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)
Renegade
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One last chance - to throw it all away
Mistrust is all you see in a world of hate
You know the reason why - but way too late
In this heart he knows that he won't fall but
On the streets they're playing winner takes it all
Could tell his time was coming
Chasing the ace of life
One by one he will win again
Make no mistake this time
He's a renegade
Restless night, you want to watch the dragon burn
Lives for knives, are you ever gonna learn
You really want to know if the needle ever lies
But you just don't believe - it's the devil in disguise
In this heart he knows that he won't fall but
On the streets they're playing winner takes it all
One on one he's a renegade
Could tell his time was coming
Chasing the ace of life
One by one he will win again
Make no mistake this time
He's a renegade
Severe vene puncture sights on the
Inner forearm with evidence of vein
Thrombosis on both right and left
Sides Rhinitus of the nasal passages
With evidence of extreme laceration of
Inner membrane and mucus ducts
Symptoms of withdrawal obvious
Together with complaints of visual
Hallucinations and extreme paranoia
The lyrics to Running Wild's song Renegade tell of the life of someone who is living fast and taking each day as it comes. They are at the point in life where they have one last chance to throw everything away - they have seen too much mistrust and hate in the world. They know the reason why they behave in this way, but it's too late to change their course. In their heart, they know they won't fall, but on the streets, the game is for the winner to take it all.
The song talks about someone who is restless and wants to watch the dragon burn. They live for knives and have a desire to know if the needle ever lies. However, they don't believe it's the devil in disguise. The song speaks to the fact that this person is addicted to drugs or some other sin that they cannot escape. They have severe vene puncture sights and evidence of thrombosis on both right and left sides. They have Rhinitus of the nasal passages and extreme laceration of the inner membrane and mucus ducts. They complain of withdrawal symptoms and visual hallucinations and extreme paranoia.
Line by Line Meaning
Living fast - you take it day by day
Choosing not to worry about the future and instead living in the moment
One last chance - to throw it all away
Knowing that you have one final opportunity to make something of your life but risking it all
Mistrust is all you see in a world of hate
Perceiving the world as a hostile and untrustworthy place
You know the reason why - but way too late
Understanding the cause of your troubles, but realizing it too late to change anything
In this heart he knows that he won't fall but
Feeling confident and sure of oneself amidst external turmoil
On the streets they're playing winner takes it all
Being in a rough environment where success is gained through ruthless competition
One on one he's a renegade
Being a lone rebel unafraid to go against the norm
Could tell his time was coming
Feeling as though one's life is about to take a pivotal turn
Chasing the ace of life
Pursuing the best possible outcome or the height of success
One by one he will win again
Achieving victory one step at a time
Make no mistake this time
Not letting past mistakes influence one's current decisions
Restless night, you want to watch the dragon burn
Feeling agitated and desiring to witness destruction or chaos
Lives for knives, are you ever gonna learn
Being drawn to danger and questionable activities, despite the consequences
You really want to know if the needle ever lies
Questioning whether addictive behaviors actually bring satisfaction or fulfillment
But you just don't believe - it's the devil in disguise
Being aware of the negative effects of certain behaviors but denying or ignoring them
Severe vene puncture sights on the
A medical description of drug use and its visible side effects
Inner forearm with evidence of vein
Evidence of drug use on the inner arm
Thrombosis on both right and left
Blood clotting, a common side effect of drug use
Sides Rhinitus of the nasal passages
Inflammation of the nose, likely from snorting drugs
With evidence of extreme laceration of
Visible damage done to internal organs or tissues from drug use
Inner membrane and mucus ducts
Damaged tissue on the inside of the body
Symptoms of withdrawal obvious
Experiencing the negative physical effects that come from abruptly stopping drug use
Together with complaints of visual
Experiencing hallucinations and other drug-induced sensory experiences
Hallucinations and extreme paranoia
Feeling completely disconnected from reality and experiencing extreme anxiety
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: IAN FINLAY, ROLF KASPAREK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind