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 Hussar
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry, flashing guns, soldiers die
Tell me why!
Chorus
Horror, death and pain, the devil smiles, so what's the gain?
Stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw
Greedy jaw!
Chorus
The lyrics to Running Wild's song "The Hussar" depict an intense and brutal battle scene. The first verse describes the chaos and destruction that ensues as gunfire fills the air and soldiers fall back to back. The second verse portrays the approaching horde of enemy soldiers, their pounding hooves and the soldiers' desperate attempts to defend themselves. But ultimately, it is a losing battle as death and destruction reign. The chorus repeats the themes of horror, death, and pain, suggesting that the devil himself is pleased with the bloodshed.
At its core, "The Hussar" is a commentary on the tragedy of war. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the brutality and carnage that occurs when nations go to battle. The line "stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw" suggests a criticism of those in power who profit from war, while ordinary soldiers pay the ultimate price. The song's title refers to the hussars, a type of light cavalry that originated in Hungary and became prominent in European armies during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Line by Line Meaning
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
There is a thick wall of smoke and the barrels of the guns glow as they are fired and emit their deadly ammo.
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
The sound of the gunfire is deafening and the bullets are causing death and destruction all around.
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
A thunderstorm is raging and death and destruction are everywhere. The son of slaughter is on the loose and no one is safe.
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The attack is sounded and the soldiers fight valiantly, standing back to back, but some fall in the face of the enemy.
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The enemy is near and their horses are thundering towards the soldiers, who are filled with mortal fear.
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
The soldiers are brave and they fight hard to defend themselves and their comrades.
Riding the attack
The enemy is riding towards the soldiers, attacking them with all their might.
Yelling screams of the fallen
The screams of the fallen soldiers are heard together with the sounds of battle.
Thunder, blood and pain
The battle is raging with thundering sounds, and the soldiers are covered in blood and feeling great pain.
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Madness has taken over, and it is as if hell itself is calling out to everyone involved in the battle.
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
The thunder is so strong it shakes the ground, and the deadly force of battle pounds away without letting up.
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
The soldiers are frightened and their nerves are blank, and the horseman of the enemy ride around them, hitting them from every angle.
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
The soldiers are so afraid they are sweating profusely, and they know that they are about to face one last and deadly attack.
Fearsome battle cry, flashing guns, soldiers die
There is a terrifying battle cry and the guns flash as soldiers fall and die around them.
Horror, death and pain, the devil smiles, so what's the gain?
The scene is full of horror, death, and pain, and it seems as though the devil is pleased, but what is the point of all this destruction?
Stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw
The devil reaches out his claw, ready to feed his greedy appetite, and seems to be laughing at the chaos and destruction he has created.
Greedy jaw!
The devil's appetite is insatiable, and he continues to feed his greed, leaving those affected by the battle to suffer the consequences.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROLF KASPAREK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gerald Hentrich
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Till the end!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry, flashing guns, soldiers die
Tell me why!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Horror, death and pain, the devil smiles, so what's the gain?
Stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
ger
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Till the end!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry,…
Gerald Hentrich
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Till the end!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry, flashing guns, soldiers die
Tell me why!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Horror, death and pain, the devil smiles, so what's the gain?
Stretching out his claw to feed his laughing greedy jaw
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Skyscraper
One of the best songs from RW!!! This sound, this rhythm and this melody are amazing!!!
The Great German Answer to Iron Maiden!!
Annete Bailey
This band rocks so hard.
I'm a fan forever
Pawel Rozwadowski
Great Song !!!
I Love Running Wild !!!
ger
Mordant wall of smoke, barrels glow, shot their load
Gunfire takes your breath, balls of lead causing death
Thunderstorm breaks loose, the slaughter's son, life's on the loose
Sounding the attack, soldiers fall, back to back
The roaring horde is near, pounding hooves, mortal fear
The soldiers bravely stand, they try hard to defend
Till the end!
Riding the attack
Yelling screams of the fallen
Thunder, blood and pain
Madness reigns, hell is calling now
Thunder shakes the ground, a deadly force, pound by pound
Frightened, nerves are blank, horseman ride, hit the flank
Cold sweat down their neck, death will ride one last attack
Fearsome battle cry,…
Annete Bailey
My new fav metal band.
Every song is a metal feast
enrique sosa
Excelente banda y muy buenos temas!!
Hail R W.
Moldovan Sanyi
My Ancestors was Hussar, and my heart pulls Hussar blood!!!!!!
Karanveer Singh Jayas
Can't stop listening
falcon
Lovely melody by the loveliest band