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)
Under Jolly Roger
Running Wild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cruisin' for booty on watery trails
No exploiter we see can still sail on
Our cannons fire till his ship goes down
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shell burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Venerable scoundrels, no blood on our hands
Our engagement are tough, but only for defense
Carefully we sail around the reefs
To force those die-hards to their knees
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shell burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
Coming through the waves to free all the captives
Boarding the vessels we know all the tactics
We're the menace, the curse of the sea
We pulverize the men'o'war pay or flee
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shell burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
The lyrics of Running Wild's song "Under Jolly Roger" describe the adventures of a group of pirates as they cruise the seas in search of riches and adventure. The pirates are ruthless, firing their cannons at any exploiter they see, and flying their flag to inspire fear in those who cross their path. However, the lyrics also suggest that the pirates are not entirely villainous. They claim to have no blood on their hands, and only engage in tough battles for defensive purposes. They sail carefully around reefs to avoid causing damage, and seek to free captives from other ships.
The chorus of the song, "Under Jolly Roger," emphasizes the pirates’ strength and determination as they carry out their mission. They are confident in their abilities and their flag, which serves as a symbol of their power and fearlessness. They are willing to engage in battles and are not afraid to burn ships in order to make a point. They see surrendering as the only option and there is no return for those who resist the pirates.
Overall, the lyrics paint an exciting picture of pirate life, with its exciting battles and daring adventures, while also depicting the brutality of the pirates’ actions. It is important to remember that the song is fictional and does not glorify piracy or violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Weigh anchor, hoist the sails
Preparing to set sail
Cruisin' for booty on watery trails
Searching for treasure on the sea
No exploiter we see can still sail on
We will not let any oppressors continue their way
Our cannons fire till his ship goes down
We will fight until the enemy's ship is destroyed
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Our flag symbolizes our strength and strikes fear into our enemies
Capture them, the end is near
Once we capture our enemies, their defeat is inevitable
Firing guns they shell burn
Our gunfire will set their ship ablaze
Surrender or fight there's no return
They must either give up or face their demise
Under Jolly Roger
Following the pirates' code
Venerable scoundrels, no blood on our hands
We are not murderers, but we are still ruthless pirates
Our engagement are tough, but only for defense
We only fight as a last resort to protect ourselves
Carefully we sail around the reefs
Navigating the dangerous waters safely
To force those die-hards to their knees
We use our tactics to defeat even the most stubborn enemies
Coming through the waves to free all the captives
We will rescue any prisoners being held by enemy ships
Boarding the vessels we know all the tactics
We are experienced in attacking enemy ships
We're the menace, the curse of the sea
We are the notorious pirates who strike fear into our enemies
We pulverize the men'o'war pay or flee
We destroy enemy ships and force them to either pay or run away
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ROLF KASPAREK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dominon929
Weigh anchor, hoist the sails
Cruisin' for booty on watery trails
No exploiter we see can still sail on
Our cannons fire till his ship goes down
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
Venerable scoundrels, no blood on our hands
Our engagements are tough, but only for defence
Carefully we sail around the reefs
To force those die-hards to their knees
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
Coming through the waves to free all the captives
Boarding the vessels we know all the tactics
We're the menace, the curse of the sea
We pulverize the men'o'war, pay or flee
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
@tyronepeisker3864
Great underrated band! Love the album! Love the band! Classic!
@Ventcis
They were Not underrated in the 80's at all...
@dominon929
Weigh anchor, hoist the sails
Cruisin' for booty on watery trails
No exploiter we see can still sail on
Our cannons fire till his ship goes down
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
Venerable scoundrels, no blood on our hands
Our engagements are tough, but only for defence
Carefully we sail around the reefs
To force those die-hards to their knees
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
Coming through the waves to free all the captives
Boarding the vessels we know all the tactics
We're the menace, the curse of the sea
We pulverize the men'o'war, pay or flee
Fly our flag, we teach them fear
Capture them, the end is near
Firing guns they shall burn
Surrender or fight there's no return
Under Jolly Roger
@user-killer956
THANKS 🤘🤘🤘💪💪💪
VICTORY FOR UKRAINE 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
@alpermemioglu7699
This is such a great track! The whole album is magnificent! Running Wild is one of those incredibly underrated bands...
@yucatansuckaman5726
I'm slowly finding out that being in a metal band and being a pirate have a lot of parallels.
@S.Grenier
I don't know man, in my short experience being in a metal band mostly involved being poor, spending what little money I made on gear I'll only use a few times a year (if even that) and having a lot of people come up to you and ask if you know any Metallica riffs.
Being a pirate sounds a bit more wild.
@Micke_K
No, pirates die but metal is eternal.
@markuskruger5348
Yeah...drinkin,growling and girls...the same in every time...😂
@vwverweij
Not as much booty as you thought there would be?