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)
The Guardian
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Lyrics: Rolf Kasparek)
Before the darkness, before the light
The guardians' soul stood the sands of time
He ruled the void, he ruled the dark
All came to birth, the holy spark
Watch out, time's long, until all evil is gone
Rise or fall, standing proud or losing all
Die or live, destruction takes and freedom gives
He watches dark, he watches light
Two souls to proof, wrong or right
A constant fight, a war foretold
A settled plan, what future holds
(Pre)
(Chorus)
(Leadbreak Rolf)
The final plan, the final fight
Casting out, dark or light
The lie will fall, truth will stand
The serpent dies by its own hand
(Pre)
(Chorus)
(Twinsolo Rolf)
The lyrics of Running Wild's song "The Guardian" tell a story of a powerful being that existed before the concepts of darkness and light. This Guardian ruled the void and the darkness, but with his power, he also brought forth the birth of all creation with the "holy spark". The Guardian held a watchful eye over both dark and light, observing and testing the two opposing forces as they struggled in a constant fight. The song urges the listener to be strong and to make choices in this war between darkness and light. The final battle is described as a casting out of dark or light, with the serpent (representing deceit and darkness) ultimately falling by its own hand.
This song can be interpreted as a metaphor for the battle between good and evil, and the necessity of struggle in all of life's endeavors. The Guardian represents a guiding force, but also a force that allows for free will and choice. The lyrics encourage the listener to rise or fall, to stand proud or accept defeat, and to consider that destruction can lead to freedom.
Overall, "The Guardian" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that offers insight into the human experience and the challenges we must face in order to find meaning and purpose in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Before the darkness, before the light
The guardian existed before the concept of light and dark even existed.
The guardians' soul stood the sands of time
The guardian's essence has survived the test of time.
He ruled the void, he ruled the dark
The guardian was in control of the emptiness and the shadows.
All came to birth, the holy spark
The world was created with the help of the guardian's divine influence.
Watch out, be strong, choose! when the war is on
During times of war, individuals must be vigilant, resolute, and decisive.
Watch out, time's long, until all evil is gone
Overcoming evil is a long and enduring process that requires constant awareness.
Rise or fall, standing proud or losing all
Individuals must choose between rising up to the challenge or succumbing to defeat.
Die or live, destruction takes and freedom gives
To live, one must overcome the forces that would seek to destroy them and liberate oneself.
He watches dark, he watches light
The guardian is attentive to the forces of good and evil.
Two souls to proof, wrong or right
The guardian is conflicted when judging the morality of individuals.
A constant fight, a war foretold
The struggle between good and evil is perpetual and anticipated.
A settled plan, what future holds
The guardian is aware of the inevitabilities of fate and is planning accordingly.
The final plan, the final fight
The final conflict between good and evil is approaching.
Casting out, dark or light
Individuals must choose between aligning themselves with the forces of light or darkness.
The lie will fall, truth will stand
Lies will eventually be exposed and the truth will persist.
The serpent dies by its own hand
Evil will ultimately bring about its own downfall.
Contributed by Alexis F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.