The Shok Paris story began with the dream of Bill Sabo in 1982. Wanting to … Read Full Bio ↴The Shok Paris story began with the dream of Bill Sabo in 1982. Wanting to form an original band, Bill turned to his cousin Eric Marderwald and Ken Erb. Eric had been playing in an early incarnation of Breaker, and was convinced to join ranks with Bill and Ken. After a time of rehearsal's, the three placed an ad for a bassist and vocalist. Kel Bershire answered the ad for bassist and the nucleus of Shok Paris was formed. After trying out various singer's the band hired Buddy McCormack , and Shok Paris h ad it's foundation. Not wanting to follow the usual pattern of local bands playing the bar scene doing covers, Shok Paris immediately started writing original material. In 1983 Shok Paris was offered a spot on the upcoming Cleveland Metal compilation. Cleveland Metal showcased the band's talent, but the band wasn't happy with the vocal's and decided to replace Buddy. Kel suggested a guy he had seen in a local band from his area (New Philadelphia, OH). Kel had seen a band called "Banger" from his home town, and had immediately taken notice of the singer Vic Hix. Vic came onboard in early 1984, and the band was set to conquer the world !

Cleveland Metal was Bill Peters first step in the launch of a record label, and the following year Auburn Records was formed. 1984 saw the release of the bands debut album "Go For The Throat". Shok Paris gained a huge underground following and fan base, with the GFTT release. The band played throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and western New York supporting the GFTT album, opening for the likes of Breaker, Rotterdam, and a host of other bands.

In 1986 Shok Paris returned to the studio to record their follow-up to GFTT, again with Bill Peters at the helm. After writing the material and preparing for the recording, Bill Sabo left due to personal commitments. Jan Roll replaced Bill and the band entered Beachwood Recording Studio's to record Steel and Starlight. The album was recorded, and set to be released once again on Auburn Records. At the last minute, IRS Records made an offer, and the recording's were remixed and released on IRS. Eric say's Bill Peters still has the original mix of the recording's which is much heavier than what IRS released, maybe some day they will see the light of day. After the release of Steel and Starlight, Shok Paris undertook an American tour supporting none other than Savatage on their "Hall of the Mountain King" tour.

Following the tour supporting the Steel and Starlight album, Jan was replaced with Danny Simmons on drums. The band was given little rest and returned to the studio in the summer of 1988 to record their third album Concrete Killers. The album was released in early 1989 and things started falling apart from there. The band had wanted a totally different album cover than what was released (depicting the band as cartoon characters)... Their management was not living up to their expectation's... In a last d itch effort Shok Paris undertook a tour supporting Lizzy Borden in early 1989. Once the tour was complete, the band returned home to Ohio. Being totally unhappy with their management, and lack of support from their record company, Shok Paris called it a day...

On a Wing and a Prayer
Shok Paris Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All through life
you take chances all the time
situation, do or die
all frustration, no reply
till you die
life never treats you kind
it's problems, fill your mind

(Chorus) Life isn't fair
when you're going nowhere
on a wing and a prayer
life isn't fair
when you're going nowhere
on a wing and a prayer
no one said it would be fair

It's our fate
life's full of give and hate
no place for a mistake
no chance for those who beg

But you're going nowhere
on a wing and a prayer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shok Paris's song "On A Wing and A Prayer" are a reflection on the harsh and unfair realities of life. The opening lines, "All through life / you take chances all the time" set the tone for the song, emphasizing the idea that life is a series of risks and gambles. The lyrics go on to describe how even in situations where there seems to be no other choice but to take a chance, the end result is often frustration and disappointment with no clear solution in sight. Life is described as unkind, filled with problems that occupy the mind, leaving little room for anything else.

The chorus of the song, "Life isn't fair / when you're going nowhere / on a wing and a prayer / no one said it would be fair" emphasizes the sense of hopelessness that can come with taking risks and facing the consequences. The phrase "on a wing and a prayer" is a reference to the uncertain and perilous nature of flying, where sometimes the only thing keeping a plane in the air is sheer force of will. This metaphor is used to describe the precarious nature of taking risks in life and underscores the idea that sometimes success or failure can come down to little more than luck or chance. Ultimately, the song is a sobering reminder that life can be difficult and seemingly unfair, but that we must continue to take risks and do our best in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

All through life
Throughout your entire existence

you take chances all the time
You constantly take risks

situation, do or die
It’s either make or break

all frustration, no reply
No answers, only a feeling of despair

till you die
Until the end comes

life never treats you kind
Life is often unkind and unfair

it's problems, fill your mind
Your mind is cluttered with problems on a daily basis

Life isn't fair
Life is not impartial

when you're going nowhere
When you're aimless and stagnant

on a wing and a prayer
You're hoping for the best possible outcome despite having minimal chances

life isn't fair
Life isn't impartial