Manilla Road was created by Shelton in 1977 with high school friends Benny Munkirs, Rick Fisher and brothers Robert and Scott Park. After playing in local bars, the group first gained attention with their song "Herman Hill," inspired by the Herman Hill riot. Their first album "Invasion" was released in 1980 on the band's own label, Roadster Records. Between this time and their next release the band recorded material for an album to be titled "The Dreams Of Eschaton", however this was not released until 2002 (under the name "Mark of the Beast") as they were not happy with the sound. Shelton has been quoted as saying the music was "not metal enough" and "sounded like shit." Despite this "Mark of the Beast" was critically well received when it was eventually released. These early albums have more in common with progressive rock and proto-heavy metal than the band's later epic metal sound.
The next record was "Metal" in 1982, which began to define the future musical direction of Manilla Road. Their "classic" sound was solidified with the epic release of "Crystal Logic" in 1983.
The next five Manilla Road albums (along with a live release, "Roadkill") featured new drummer Randy Foxe, who had more of a thrash-oriented style than original drummer Rick Fisher. Along with "Crystal Logic" (1983), the new lineup's first two albums, "Open the Gates" (1985) and "The Deluge" (1986), are generally considered to be classics in the field of epic heavy metal. It was on these three albums that Manilla Road's style became fully formed. Lyrics typically feature fantastic elements from Norse mythology, Arthurian legend or other literary sources. These are often combined in one setting, the concept album "Atlantis Rising" (2001), for example, features a war between the Æsir and Cthulhu, centered around the city of Atlantis.
"Mystification" (1987) suffered from exceptionally poor production resulting, ironically, from the substandard equipment at a new studio the band hoped would improve their sound. The recent re-release has fixed this problem to a large extent. After Mystification came "Out of the Abyss" (1988), widely criticised at the time for its thrash metal influences. The band released one more album, "The Courts of Chaos" (1992), described by Shelton as "the first true Manilla Road masterpiece" before splitting up because of personal and musical disagreements between Scott Park and Randy Foxe.
In 1992 Mark Shelton recorded "Circus Maximus" with Aaron Brown and Andrew Coss. Despite having never been intended as a Manilla Road project, the album was released under this name at the record company's insistence.
Manilla Road re-formed in 1994 and released "Atlantis Rising" in 2001, again with Mark Shelton as the only original member. On this occasion, however, the sound was much more consistent with the Manilla Road of old and it was the band who decided to continue using the name. Their latest albums are "Spiral Castle" published in 2002, "Gates Of Fire", in 2005, and "Voyager" in 2008. In May 2009 they released their second live album called "After Midnight Live", which was recorded live, on the air, at KMUW radio studios, Wichita, Kansas in December of 1979 shortly before the release of their debut album "Invasion". The album "Playground of the Damned" was released in 2011, followed by "Mysterium" in 2013, "The Blessed Curse" in 2015, and what was their final release, "To Kill a King" in 2017.
Mark "The Shark" Shelton died in Germany from a heart attack at the age of 60. Manilla Road were on tour at the time of Shelton’s death; he had performed at Germany’s Headbangers Open Air Festival the previous night.
Teacher
Manilla Road Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen the essence above
A teacher that committed no crime
Who saved us with his own blood
Why don't you believe?
In the god and the man
Is it more than you can perceive?
What can we tell them?
What do I say?
Except here
Here I am
Forever
In your hands
The Teacher
Wasting away the rest of your life
Drowning in women and wine
Can't you see you're killing time?
You've got to lay it down on the line
Won't you help me believe?
In the good lord above
The answer just came to me
I know it's got to be love
What can we tell them?
What do I say?
Except here
Here I am
Forever
In your hands
Here I am
For the rest of time
In a burning sea
Here I am
I speak no lies
You can blieve in me
No use in burning
I know you're yearning
To be free
I'm a teacher
I've got to believe
What can we tell them?
What can I say?
Except here
Here I am
Forever
Here I am
Forever
Here I am
Forever
Here I am
Forever
In your hands
In your hands
The first stanza of "Teacher" by Manilla Road describes the singer's journey through time and his encounter with a teacher who has done nothing wrong but has saved them all by shedding his own blood. The second stanza questions the disbelief in God and man, and whether it's too much for people to comprehend, as they face the apocalypse. The refrain, "Here I am forever in your hands, the Teacher," reinforces the significance of this teacher in the singer's life.
In the third stanza, the song moves into a more personal context, where the singer observes someone wasting their life away drowning in vices like women and wine. The fourth stanza asks for help to believe in the good lord above, and how the answer to this comes in the form of love. The refrain here talks about the teacher being forever in their hands. The final stanza talks directly to the listener, assuring them that the teacher believes in them and that there is no need to burn, and that they can be free.
Overall, the song's lyrics revolve around the idea of finding salvation through faith and the importance of a teacher-like figure in guiding us towards that path.
Line by Line Meaning
Running through the wastelands of time
Traveling through the ages, witnessing historic events and changes.
I've seen the essence above
Witnessed the true nature of the universe.
A teacher that committed no crime
A wise and knowledgeable guide who has done no wrong.
Who saved us with his own blood
Sacrificed himself for the betterment of society.
Why don't you believe?
Questioning why people have lost faith.
In the god and the man
Believing in a higher power and a mortal being.
Is it more than you can perceive?
Wondering if people are not capable of understanding this concept.
We're facing Eschaton
Humanity is facing an impending doom, an end of the world scenario.
What can we tell them?
What can we say to make them understand?
What do I say?
What words should I choose to express my thoughts?
Except here
Except for the fact that I am here.
Here I am
I am present and ready to guide.
Forever
For eternity.
In your hands
Dependent on you.
Wasting away the rest of your life
Spending the remaining days doing unfulfilling activities.
Drowning in women and wine
Indulging in pleasures without purpose.
Can't you see you're killing time?
Are you not aware that you are wasting your precious time?
You've got to lay it down on the line
You must take a risk and make a commitment to something important.
Won't you help me believe?
Asking for support and guidance to restore faith.
In the good lord above
Believing in the power of the divine.
The answer just came to me
I have found the solution.
I know it's got to be love
Love is the answer.
Here I am
Present and willing to offer guidance.
For the rest of time
For all eternity.
In a burning sea
In a difficult and challenging situation.
I speak no lies
Everything I say is true.
You can believe in me
You can trust me and my wisdom.
No use in burning
It is not productive to destroy oneself.
I know you're yearning
I understand your desires and needs.
To be free
To be liberated from one's troubles and concerns.
I'm a teacher
I am a mentor and guide.
I've got to believe
I must trust in my own teachings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PugzofSteel
Awesome! I'm gonna get a 1972 El Camino and work on it in my garage while blasting Mark of the Beast.
@mannyruiz1954
The Teachers of classic Metal.....😡🤘
@gloriousking777
Fightin' The World! melody chorus vocals made in an open guitar riff!
@rambles1789
That Solo
@spyridonkaprinis
The thunderous riffage of MR !
@rememberbeginning
Yeah The Teacher!!!!!
@chrisandrea4963
Best song
@1LLU210N
👍🏿
@shurdi3
1:35
No resonant skin for that fat sound
@errikos3094
1:35 to xristo kai thn panagia