For the first, see: Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come. Melodic hard rock band Kingdom Come was formed in 1987 by singer-songwriter Lenny Wolf in Hamburg, Germany, with the revolving cast of other band members soon leaving Wolf the focus. After the release of their first single, 1988's "Get It On", many fans mistakenly regarded the band as a Led Zeppelin reunion. Kingdom Come's close resemblance to that group, particularly with Wolf's Robert Plant like vocals, has led to continuing controversy. Although the bands had a great deal in common, as shown by critics' nickname 'Kingdom Clone', Wolf has pursued his own personal vision of mixing slick rock hooks with a heavy metal ethos for decades.
The group's first album, the self-titled 'Kingdom Come', became quite popular due to its arena-ready hard rock sound. As the guys gained more and more commercial success, the 1988 album had three Billboard top 40 singles: "Get It On", "Living Out Of Touch", and "What Love Can Be". As stated before, supporters and detractors both felt strongly reminded of Led Zeppelin as well as, to a lesser extent, fellow German group Scorpions. Ironically, former Kingdom Come drummer James Kottak later joined the latter band.
Kingdom Come came about after the breakup a moderately successful rock project of Wolf's, known as Stone Fury. Wolf's new record company, Polygram, allowed him incredible freedom to assemble Kingdom Come's lineup and direct its sound. Recruiting Pittsburgh-based lead guitarist Danny Stag, Louisvillians Rick Steier (guitar) and James Kottak (drums), and Californian Johnny B. Frank (bass), this new outfit marked the first band where Wolf sang without playing guitar. The frontman later admitted that, for a while, it was a very awkward adjustment.
As stated before, Kingdom Come's sound was thought by many to be highly derivative of Led Zeppelin's, to the point that some listeners initially thought that Kingdom Come was actually a reunion effort. The band's first single was called "Get It On", being a great example of their aggressive sound. Before long, the group's eponymous debut went gold. Their second single ended up being the power ballad "What Love Can Be", receiving much airplay and having a music video created for it that picked up MTV airplay. By the time the single "Loving You" was released, the album had reached platinum status, fans in United States, Germany, and Canada loving the group despite the controversy.
The guys toured in England supporting Magnum on their "Wings Of Heaven" tour. As well, the band opened for the North American "Monsters of Rock" tour in 1988, supporting the artists Dokken, Scorpions, Metallica, and Van Halen. Following that, the guys were tapped to support the Scorpions on their North American "Savage Amusement" tour, at least until they were forced off. According to Stag, Lenny Wolf found the stage ramps reserved for the Scorpions' set irresistible. After several reprimands from the Scorpions' management, the singer continued to use the full stage, and Kingdom Come were asked to forfeit the rest of the tour.
The band were directed by management and the people at Polygram to get a new recording available soon. In 1989, Kingdom Come released their next album, called 'In Your Face', but some fans believed that the group seemed to have peaked too early. The continuing backlash against the band's perceived appropriating of other artists' sounds (earning them the derisive moniker "Kingdom Clone") hurt their commercial appeal. After time went on and the band's second album simply failed to sell well, all members other than Wolf quit the group.
The 90s would see several releases by the outfit, though with Kingdom Come receiving some critical scorn as well as being unable to breakthrough commercially the same way again. Music critic Jason Anderson has remarked for Allmusic that the band experienced "one of hard rock's most intense backlashes". For his part, Stag went back to Pittsburgh and immersed himself in blues and rock n rock projects. Steier and Kottak went back to Kentucky and assembled the short-lived Wild Horses project, the two of them releasing a poor-selling album on Atlantic Records. Both would later resurface in Warrant. Kottak also has served with Scorpions.
With an all new line-up, Kingdom Come had one more release on Polygram, titled 'Hands of Time', which Wolf managed to see sold internationally. By 1993, Wolf had returned to Germany to regroup, focusing his efforts on central Europe hard rock fans. In recent years, the group is often billed as "Kingdom Come & Lenny Wolf", "Lenny Wolf & Kingdom Come", "Lenny Wolf's Kingdom Come", et cetera. Their latest work as of 2015 is the album 'Outlier', which came out on May 7, 2013.
Website: www.lennywolf.com/
Secondly, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come (often billed as just "Kingdom Come") was the name of a project by enigmatic British singer-songwriter Arthur Brown. With his larger-than-life stage presence, Brown represented a key link in the evolution of psychedelic rock into what would be become heavy metal. He also had a project by the name of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
Mighty Old Man
Kingdom Come Lyrics
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I feel so strange deep down inside
I have never felt like this before
Think I'm drifting in and out
Reality is lost and found
Have I finally reached the secret door
In search of the light
Just look inside
The mighty old man
Will hold your hand
No one knows the masterplan
Will I see my friends again
Is life the brigde we all are ment to pass
When love has caught you with a smile
You can run a million miles
Faith my friend is gonna make it last
[Chorus 2:]
In search of the light
Just look inside
The mighty old man
Will lend a hand
The lyrics of the song βMighty Old Manβ by Kingdom Come suggest that the singer is going through a profound spiritual awakening wherein he is lost, confused and seeking guidance. As he looks up at the stars, he feels an otherworldly force within him that he has never experienced before. His reality is slipping away from him as he drifts in and out of consciousness. He then wonders if he has found the secret door to enlightenment. The chorus hints that he has come in search of light, and the βMighty Old Manβ can guide him through it all.
The song implies that the singer is contemplating death - whether he will see his friends again after he dies. That moment of death could be the bridge that all humans must inevitably pass, and he wonders if the afterlife exists. Love might have caught him in a smile, and even though he could run a million miles away, faith will make it last forever. The second chorus reiterates that the βMighty Old Manβ will lend a hand to the singer and help him find the way. This song emphasizes the fact that everyone, no matter how great, needs guidance and help from someone, and that enlightenment comes from within.
Line by Line Meaning
The stars are closing in tonight
The night sky is filled with stars, giving a sense of enclosure and intimacy
I feel so strange deep down inside
I am experiencing a profound sense of unease or unfamiliarity within myself
I have never felt like this before
This is a completely new and unprecedented experience for me
Think I'm drifting in and out
I feel like I am moving in and out of consciousness or awareness
Reality is lost and found
I am unsure of what is real and what is not
Have I finally reached the secret door
I am wondering if I have discovered something hidden or mysterious
[Chorus:] In search of the light Just look inside The mighty old man Will hold your hand
When I am looking for guidance, I should turn inward and rely on a wise, all-knowing figure to help me navigate my way
No one knows the masterplan
It is impossible for anyone to fully understand the intricate workings of the universe or life
Will I see my friends again
I am unsure if I will ever be reunited with those close to me who have passed away or moved on
Is life the brigde we all are ment to pass
Perhaps life is nothing more than a journey we must all go through
When love has caught you with a smile
Love has an incredible power to brighten our lives and make us happy
You can run a million miles
Even when things get tough, love can motivate us to keep going
Faith my friend is gonna make it last
Faith can give us hope and help us to believe in the endurance of love
[Chorus 2:] In search of the light Just look inside The mighty old man Will lend a hand
We should continue to seek guidance from within and trust in the wisdom and experience of our elders to help us through difficult times
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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