Michael was born in Sarstedt, Germany. He started playing in his early teens when his brother Rudolph brought home a Flying V guitar, which captured Michael's imagination. His playing style is unusual in that he seems not to use conventionally practiced guitar scales but seems instead to improvise.
Schenker joined UFO under unusual circumstances. The band left the UK to play some dates in Germany. Their guitarist at the time; Bernie Marsden, forgot his passport and was unable to make the first gig. At the venue UFO spotted Michael playing a soundcheck with the Scorpions and managed to persuade him into playing that evening's show. Despite the language barrier; he spoke no English and they spoke no German, something clearly "clicked" and Schenker brought the ellusive X factor to the band and took them to another level musically.
Schenker has had a turbulent career with UFO, often walking out mid song and causing shows to be cancelled. He is evidently as temperamental as he is gifted. Schenker says his playing with UFO is like chocolate: fantastic for a while but once you've had enough....
Clearly a musical prodigy, Schenker was one of the 1970's most inspirational guitarists, influencing later musicians such as Kirk Hammett from the band Metallica.
Michael was offered gigs with Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne but decided he wanted to play his own music and not be a hired hand in another group. In 1979, he founded the Michael Schenker Group (M.S.G). The history of the Michael Schenker Group has been strewn with personality conflicts and "incidents" between band members. In 1982, original vocalist Gary Barden was sacked in favor of Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Alcatrazz) who lasted one album (Assault Attack) and was fired from the band after dropping his pants in a warm-up gig before the Reading festival. Gary Barden was enticed back to the band for Reading and stayed with M.S.G. for the recording of a new studio album (Built to Destroy) and a live album (Rock Will Never Die). After the second departure of vocalist Gary Barden after the Built to Destroy album, Michael reorganized the band around himself and vocalist Robin McAuley as the McAuley Schenker Group. After three albums in that configuration, Michael and Robin parted company.
Michael next rejoined UFO for the album Walk on Water. A short tour punctuated by a fight between Michael and vocalist Phil Mogg ended the reunion.
Michael resurrected the Michael Schenker Group with all new players and recorded three decent albums and toured yearly to appreciative Schenker-heads around the United States and Europe.
Michael fell on hard times in the early 2000's after his divorce in which he lost rights to his own music, his Mercedes and his prized Flying V guitars.
Michael picked himself up and got back to the business of making and performing music. The recording of the album Arachnophobiac and the resulting two years of touring got Michael back in rocking form.
2005 brings the 25th anniversary of the Michael Schenker Group. Michael is putting together a new album of songs called Tales of Rock and Roll honoring that anniversary. Singers from each iteration of the group have been enlisted to sing on a track or two.
A new Michael Schenker Group album is as much about finding out who is left in the band as it is about the music. Devoted fans love him regardless of his personal and personnel problems.
Rock My Nights Away
Michael Schenker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got too much desire
She's squeezing out the best in me, but oh...
I don't want to let her go
She makes me feel a little special, yeah...
Never keeps it to herself
Really does the things I like oh oh...
I don't want to let her go
It's very hard to stay away and when I'm sad and lonely
Far from home
Who's gonna rock my nights away!
The lightening only struck me once, but oh...
You can strike me anytime
'Cause when I get you all alone, lookout I won't ever let you go
The more I get to know you your out of reach
You've got me so, I just can't sleep
'Cause when I'm sad and lonely from day to day
Who's gonna rock my nights away
'Cause I need you babe!!
She never wants to hide from fire no got too much desire
She's squeezing out the best in me, oh...
I don't want to let her go
The more you give to me girl day by day
It's very hard to stay away
'Cause when I'm sad and lonely far from home
Who's gonna rock my nights away
The song "Rock My Nights Away" by Michael Schenker Group is a classic rock and roll track that talks about the power of desire and love. The lyrics start off by talking about a woman who is not afraid of fire and has a lot of desire. She brings out the best in the singer and he does not want to let her go. He feels special around her and she does all the things he likes, making him want to keep her close. The chorus talks about how it is hard to stay away from her and how when he is sad and lonely, she is the one who rocks his nights away. The singer knows that lightning can strike him again and he is ready for it because he cannot ever let her go.
The song is a classic representation of rock and roll: powerful lyrics with a catchy melody and guitar riffs that make you want to dance. The song talks about the power of love and how it can make you feel important and special. The lyrics are simple yet effective, and they convey the message clearly. The song is about the need for someone who can make you feel good even when you are sad and lonely. The chorus is memorable and catchy, making it a perfect anthem for any rock fan.
Line by Line Meaning
She never wants to hide from fire, no...
She's not afraid to take risks and go after what she wants.
Got too much desire
She has a lot of passion and drive.
She's squeezing out the best in me, but oh...
She's helping him be his best self and he doesn't want to lose that.
I don't want to let her go
He doesn't want to lose her because she means a lot to him.
She makes me feel a little special, yeah...
She makes him feel appreciated and valued.
Never keeps it to herself
She's not shy about expressing her feelings for him.
Really does the things I like oh oh...
She knows what he likes and makes an effort to do those things with him.
The more you give to me girl day to day
He appreciates how much she gives to him and how much she does for him.
It's very hard to stay away and when I'm sad and lonely
He misses her when they're apart and she's the one who can make him feel better.
Far from home
Being away from home makes him feel even more alone and vulnerable.
Who's gonna rock my nights away!
He needs someone to keep him company and make him feel alive, especially at night.
The lightening only struck me once, but oh...
He's only had one love like her and she's irreplaceable to him.
You can strike me anytime
He's always ready for her and open to being with her.
'Cause when I get you all alone, lookout I won't ever let you go
He's committed to being with her and not letting her go once he has her all to himself.
The more I get to know you your out of reach
The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that she's hard to hold onto and keep close.
You've got me so, I just can't sleep
He thinks about her all the time and can't get her out of his head.
'Cause when I'm sad and lonely from day to day
He needs her to be there for him when he's feeling down and lonely.
Who's gonna rock my nights away
He needs someone to keep him company and make him feel alive, especially at night.
'Cause I need you babe!!
He needs her and can't imagine his life without her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY BARDEN, ANDY NYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind