Running Wild is a German heavy metal band formed in Hamburg in 1976. They w… Read Full Bio ↴Running Wild is a German heavy metal band formed in Hamburg in 1976. They were part of the German metal scene to emerge in the early to mid-1980s, and are also considered to be one of the country's so-called "big four" of power metal, along with Grave Digger, Helloween and Rage. Over the course of their career, they have released 17 studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, and six singles/EPs.

Although their earlier releases contained Satanic themes and imagery, from the third album on, the band's primary subject matter centered around pirates, sailing and other historical events. In 1987, the band released the album Under Jolly Roger, which was a switch to pirate-based and historical themes, creating and influencing the later named pirate metal subgenre of heavy metal in the 2000s in the process. While the historical lyrics were very superficial at first, the lyrics for later albums were intensively researched, by frontman Rolf Kasparek in particular.

After this album, from 1988 to 1992 (for the albums Port Royal, Death or Glory, Blazon Stone and Pile of Skulls), Running Wild mainly wrote historically based lyrics. In addition to lyrics about pirates, the band also addressed subjects like the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Waterloo, or the colonization of the New World by the Conquistadors.

In April 2009, Kasparek announced that Running Wild had split up. Their intended last show was at Wacken Open Air in July that year. It was recorded for CD and DVD release and appeared as The Final Jolly Roger in 2011. The split would prove temporary as they reunited in 2012. Running Wild played live for the Wacken Open Air festival in 2015. As of 2021, the band have released 17 studio albums, with their most recent being Blood on Blood.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_Wild_(band)

Studio albums
Gates to Purgatory (1984)
Branded and Exiled (1985)
Under Jolly Roger (1987)
Port Royal (1988)
Death or Glory (1989)
Blazon Stone (1991)
Pile of Skulls (1992)
Black Hand Inn (1994)
Masquerade (1995)
The Rivalry (1998)
Victory (2000)
The Brotherhood (2002)
Rogues en Vogue (2005)
Shadowmaker (2012)
Resilient (2013)
Rapid Foray (2016)
Blood on Blood (2021)

Live albums
Ready for Boarding (1988)
Death or Glory Tour – Live (1989)
Live (2002)
The Final Jolly Roger (2011)

Compilation albums
The First Years of Piracy (1991)
The Story of Jolly Roger (1998)
The Legendary Tales (2002)
20 Years in History (2003)
Best of Adrian (2006)
Black Demons on Stage (2010)
Greatest Hits (2011)
Riding the Storm: Very Best of the Noise Years 1983-1995 (2016)

Singles and EPs
"Victim of States Power" (1984)
"Bad to the Bone" (1989)
"Wild Animal" (1990)
"Little Big Horn" (1991)
"Lead or Gold" (1992)
"The Privateer" (1994)
"The Rivalry" (1998)
"Revolution" (2000)
"Crossing the Blades" (2019)

Billy The Kid
Running Wild Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Silence
In the steps of no-man's land
Camp fire, the smell of prairie wind
Men surround the blaze
Drink booze recall the day
'Til a strangers voice rings out to pray the sin

"The man who pulls his gun'd be dead

before he moves the trigger"
Scared to death no one dared to breathe
Billy took their money
Burst into ringing laughter
Stole a horse and left the shattered scene

Billy the Kid, beast of prey that won't be tamed
Billy the Kid, loved the thrill of deadly games

Wanted
For the men he'd killed in vain
A thousand dollars cash on Billy's head
Hunted by a star
For the lives he'd left in pain
And the day they met the outlaw lost the game

The marshal held his gun
Aimed at Billy's head with laughter
But the youngster was to proud for given' in
Billy felt no pain
But he was shot, the law was faster
Falling to his knees he hit the trail

Billy the Kid, beast of prey that won't be tamed
Billy the Kid, loved the thrill of deadly games
Billy the Kid, a youngster and hie deadly gun
Billy the Kid, a lonely hero on the run

The killing and the blood for golden dreams
A senseless war
An endless fight the youngster couldn't win
A hundred times before he'd died

He knocked on heaven's door
'Til his maker opened up to lead him in.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Running Wild's "Billy the Kid" tell the story of the infamous outlaw and gunslinger. The song starts with a description of the environment in which Billy lived: the vast and empty prairie, where lone men gather around campfires to drink and remember the day's events. It is in this setting that Billy makes his first appearance, stealing the men's money and their horse, and leaving them laughing in his wake. The song goes on to describe how Billy becomes a wanted man, with a bounty on his head, hunted by a star who wants to bring him to justice for the lives he has taken in vain. The final verse describes how Billy meets his end, shot by the law he so often eluded, but going down with the pride and bravado that defined him throughout his life.

The lyrics to "Billy the Kid" are richly symbolic and allegorical, using the figure of the outlaw to explore deeper themes of freedom, identity, and the pursuit of dreams. By portraying Billy as a wild and untamable beast, Running Wild are suggesting that he represents the untamed spirit of the American frontier, the fierce independence and courage that characterized the pioneers who first ventured west. But at the same time, they are also acknowledging the darker side of that spirit, the senseless violence, and bloodshed that often accompanied it. The repeated refrain of "loved the thrill of deadly games" serves as a reminder that Billy's life was not just one of adventure and heroism, but also of tragedy and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Silence
The area is quiet and still

In the steps of no-man's land
On the edge of civilization, where no one has control

Camp fire, the smell of prairie wind
The men are gathered around a fire, enjoying the breeze

Men surround the blaze
The men are standing around the fire

Drink booze recall the day
The men are drinking alcohol and reminiscing

'Til a strangers voice rings out to pray the sin
Suddenly, someone they don't know speaks out to condemn their behavior

"The man who pulls his gun'd be dead before he moves the trigger"
The stranger warns that any aggression will result in death

Scared to death no one dared to breathe
The men are terrified and silent

Billy took their money
Billy robbed them

Burst into ringing laughter
Billy finds the situation amusing

Stole a horse and left the shattered scene
Billy stole a horse and left quickly

Billy the Kid, beast of prey that won't be tamed
Billy is untamable and dangerous

Billy the Kid, loved the thrill of deadly games
Billy enjoys the excitement of violence

Wanted
Billy is being pursued by law enforcement

For the men he'd killed in vain
Billy has killed multiple people without reason

A thousand dollars cash on Billy's head
There is a reward for Billy's capture

Hunted by a star
A sheriff is searching for Billy

For the lives he'd left in pain
Billy has caused suffering and injury to others

And the day they met the outlaw lost the game
The day Billy confronted the law, he was defeated

The marshal held his gun
The sheriff aimed his weapon

Aimed at Billy's head with laughter
The sheriff was amused by his victory

But the youngster was to proud for given' in
Billy was too stubborn to give up

Billy felt no pain
Billy was not afraid of death

But he was shot, the law was faster
The sheriff got the better of Billy

Falling to his knees he hit the trail
Billy fell to the ground, wounded

Billy the Kid, a youngster and hie deadly gun
Billy was a young man with a lethal weapon

Billy the Kid, a lonely hero on the run
Billy is a tragic figure, running from the law

The killing and the blood for golden dreams
Billy's violence was driven by the desire for wealth

A senseless war
The conflict between Billy and the law is pointless

An endless fight the youngster couldn't win
Billy's struggle against the law was futile

A hundred times before he'd died
Billy had been in life-threatening situations many times before

He knocked on heaven's door
Billy was close to death

'Til his maker opened up to lead him in.
Billy died and went to heaven

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROLF KASPAREK, RUEDIGER DREFFEIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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