Kai Hansen has also performed with Blind Guardian, Iron Savior, Heavenly, Stormwarrior, Heavenwood, Avantasia, Angra, Heaven's Gate, Hammerfall, and Primal Fear as a guest musician.
All or Nothing
Kai Hansen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I lie gazing at the sun
A torn and twisted mind to overcome
I was and I will always be
Close to the edge of sanity
But that's what made it good
What made me strong
I'm moving on
Thinking nothing's wrong
And I keep holding on to what I've known
All or nothing, the world is calling me
The road is open wide but never free
You see
All or nothing, my heart is torn in two
I never had a chance to be with you
Again I'm gone and far away
And though a part of me would stay
The other me keeps traveling further on
I'm moving on
Singing a different song
And I become estranged to what I've known
All or nothing, the world they gave to me
The road was open wide but never free
You see
All or nothing, my heart is torn in two
There never was a chance to be with you
All or nothing, is all I gave to you
The pain inside not ending 'til it's through
All or nothing, the "all" was mine to be
The nothingness inside was always free
All or nothing, all or nothing
The road's not ending here for me
Kai Hansen’s song, "All or Nothing," is an emotional and powerful piece about the complex nature of life and love. The opening lines depict the judgment and criticism of the singer's life by others. He appears to ignore them, as he lays in the sun with his "torn and twisted mind" to overcome the challenges he faces. The second verse expresses his identity and the connection between his sanity, strength, and how he lives life on the edge. The chorus, which repeats several times, reflects the idea that life is a series of choices and that death is the only escape from them. The road may be open, but it is not free. The singer carries the weight of his choices in his heart, and they affect his ability to pursue relationships.
The song's final section sounds like a farewell or acceptance of the singer's road of self-discovery. He may be at a crossroads where his heart is torn apart, and he has decided to move on, singing a different song, and becoming estranged to what he knows. The closing chorus emphasizes that life is nothing if not defined by the choices one makes, no matter how much or what one gives; the pain of "All or Nothing" is the cost of freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
You say I waste my life away
You believe that I'm wasting my life as I lay here staring at the sun.
As I lie gazing at the sun
As I lay here looking into the sun.
A torn and twisted mind to overcome
I have a troubled and complicated mind that I need to work through.
I was and I will always be
I have been and will continue to be.
Close to the edge of sanity
I am near the brink of losing my mental stability.
But that's what made it good
However, it is this instability that has made my life more interesting and fulfilling.
What made me strong
And facing these challenges has made me a stronger person.
I'm moving on
I am moving forward.
Thinking nothing's wrong
Believing that there is nothing to hold me back.
And I keep holding on to what I've known
But I still hold onto my past experiences and memories.
All or nothing, the world is calling me
The world is beckoning me to take a risk and give it everything I have.
The road is open wide but never free
The path to success is open, but there will always be challenges and obstacles to face.
You see
You can see that my heart is divided and struggling.
All or nothing, my heart is torn in two
I feel torn between giving everything I've got and not having anything left for myself or others.
I never had a chance to be with you
I never had the opportunity to be with someone I cared about.
Again I'm gone and far away
Once again, I have left and gone far away.
And though a part of me would stay
Although I would like to stay, I know that I must move on.
The other me keeps traveling further on
The other part of me continues to explore and journey on.
Singing a different song
I am singing a new, different tune.
And I become estranged to what I've known
This change in direction can cause me to feel disconnected from what I have known before.
All or nothing, the world they gave to me
The world has given me everything, but it has come with a price.
There never was a chance to be with you
I never had the chance to be with the one I loved.
All or nothing, is all I gave to you
I gave you everything I had, there was nothing left.
The pain inside not ending 'til it's through
This emotional pain will not end until I have completed this difficult journey.
The 'all' was mine to be
I was the creator of my success and my failures.
The nothingness inside was always free
But no one gave me the emptiness and despair that I feel inside, that was always mine alone.
All or nothing, all or nothing
I will either give it everything I have or give up.
The road's not ending here for me
My journey is not over yet.
Contributed by Audrey R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@CK-zr5ou
Stunning tune! People, where are you? 3,000 likes? Should have way more! Kai is a legend and Clementine is awesome! Beautiful song!
@Karla.K
Axxis - Utopia [Lyrics & Images Video]
https://youtu.be/NrH63FO5LVI
@danilolapierre5610
Great song and great on stage performance by an amazing band. And Clémentine Delauney's voice meshes in just well.
@Runamuck-vq2pe
clementine has so much energy and an amazing voice
@comradebismarck
She is so beautiful 😍 and her voice 😍
@mariomelms7902
Hail to the God of Power Metal! Thx Kai, I`m a Fan since the 80`s, but i didn`t hear Gamma Ray for a few Years now. Shame on me, you still rock like only a few others!
@chrispaschen7183
same to me....
@jimthar17
Incredible song. Kai's deep register is amazing.
@cleptoneric
Her voice and Kai Hansen's look wonderful together.
@passionearmiariacompressa883
great KAI!!!! he had always made good music, god bless him