W.A.S.P. began following the demise of Circus Circus, a Los Angeles-based band featuring Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper. The original lineup of W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 by Lawless, Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards.
The first lineup did not last for long, as Rik Fox was let go and went on to join the band Steeler with vocalist Ron Keel and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. He was replaced by Don Costa, the bassist in Richards' former band, Dante Fox (which later evolved into Great White). Shortly afterward, Costa also left the band and his position on the bass was filled by Brayden Parker. By the time they recorded their debut album "W.A.S.P.", Lawless had taken over on bass and Chris Holmes had joined on lead guitar. At the same time, guitarist Chris Holmes joined the band.
Shortly after the album's release in 1984, Richards was replaced by former Keel drummer Steve Riley. The group released "The Last Command" in 1985, before Piper left in July 1986. Lawless subsequently switched back to guitar, with Johnny Rod (real name John Tumminello) leaving King Kobra to take over as bassist. "Inside the Electric Circus" followed in October. A live album "Live...In the Raw" was released in 1987. Riley left during the subsequent tour to join L.A. Guns. He was replaced for future shows by a string of temporary substitutes. By early 1988, W.A.S.P. had started working on its fourth studio album with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.
The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal bands. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over 12 million copies of their albums.
The band was a prominent target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) led by Tipper Gore, who at the time was wife of then-Senator Al Gore (D-TN), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live...In the Raw.
"I Wanna Be Somebody" was the most successful single from W.A.S.P.'s debut album. and It was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time.
In October 2007, W.A.S.P. embarked on The Crimson Idol Tour, to celebrate that album's 15th anniversary. It is the first time that the album, often regarded to be among the band's finest work, was performed in full from start to finish. The tour kicked off in Greece, in Thessaloniki at the Principal Club Theater on October 26, 2007.
Blackie Lawless remains the only member from the original line-up. They released their most recent album in November 2009, entitled Babylon.
On September 21, 2012, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first ever live show by kicking off a world tour at The Forum in London. The set for the tour was split into three sections: songs from the first four albums, a cut-down rendition of the Crimson Idol performance and a final segment for newer material.
Show No Mercy
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I unleash the savage dogs of war
Ooh, I'm the outlaw that rides
White anglo saxon, a violent reaction
Fire is my fuel, steel and iron rule
Ride on wasteland
Ride on wasteland
And I will survive to show no mercy
I can feel the cycles as they turn
And I can smell the bodies as they burn
Ooh, the city's on fire
White anglo saxon, a violent reaction
Fire is my fuel, steel and iron rule
Ride on wasteland
A madman's badland
Ride on wasteland
And I will survive to show no mercy
Pain and hunger all across then thunder
Life is for the biggest, it's survival of the fittest
Ride on wasteland (show no mercy)
A madman's badland (on you)
Ride on wasteland (show no mercy)
A madman's badland (on you, on you, on you)
The song "Show No Mercy" by W.A.S.P. is a hard-hitting rock anthem that depicts the life of a violent outlaw who roams the wasteland, unleashing his savage dogs of war upon his enemies. The lyrics convey a sense of raw power and aggression as the singer revels in his outlaw persona and uses fire, steel, and iron as his weapons of choice. He sees himself as a white anglo-saxon, a violent reaction to the chaos and destruction around him.
The opening lines of the song set the mood with the sound of mighty engines roaring and the singer unleashing his savage dogs of war. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is a survivor who will do whatever it takes to stay alive in the hostile wasteland. He can feel the cycles as they turn and smells the bodies as they burn as the city around him is on fire. The chorus "Ride on wasteland, a madman's badland, and I will survive to show no mercy" reinforces the idea that the singer sees himself as a lone survivor and will stop at nothing to stay alive.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I hear the mighty engines roar
I hear the powerful sounds of my allies as we prepare for battle.
And I unleash the savage dogs of war
I release the ferocious soldiers who will fight alongside me in this war.
Ooh, I'm the outlaw that rides
I am the renegade who rides into battle without fear.
White anglo saxon, a violent reaction
I am a white Anglo-Saxon who responds to conflict with violent force.
Fire is my fuel, steel and iron rule
I draw my strength from the flames of battle, and weapons made of steel and iron are my weapons of choice.
Ride on wasteland
I ride into a desolate region, full of destruction and ruin.
A madman's badland
The wasteland is a place where only those who are crazed with a lust for power dare to venture.
And I will survive to show no mercy
I am determined to prevail and to show no mercy to my enemies.
I can feel the cycles as they turn
I can sense the ebb and flow of history as the wheels of progress move forward.
And I can smell the bodies as they burn
I can detect the burning of dead bodies as war rages on around me.
Ooh, the city's on fire
The city is ablaze as skirmishes and battles erupt throughout its streets.
Pain and hunger all across then thunder
The sounds of hunger and suffering are as loud as the thunder that echoes across the wasteland.
Life is for the biggest, it's survival of the fittest
In this world, only the strongest and most ruthless can survive.
Ride on wasteland (show no mercy)
As I continue to ride across the desolate terrain, I will show no mercy to those who dare to confront me.
A madman's badland (on you)
Those who enter this treacherous wasteland will be at the mercy of people like me, who are willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Ride on wasteland (show no mercy)
Even as I face seemingly insurmountable odds, I will ride on and show no mercy.
A madman's badland (on you, on you, on you)
My enemies will feel the full force of my wrath, as I unleash my savage dogs of war and show no mercy.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: BLACKIE LAWLESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vinaymulukutla358
Even though W.A.S.P. were associated with the LA Glam Metal/Hair Metal scene, I never felt they were that. At their core, they were a very vicious and dangerous heavy metal band and their songs were very gut wrenching. I mean...does this song sound like glam metal?
@bokohara620
Wasp are heavy metal ,always were...never glam bubble gum rock
@vinaymulukutla358
@@bokohara620 That's pretty much what I said in my comment.
@bokohara620
@@vinaymulukutla358 yes,and I just cemented it, so there would be no doubt..🤘👍👍💪💪
@vinaymulukutla358
@@bokohara620 Indeed. I don't know why they got limped in with all the glam bands seeing that W.A.S.P. are heavily influenced by Iron Maiden and had a heavier and more aggressive metal style.
@stargazer2312
They completely cut themselves off from anything glam when the headless children and the crimson idol came out. My favourite albums of theirs.
@moisesalvarez3222
A great Heavy Metal band that has not been recognized enough
@johnnytupper3357
Cause you have half the metal scene thinking that WASP is butt rock.... Forgive them for what they do not know.
@kaskader2137
Mad Max with W.A.S.P is much awersome🤘🤘🤘😍😍😍
@julienbutel2951
Q