Turn it on and come what may
Stand up and give it away
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Get down and shake the day
Stand up and give it away,
Are you coming
Time, time keep flowing
Got more cards and never showing
Blind race raise pace and
Give my best to the bone you’re chasing
The bone you’re chasing
Ain’t no time for waiting,
There ain’t no time to kill
Ain’t my place to steal
Got no time for moaning,
Got no faith to give
Just what I feel
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Turn it on and come what may
Stand up and give it away
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Get down and shake the day
Stand up and give it away,
Are you coming
Are you coming
Are you coming
Are you coming with me
Are you coming with me
Are you coming with me
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Turn it on and come what may
Stand up and give it away
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Get down and shake the day
Stand up and give it away,
Are you coming
Are you coming
Are you coming with me
Are you coming with me,
Come on, come on, come on
Are you coming with me
Are you coming with me
The song "Yippie Aye Yay" by Gotthard is a high-energy rock song that encourages the listener to let go of their worries and just enjoy the moment. The opening lines "Down, down got me going, Left my fate and a life of rolling, Last town got me leaving, Left my ways and I made the morning" paint a picture of a person who is constantly on the move and searching for something more in life. The lyrics suggest that this person has left behind their old life and is now focused on living in the present.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Yay yay yippie aye yay, Turn it on and come what may, Stand up and give it away, Yay yay yippie aye yay, Get down and shake the day, Stand up and give it away, Are you coming". This chorus encourages the listener to be spontaneous and take chances without worrying about the consequences. The line "Get down and shake the day" suggests that the listener should enjoy every moment of their life, even the mundane ones.
The overall message of the song is one of living life to the fullest, enjoying the journey, and taking chances. It encourages the listener to let go of their fears and just enjoy the ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Down, down got me going
Feeling a strong urge to move on from where I am now.
Left my fate and a life of rolling
I have abandoned my predetermined destiny and my life of constantly moving.
Last town got me leaving
I had to leave the previous town I was in for my personal reasons.
Left my ways and I made the morning
I left behind my old habits and started afresh in a new day.
Ain’t no time for waiting,
I cannot afford to wait as time is running out.
There ain’t no time to kill
There are no spare moments to waste on needless activities.
Ain’t my place to steal
It is not my position to take things that don't belong to me.
Got no time for moaning,
I have no room for complaining or whining.
Got no faith to give
I have no belief or confidence to share with others.
Just what I feel
I am only giving what I am feeling in the moment.
Yay yay yippie aye yay,
Expressing excitement and anticipation for what's to come.
Turn it on and come what may
Let's get started and face whatever comes our way.
Stand up and give it away
Rise up and share what we have to offer with others.
Get down and shake the day
Let's celebrate and enjoy this day to the fullest.
Are you coming
Inviting someone to join me in my journey.
Time, time keep flowing
Time is constantly moving forward.
Got more cards and never showing
I have more options available to me but keep them to myself.
Blind race raise pace and
I am sprinting blindly and increasing my speed.
Give my best to the bone you’re chasing
I am putting all my effort into pursuing something I desire.
Are you coming with me
Asking again if someone wants to accompany me.
Contributed by Lila B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tiffany Jureczek
Great beat! I see that Nic has alot of other talents then just being a KICK ASS SINGER!! You, your dad and brother did a great job on this video. KEEP ROCKIN!!❤
Paula Jane
I love everything about this song forever your awesome forever 🎸❤💯😍🤘
Gunilla Lindahl
Just my kind of music!Love it!👌👍❤
Elizabeth .Pérez
I love this! sounds like rock n' roll
Jenny Guzmán
I love both singers Steve and Nic excellent singers
Szabi ESz
Missing the old Gotthard but l loveing the new one as well!!! Rock on guys, cheers from Transylvania!!!
juan jose alvarez
Gran grupo de lo mejor. Este vocalista está genial claro como lee era poco probable encontrar otro igual pero este está 100 puntos muy bueno el grupo
Mufasa
i love these guys...some say alot like ac/dc..nah better and more rhythm and soul....I wake up singing this and the whole Fire birth album..guys need to come to the states!
Susy Agustoni
Mi mette un sacco di allegria, bravissimiiiiiii!!!!!!! Kisses <3 <3 <3 <3<3<3
Jangor97
this is the hell awersome. i blasted it in sports class, when we should throw frisbee. it rocked everyone's socks off!!