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)
Into The Fire
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A law without mercy, you have to take the truth
No worldly powers could force the fate
Universal judgment of the highest grade
Time's right to find out if you're wrong or right
Time is running short now, beware the law will strike
Evil souls are fading in the flames
Into the fire
Blackened hearts will burn
Into the fire
The flames of no return
Drop all your blindness and your soul could last
Being proud and headstrong means you'll dying fast
Drowning in the fires your sad and final price
Melting in the pyre to burn away your lies
Into the fire
Blackened hearts will burn
Into the fire
The flames of no return
The true and final judgment is about to come
They are judge and jury, they are all in one
Deviding good from evil, deviding truth from lie
A case of survival or a "Go to hell and die!"
Time's right to find out if you're wrong or right
Time is running short now, beware the law will strike
Evil souls are fading in the flames
No more lies and no more games
Into the fire
Blackened hearts will burn
Into the fire
The flames of no return
The song "Into The Fire" by Running Wild explores the theme of judgment and the consequences of wrongdoing. The lyrics suggest that there comes a time when one has to pay the price for their actions and that this judgment is universal and impartial. The first verse sets the stage for the climax with the lines "Here comes the finale, time to pay your dues. A law without mercy, you have to take the truth." This indicates that the judgment that is about to take place is final and that there is no escaping it.
The chorus "Into the fire, blackened hearts will burn. Into the fire, the flames of no return" reinforces the idea that the judgment is severe, and that those who are guilty will be punished severely. There is no going back, and the consequences of one's actions will be irreversible. The second verse warns that failing to recognize one's wrongs and being too proud will lead to a speedy demise. The final judgment is about to arrive, and those who have not made amends will face the consequences of their actions.
The song concludes by repeating the chorus- into the fire, blackened hearts will burn, into the fire, the flames of no return- indicating that the consequences of one's actions are final and that there is no escaping them. The lyrics convey a sense of inevitability and doom, highlighting the importance of recognizing one's wrongs and making amends before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes the finale, time to pay your dues
The end has come and you must face the consequences of your actions
A law without mercy, you have to take the truth
You will be judged based on the truth, without any mercy
No worldly powers could force the fate
No one can alter your fate or the outcome of your judgment
Universal judgment of the highest grade
Your judgment will be fair and unbiased, of the highest level
Time's right to find out if you're wrong or right
It's time to find out if your actions were right or wrong
Time is running short now, beware the law will strike
You don't have much time left before you face the consequences of your actions
Evil souls are fading in the flames
Those who have done evil are facing their punishment in the flames
No more lies and no more games
There is no more room for deception or manipulation
Into the fire
You have to face your punishment
Blackened hearts will burn
Those who have done wrong will face the consequences
The flames of no return
There is no going back from your judgment
Drop all your blindness and your soul could last
If you let go of your ignorance, you can save your soul
Being proud and headstrong means you'll dying fast
If you are stubborn and refuse to change, you will face the consequences quickly
Drowning in the fires your sad and final price
Your punishment is to drown in the flames, which is a sad and final price to pay
Melting in the pyre to burn away your lies
The flames are burning away the lies you have told
The true and final judgment is about to come
Your final judgment is imminent
They are judge and jury, they are all in one
The ones judging you are also the ones making the final decision
Deviding good from evil, deviding truth from lie
They are separating the good from the evil, the truth from the lies
A case of survival or a 'Go to hell and die!'
Your judgment will either allow you to survive or lead to your demise
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROLF KASPAREK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Farley
Main riff sounds a lot like Jag Panzer's "Recompense", from their 4th Judgement album (1997). Nice cars BTW.
YouseckRebel
Great vehicles.
Alan Robert Guiraldino
Great song, great lyrics, not so great fucking cars!