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.
No Murderer I Kiss
Kingdom Come Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Screen’s running high
Pointing our fingers
So tired of watching
The sick in disguise
Behaving like winner
No one is right
It’s killing us slowly
Watching the warlords
Preaching the fight
Abusing the holy
Watching fanatics
Polluting our mind
The ongoing battle
We gave ‘em our tanks
Pretending we’re friends
Not able to settle
Having to fight
Ain’t easy to do
When death is your mission
But us doing nothing
Could lead to regret
A deadly decision
Let ‘em kill people
Let ‘em destroy
And let us forgive
If that’s what you’re saying
No way I would join
No murderer I kiss
Let’s save the planet
By killing us all
Cause we never learn
Already burned
And history shown
The wrong way to turn
Whatever we do
We can’t cure it all
It’s spreading like cancer
Again and again
Wish I would know
Just got no answer
Some of us learn
Some of us won’t
The ongoing misfit
Deeply disturbed
Want to be heard
By storming the cockpit
The lyrics of Kingdom Come's "No Murderer I Kiss" tackles the issue of the world's growing problem with violence, terrorism, and war. The first stanza talks about the hypocrisy of people who pretend to be good but are actually evil. They are sick people who try to act as winners in society. The second stanza talks about warlords who abuse religion to justify their violent actions, and fanatics who brainwash and pollute the minds of people with their extremist beliefs. The third stanza talks about the dilemma of fighting for a worthy cause, knowing that death is inevitable, as opposed to not doing anything and facing the consequence of regret. The fourth stanza discusses the concept of forgiveness despite the heinous acts that have been committed, and the line "No murderer I kiss" emphasizes the importance of standing up for what is morally right and refusing to endorse violence.
Overall, the song encourages listeners to question the real motives behind violent acts, and to seek a more peaceful solution. It highlights the consequences of turning a blind eye to the issue at hand, and it challenges individuals to take a stand against violence and instead promote love, understanding, and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
Talking of evil
Starting to discuss the topic of evil and its presence in the world
Screen’s running high
The media is constantly displaying and highlighting evil actions and events
Pointing our fingers
Blaming others for the existence and rise of evil rather than addressing the root cause
So tired of watching
Becoming fed up with passively observing instances of evil without taking action
The sick in disguise
Individuals who are evil but are hiding their true intentions or identity
Behaving like winner
Acting as if committing evil acts puts one in a superior position or gives them an advantage
No one will give in
No one will give up their stance or beliefs regarding evil
No one is right
There is no absolute correct side or approach in dealing with evil
It’s killing us slowly
The continued presence and spread of evil is harmful and detrimental to society
Watching the warlords
Observing or being subjected to leaders who advocate for and lead in acts of violence and war
Preaching the fight
Encouraging and promoting violence and conflict as a solution to problems
Abusing the holy
Using religion or other sacred beliefs as justification for violent or immoral actions
Watching fanatics
Observing individuals who are extremely passionate and committed to their beliefs, often to a dangerous degree
Polluting our mind
Introducing harmful or extremist ideas into the minds of others
The ongoing battle
The eternal struggle between good and evil, with neither side ever truly winning
We gave ‘em our tanks
Providing military equipment to those engaged in acts of violence and war
Pretending we’re friends
Acting as if there is a friendly relationship between parties involved in war or conflict
Not able to settle
Unable to resolve and put an end to ongoing conflicts and violence
Having to fight
Being forced to engage in acts of violence and war for one's own survival or protection
Ain’t easy to do
Difficult and emotionally taxing to engage in acts of violence and war
When death is your mission
Being involved in acts of violence and war with the goal of causing death and destruction
But us doing nothing
Choosing to not take any action in the face of evil or violent conflict
Could lead to regret
Not taking action could have negative consequences or cause one to feel guilty and regretful
A deadly decision
Choosing not to take action in the face of evil or violent conflict could result in death or serious harm
Let ‘em kill people
Allowing those who commit violent acts and engage in war to continue doing so without intervention
Let ‘em destroy
Allowing for the destruction of others' lives and property without consequences or opposition
And let us forgive
Choosing to forgive those who commit violent acts or engage in war, rather than punishing or stopping them
If that’s what you’re saying
If you are advocating for allowing evil and violent conflict to continue without opposition
No way I would join
I refuse to support or participate in acts of violence and war against others
No murderer I kiss
I will not associate with or condone the actions of those who commit violent acts and engage in war
Let’s save the planet
Working towards preserving and protecting the environment and natural resources for future generations
By killing us all
A sarcastic statement suggesting that humanity can only truly save the planet by causing their own extinction
Cause we never learn
Implying that humanity continues to make the same mistakes and engage in harmful behavior, with no regard for the consequences
Already burned
The environment and resources have already suffered irreversible damage and depletion
And history shown
Past evidence and events have illustrated the destructive path humanity is currently on
The wrong way to turn
Continuing down the path of destruction and harm is not the correct solution for humanity
Whatever we do
Regardless of the actions we take, there will always be negative consequences and outcomes
We can’t cure it all
There is no single solution or approach that can solve all of the world's problems or prevent all harm
It’s spreading like cancer
The negative effects and harm caused by humans is spreading rapidly and harmfully, similar to the spread of a disease
Again and again
A repetition of the same negative patterns and behavior, with no end in sight
Wish I would know
Expressing a desire for understanding and knowledge in order to combat and address the world's problems
Just got no answer
Despite seeking answers and solutions, there are no clear or definitive solutions to the world's problems
Some of us learn
Some individuals are able to recognize the harm caused by humans and actively seek ways to improve and address these problems
Some of us won’t
Not all individuals are willing to recognize or take action to address the problems caused by humanity
The ongoing misfit
Those who recognize and attempt to address the problems caused by humanity often feel like outsiders or outcasts in society
Deeply disturbed
Feeling troubled and upset by the negative effects of humanity's actions on the world and its inhabitants
Want to be heard
Desiring for one's voice and concerns to be acknowledged and acted upon by others
By storming the cockpit
Taking direct and forceful action in order to bring about change and address the world's problems, similar to taking control of a plane's cockpit in an emergency situation
Contributed by Callie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.