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.
War Pigs
Michael Schenker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields, the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Oh, Lord, yeah
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that all to the poor
Yeah
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their judgment day comes
Yeah
Now, in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where their bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgment, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
Oh, Lord, yeah
The lyrics to Michael Schenker's song War Pigs are a critique of the military-industrial complex and the abuse of power by those sitting at the top. The song’s opening lyrics “Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses” suggests that the gathering of the military leaders is akin to a dark ritual, akin to witches at a black mass. This imagery underscores the idea that what they are planning and executing is not just violent, but diabolical as well.
The next two lines, “Evil minds that plot destruction, sorcerer of death's construction”, suggest that those in power, the supposed ‘sorcerers of death’, are actually creating a world of death and destruction for people. The lines create an image of a deadly sorcerer who uses his power to usher in the imminent apocalypse. The song also critiques the political leadership that sends the poor, uneducated soldiers to war while they sit safely at home. The lines “Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They leave that all to the poor” cast politicians as unscrupulous, uncaring, and cowardly. There is a sense of disgust for the way the people with the power to start wars so easily and then ignore the devastating consequences for the common people.
Overall, the lyrics of War Pigs paint a vivid picture of the unjust, callous, and destructive nature of war, militarism, and imperialism. It exposes the fallacies of power and the plight of the people who suffer directly because of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Generals gathered in their masses
All the powerful and influential military commanders have come together
Just like witches at black masses
They have united for a sinister purpose just like how witches gather for evil rituals
Evil minds that plot destruction
These people have malicious intentions and seek to cause harm and devastation
Sorcerer of death's construction
They are like dark wizards who are engineering the creation of deadly weapons
In the fields, the bodies burning
As a result of their decisions, innocent people are losing their lives and their corpses are left to burn
As the war machine keeps turning
The violence and destruction continues relentlessly without any pause or consideration for loss of life or damage caused
Death and hatred to mankind
This destructive attitude is causing pain, suffering and cruelty to human beings
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
These people have manipulated and indoctrinated others with their ideology, making them believe in their harmful actions
Oh, Lord, yeah
Repetition of this line serves as an expression of grief and sadness for the state of the world
Politicians hide themselves away
Those in power who initiated the war do not face the consequences, but hide from them
They only started the war
They are the root cause of the war and are responsible for its catastrophic effects
Why should they go out to fight?
They do not want to tarnish their own reputation by participating in the battle they initiated
They leave that all to the poor
They force the poor to go and fight for them, who will suffer the most as the war's devastation will affect their already tough lives
Time will tell on their power minds
The consequences of their actions will affect their state of mind and power over time
Making war just for fun
The politicians started the war not out of necessity, but for their own enjoyment and amusement
Treating people just like pawns in chess
People's lives are being used for their tactical advantage as mere pawns on a chessboard
Wait till their judgment day comes
They will eventually be judged and held accountable for all their actions
Now, in darkness, world stops turning
When the war is over, everything and everyone is left in the darkness of the aftermath which affects the world's progress
Ashes where their bodies burning
The effects of the war are evident from the ashes that were once the bodies of people who perished
No more war pigs have the power
No more destructive people will have the power to lead others into devastating wars
Hand of God has struck the hour
Higher powers are at their mercy and can take their power away from them
Day of judgment, God is calling
God's judgment will come on them and bring them to answer for their crimes
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Their powerful demeanour is degraded, and they are reduced to begging due to the consequences of their actions
Begging mercies for their sins
They ask for mercy for their actions that caused significant suffering to others
Satan laughing spreads his wings
Satan rejoices at their wickedness and is glad to have caused so much pain to humanity
Oh, Lord, yeah
Repetition of this line serves as an expression of grief and sadness for the state of the world
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Butler, William Ward, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind