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)
Little Big Horn
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why do you dare the hand of fate?
The claw of death waits to grab
A golden medal, your honor idolized
Your heart is stone, your blood is iced
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at little big horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at little big horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
The soldiers are riding, unprepared for the attack
A touch of death, the shotguns crack
The blood is flowing, the desert sand turns red
Why did you lead them to this trap?
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
The barrels are running hot
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at little big horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at little big horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
The lyrics of "Little Big Horn" by Running Wild are a tribute to the American soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. The song begins with a question for Mr. Custer, the commander of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, who foolishly underestimated the Native American warriors and led his army into a brutal massacre. The lyrics remind us that even with bravery, pride, and honor, fate can turn against us, and death is waiting for us. The image of a golden medal is used to represent the glory and recognition that the soldiers were fighting for, but the cost of such aspirations is often their lives.
The song describes the chaos and horror of the battle, where the ceaseless firing of the rifles is blowing the soldiers' dreams away. The second verse is a narration of the battle when the soldiers were caught off guard and unprepared for the attack. The reference to the touch of death and the shotgun crack is used to signify the suddenness and brutality of the Native American ambush. The bloodshed and the red desert sand create a vivid image of the violence and death that occurred during the battle. The last two lines of the verse question Mr. Custer's leadership and why he led his soldiers into this deadly trap.
The chorus repeats the same lines about the last fight at Little Big Horn, and how death was waiting for the soldiers, and the last command was given in vain. The lyrics acknowledge the bravery of the soldiers, but they also recognize the tragedy of their sacrifice. The song's powerful message resonates with the historical event and pays respect to the soldiers who lost their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Mr. Custer,
Addressing the person in charge
Why do you dare the hand of fate?
Why are you risking everything?
The claw of death waits to grab
Death is inevitable
A golden medal, your honor idolized
You only care about your own honor and reputation
Your heart is stone, your blood is iced
You lack compassion and emotion
Ceaseless rifle fire
Continuous gunshots
Blowing your dreams away
Destroying your aspirations
The barrels are running hot
Guns are being used excessively
What a painful bloody day
It's a violent and heartbreaking day
Last fight at little big horn
The final battle at the Little Big Horn
The hand of death was waiting
Death was looming
To take the soldier blue away
To kill the soldiers
Where the last command was given
The final orders were issued
And all the soldiers fought in vain
The soldiers' efforts were futile
The soldiers are riding, unprepared for the attack
The soldiers were unsuspecting of the ambush
A touch of death, the shotguns crack
Death comes instantly and violently
The blood is flowing, the desert sand turns red
Blood is being shed and the battle is fierce
Why did you lead them to this trap?
The leader is to blame for his poor judgment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: GERRY MULLIGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dominon929
Hey Mr. Custer,
Why do you dare the hand of fate?
The claw of death waits to grab
A golden medal, your honor idolized
Your heart is stone, your blood is iced
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
The barrels are running hot
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at little big horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at Little Big Horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
The soldiers are riding, unprepared for the attack
A touch of death, the shotguns crack
The blood is flowing, the desert sand turns red
Why did you lead them to this trap?
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
The barrels are running hot
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at Little Big Horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at little big horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
@TheTrooperMB
Jens Becker is the ultimate monster on this album with the 5 strings bass , it is fantastic to blast out on a good sound system .. Deeply enjoy the classics!
@kamilziemian995
Such a great song. Listen to it often give me a glimpse of hope, when I need it.
@yucatansuckaman5726
Same. It gives me a boost
@dominon929
Hey Mr. Custer,
Why do you dare the hand of fate?
The claw of death waits to grab
A golden medal, your honor idolized
Your heart is stone, your blood is iced
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
The barrels are running hot
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at little big horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at Little Big Horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
The soldiers are riding, unprepared for the attack
A touch of death, the shotguns crack
The blood is flowing, the desert sand turns red
Why did you lead them to this trap?
Ceaseless rifle fire
Blowing your dreams away
The barrels are running hot
What a painful bloody day
Last fight at Little Big Horn
The hand of death was waiting
To take the soldier blue away
Last fight at little big horn
Where the last command was given
And all the soldiers fought in vain
@kamilziemian995
These are such a good lyrics.
@judaspriest8544
pedazo de tema y leccion de historia ,heavy metal es cultura
@ACEofSPAD3ZzZ
I swear the energy just knocks it out the park all the time. Like a all round dipper a real slinker, not a spander but, a great sight all the time.
@KD-nb3mp
One of the best heavy metal bands ive ever heard!
@jackieallcock468
what a fucking blast
@legoguydude7069
You know, the guitar in the refrain sounds a lot - I mean a lot - like a traditional song called Mountain Dew.