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)
Powder & Iron
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The cannons fire consistently, their enemy to blast
Pirate vessel's changing course, the Navy's giving chase
The tactic of entangling is the gauntlet in their face
Powderkegs and ironballs, thunder cracks the rail
Splintered masts and tattered ropes, the fire eats the sail
The lion-heart's the only way to overcome the fight
Lightning strikes, smokescreen bites, a wall of fire is on the horizon
Fading breath, too much death, too much blood and too much pain
Powder & iron, gun down the flags
In rapid succession the thunder will crack
Powder & iron, the fire will blow
The devil is waiting to take their souls away
The privateers are in plight, cornered by the fleet
The mariners are trying hard, their gallow-poles to feed
The pirate vessel's sailing fast, firing a round
The naval-ship is on the lose, sinking to the ground
Lightning strikes, smokescreen bites, a wall of fire is on the horizon
Fading breath, too much death, too much blood and too much pain
Powder & iron, gun down the flags
In rapid succession the thunder will crack
Powder & iron, the fire will blow
The devil is waiting to take their souls away
Lightning strikes, smokescreen bites, a wall of fire is on the horizon
Fading breath, too much death, too much blood and too much pain
Powder & iron, gun down the flags
In rapid succession the thunder will crack
Powder & iron, the fire will blow
The devil is waiting to take their souls away
Powder & iron, gun down the flags
In rapid succession the thunder will crack
Powder & iron, the fire will blow
The devil is waiting to take their souls away
The song "Powder & Iron" by Running Wild depicts a sea battle between a pirate vessel and a naval fleet. The verse describes the chaos of the battle as the two sides exchanged fire with cannons and bullets. The chorus refers to the weapons of war itself, powder and iron, and how they were used to bring down the flags and ultimately lead to the loss of lives.
The song has a clear message - war and violence lead only to destruction and death. Whether it be between pirate and naval forces, or in any other context, the result is always the same. The lyrics also suggest that no matter how dire the situation, courage and unity can help in fighting against adversity.
Overall, the song is an intense and powerful portrayal of a sea battle, emphasizing the destructive force of war and the importance of solidarity in the face of danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Thunder shakes the wooden hull, the rigging breaks like glass
The ship is getting hit hard by cannon fire and the wood and rigging are breaking apart.
The cannons fire consistently, their enemy to blast
The cannons on board are being fired non-stop to attack the enemy ship.
Pirate vessel's changing course, the Navy's giving chase
The pirate ship is trying to change directions to avoid the pursuing Navy ship.
The tactic of entangling is the gauntlet in their face
The Navy has employed a tactic to trap the pirate ship by tangling it up in ropes.
Powderkegs and ironballs, thunder cracks the rail
Explosive barrels and heavy cannonballs are being fired causing the ship to shake from the impact.
Splintered masts and tattered ropes, the fire eats the sail
The ship's mast is breaking apart and ropes are being shredded by the fire from cannon fire.
The lion-heart's the only way to overcome the fight
Only having a brave and courageous heart will help in defeating the enemy.
Back to back no fear at all, the pirates are standing tight
The pirates are standing together with no fear, even with the threat of danger.
Lightning strikes, smokescreen bites, a wall of fire is on the horizon
The ship is surrounded by lightning strikes, smoke from cannon fire, and a huge fire approaching in the distance.
Fading breath, too much death, too much blood and too much pain
There has been too much death and destruction causing those onboard to feel hopeless and exhausted.
Powder & iron, gun down the flags
The crew is firing their cannons at the enemy's flags to bring them down.
In rapid succession the thunder will crack
The cannons are being fired in quick succession, creating a thunderous sound.
Powder & iron, the fire will blow
The explosives and fire from the cannon fire will cause destruction and chaos.
The devil is waiting to take their souls away
The crew knows they may not survive and fear that their souls will be taken by the devil.
The privateers are in plight, cornered by the fleet
The pirates are in trouble and being cornered by the Navy ships.
The mariners are trying hard, their gallow-poles to feed
The crew is struggling to keep the ship moving and escape the pursuing Navy.
The pirate vessel's sailing fast, firing a round
The pirates are trying to move quickly, while still being able to fire their cannons at the enemy.
The naval-ship is on the lose, sinking to the ground
The Navy ship is struggling and is starting to sink from the damage caused by the pirate's cannon fire.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind