Volbeat was formed in 2001 after frontman Michael Poulsen split up his former band, Dominus. Volbeat plays a fusion of heavy metal and rockabilly. They are inspired by the rock n' roll legends Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. No other Danish heavy rock band Volbeat has been able to get to position 18 at the Danish Top 100 for CD sales in over 10 years. This milestone was reached after their concert at the Roskilde Festival 2006.
Critics have generally been positive towards The Strength / The Sound / The Songs. The German hard rock magazine RockHard gave it 10/10 in a review.
Volbeat is also praised for its live performances. Their concert at Roskilde Festival 2006 received a 6/6 stars review in the Danish newspaper BT.
In week 8 of 2007, the record Rock The Rebel / Metal The Devil debuted as #1 in the Danish Top 40 for CD-sales and at the same time The Strength / The Sound / The Songs re-entered the chart at #21. Recently, the album achieved gold status for sales in Denmark.
Volbeat opened the Roskilde Festival in 2007. Volbeat also supported Metallica together with Mnemic at their concert on Denmark July 13 of that year.
More recently, Volbeat was announced to do a seven-date European spring tour and to support legendary speed metal act Megadeth in Finland and in their home town, Copenhagen. They have also already announced a few festival appearances for the summer 2008.
Volbeat has a large range of influences, which can be clearly heard in their music. On their official MySpace site Volbeat lists their influences in their own recognizable way:
"Everything from Elvis Presley to Napalm Death .. hail: Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ramones, Social Distortion, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Dio, Megadeth, Metallica, Manic Street Preachers, Iron Maiden and bla bla bla bla..."
Volbeat's lyrics usually revolve around love, failed love or the power of a twisted mind. They thereby distance themselves from stereotypical heavy metal lyrics, although many of their most popular songs have very dark or sincere themes and plots.
Their first single was the cover version of Dusty Springfield's evergreen "I Only Wanna Be With You". The song doesn't differ much from the original with regard to the lyrics, but the accompanying music video is quite typical of Volbeat. In it, the band is seen with a classic microphone on top of a city roof.
Another popular feature of the band's lyrics are the returning "series" of songs. This is best represented with the songs "Danny & Lucy (11 pm)" and "Fire Song" from The Strength/The Sound/The Songs followed by "Mr. & Mrs. Ness" on Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil. The story is about the two desperate lovers, Danny and Lucy, who are killed in a car crash after Lucy runs away from her family.
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ness, I'm so sorry to bring you this - We believe we found your girl in an old burning car way up the hill"
In the successor, "Mr. & Mrs. Ness", Lucy's mother commits suicide and the father is suspected for the murder:
"The old man is crying and he's lying - The blood on his hands' from his wife yeah"
The story is followed further by "Mary Ann's Place" from Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood, and was concluded with "You Will Know" off 2016's Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie.
Lineup
Michael Poulsen - Vocals, guitar (ex-Dominus)
Rob Caggiano - Guitar (ex-Anthrax)
Kaspar Boye Larsen - Bass
Jon Larsen - Drums
Former members:
Teddy Vang - Guitar
Franz Gottschalk - Guitar
Thomas Bredahl - Guitar
Anders Kjølholm - Bass
Official homepage : www.volbeat.dk
Lonesome Rider
Volbeat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been missing you for far too long
I feel so blue haven't you heard
I am the lonesome rider hear the lonesome rider's call home
Reaper where have you gone
See the lonesome rider carry on
His pain so blue haven't you heard
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
I'm back from the war I've been missing you
Where have you gone my baby blue
I'm here all alone I've bleeding too
Reaper please take him home
He's been wandering for far too long
He feels so blue haven't you heard
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
The dark reaper led the cowboy ahead into his final sunset
The dawn soon to come a cold wind will blow
He's on his way home
My love never will be apart
And we'll feel the sadness peeling from our fate
The day has now come where we belong together again
Farewell so long
Rita I'm not alone
I can see you waiting in the doorway of our little cabin home
I feel so new haven't you heard
I was the lonesome rider and the lonesome rider is home
The lyrics to Volbeat's song Lonesome Rider describe the loneliness of a cowboy who's been wandering for far too long without his love, Rita. The chorus is a call for the Reaper to take the lonesome rider home because his pain is so strong - he feels blue and is bleeding too. In the second verse, the singer mentions that he's back from the war and has been missing his love, asking her where she's gone. The Reaper is called upon again to take the cowboy home. The third verse is interesting because Rita's presence is finally acknowledged, and the cowboy is no longer alone - he feels new and the lonesome rider is finally home.
The song overall has a melancholic tone, with the Reaper being the only constant presence. The cowboy's pain is described as blue, and it's clear that he's been hurting for a long time without his love. The Reaper's role transitions from a nebulous figure in the first verse to someone who's being implored to take the cowboy home in the third verse. The ending is bittersweet, with the cowboy no longer alone and Rita waiting for him, but the Reaper still being a presence in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Rita where have you gone
Addressing someone they miss and wondering where they are.
I've been missing you for far too long
Expressing how much they miss Rita and how long it has been since they've seen her.
I feel so blue haven't you heard
Feeling sad and wanting Rita's attention.
I am the lonesome rider hear the lonesome rider's call home
Feeling lonely and in need of someone's help or guidance to find their way back home.
Reaper where have you gone
Addressing death and questioning where it is.
See the lonesome rider carry on
Acknowledging the struggles of feeling alone and moving forward.
His pain so blue haven't you heard
Feeling down and needing someone to understand their pain.
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
Feeling lonely and asking for help to find their way home.
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
Expressing love and affection for someone they care about.
I'm back from the war I've been missing you
Returning home after being in a war and missing the person they love.
Where have you gone my baby blue
Asking where the person they miss is.
I'm here all alone I've bleeding too
Feeling alone and wounded without the person they love.
Reaper please take him home
Asking for death to take them home and end their struggles.
He's been wandering for far too long
Feeling lost and wandering for too long.
He feels so blue haven't you heard
Feeling down and needing someone to understand their pain.
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
Feeling lonely and asking for help to find their way home.
The dark reaper led the cowboy ahead into his final sunset
Death leading them to their final resting place.
The dawn soon to come a cold wind will blow
Acknowledging that death is coming soon.
He's on his way home
Accepting that they are going to die and heading towards their final resting place.
My love never will be apart
Knowing that their love will never fade or disappear.
And we'll feel the sadness peeling from our fate
Acknowledging the sadness and acceptance of their fate.
The day has now come where we belong together again
Looking forward to being reunited with their loved one.
Farewell so long
Saying goodbye to life and those they love.
Rita I'm not alone
Revealing that they have been reunited with Rita and are no longer alone.
I can see you waiting in the doorway of our little cabin home
Painting a picture of being reunited with their loved one at home.
I feel so new haven't you heard
Feeling refreshed and happy to be reunited with their loved one.
I was the lonesome rider and the lonesome rider is home
Acknowledging that they were once alone and lost, but have now found their way home.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL POULSEN, ROBERT CAGGIANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@melodylane57
Rita, where have you gone
I've been missing you for far too long
I feel so blue, haven't you heard
I am the lonesome rider, hear the lonesome rider's call home
Reaper, where have you gone
See the lonesome rider carry on
His pain's so blue, haven't you heard
He is the lonesome rider, it's the lonesome rider's call home
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
I'm back from the war, I've been missing you
Where have you gone my baby blue
I'm here all alone, I've been bleeding too
Reaper please take him home
He's been wandering for far too long
He feels so blue, haven't you heard
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
I'm back from the war, I've been missing you
Where have you gone my baby blue
I'm here all alone, I've been bleeding too
The dark reaper led the cowboy ahead into his final sunset
The dawn soon to come a cold wind will blow
He's on his way home
My love never will we be apart
And we'll feel the sadness peeling from our fate
The day has now come where we belong together again
Farewell, so long
Rita I'm not alone
I can see you waiting in the doorway of our little cabin home
I feel so new, haven't you heard
I was the lonesome rider, and the lonesome rider is home
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
I'm back from the war, I've been missing you
Where have you gone my baby blue
I'm here all alone, I've been bleeding too
@niklasbecker5364
Rita where have you gone
I've been missing you for far too long
I feel so blue haven't you heard
I am the lonesome rider hear the lonesome rider's call home
Reaper where have you gone
See the lonesome rider carry on
His pain so blue haven't you heard
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
Just feel all the love I'm giving you
I'm back from the war I've been missing you
Where have you gone my baby blue
I'm here all alone I've bleeding too
Reaper please take him home
He's been wandering for far too long
He feels so blue haven't you heard
He is the lonesome rider it's the lonesome rider's call home
The dark reaper led the cowboy ahead into his final sunset
The dawn soon to come a cold wind will blow
He's on his way home
My love never will be apart
And we'll feel the sadness peeling from our fate
The day has now come where we belong together again
Farewell so long
Rita I'm not alone
I can see you waiting in the doorway of our little cabin home
I feel so new haven't you heard
I was the lonesome rider and the lonesome rider is home
@mounirramia9880
Volbeat is the only band to mix sadness, romance, blues, country and rock in their songs. What an underrated band for sure!
@victoriasutton8340
100%
@N0sf3r4tuR1s3n
Well they're a modern rockabilly band, so yes, rock country and blues are standard fare.
@aaronh248
only Volbeat could mix old school country / blues with todays metal. With his fantastic metal voice its just perfection.
Volbeat is indeed my favorite band these days. greatness
Oh and that womans Voice is fucking fantastic. holy
@amadeus9373
I don't get it, why don't they do more songs like this one? This song is really perfect!
@aaronh248
+Amadej Tusek they have quite a few songs that mix old school sound with rock. Sad Mans Tongue, Doc Holliday to name a few
@maddog5859
I think the word you're missing at the end is SHIT!
@thomasgrauel8897
I didn't see the last part of the comment and thought you meant volbeat was shit then I saw the rest and I totally agree I was about to burn you at the stake.
@PaladinMika
Yep, I'm also a bit disappointed they didn't make more of songs like this particular one.
@reev64
Michael Poulsen is by far the best Rock singer i have heard in the last 2 decades. His live performance is completely amazing. Only been listening to Volbeat for about 5 yrs, the more I listen the better they sound. At 56 yrs old I thought I'd heard the best vocalists yet, but Mike is superior to them all. Keep Rockin guys. Cheers, Ontario, Canada.