Winger disbanded in 1994. In 2001 they reunited and have since conducted several successful tours. In 2006, the band's 1993 touring line-up (minus Paul Taylor but including John Roth) reunited to record the band's first studio album in over 13 years, IV, and toured in support of the album into 2008.
In 2009, the band released their fifth album, Karma. As of 2013, Winger was performing on mini-tours, festivals and private events. Their most recent album, Better Days Comin', came out in 2014.
History:
Main career and break-up (1987–1994).
The debut album, Winger, was released on August 10, 1988 on Atlantic Records. The record was a success, achieving platinum status in the United States, and gold status in Japan and Canada. On February 11, 1989, the album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200, and was in various places on the chart for 63 weeks. Radio and MTV hits from the album included "Madalaine", "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak" and "Hungry". In 1990, the band was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band".
Shortly after that tour, Winger released its second album In the Heart of the Young, which went 1-and-1/2 platinum in the U.S. and gold in Japan. Hit radio tracks and MTV videos included "Can't Get Enuff", "Miles Away" and "Easy Come Easy Go".
Winger followed the release of its second album with a 13-month world tour, playing over 230 dates with Kiss, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Extreme and Slaughter. Paul Taylor left the band after the tour, citing exhaustion after years of touring. Their third studio album, Pull, produced by Mike Shipley, was recorded in 1992/1993 as a three-piece band. It was originally to be called Blind Revolution Mad, after the opening song. Reportedly, Kip Winger, anticipating that critics would dismiss the album out of hand, renamed it Pull as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the CD being used by critics as a skeet-shooting target. The album was not as successful as the previous albums sales wise, but gained solid reviews. On the following tour, John Roth was called in to replace Paul Taylor on rhythm guitar. The album coincided with the rise of grunge, which swept aside the brand of melodic pop metal that Winger represented.
In the 1990s, Winger was subject to mockery from MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-head. Series creator Mike Judge later revealed that he had been incorrectly informed that Kip Winger had asked the network not to make jokes about the band on the series, which led to further jokes about the band, but later learned from Winger himself that he had never made any such stipulation. “Stewart”, an early character from the TV show, wore a Winger t-shirt during the shows original run on MTV during the early 90s.
After disbanding in 1994, bassist/lead vocalist Kip Winger went on to a solo career, guitarist Reb Beach went on to touring projects with artists Dokken, Alice Cooper and has held a permanent guitar spot in Whitesnake since 2002. The band's other members pursued or resumed careers as session musicians.
Reunions (2001–present)
In 2001, it was announced that all original members of the band would return to the studio to record the song "On the Inside" for The Very Best of Winger. In 2002, all five members embarked on a reunion tour of the U.S. and Canada on a bill with Poison. According to Kip Winger, in a 2008 interview with rock and roll comic C.C. Banana, it was important to include all five members because "it was the big, long-awaited reunion so I wanted to include everybody who had ever been in the band." In 2003, it was confirmed that activity had been halted due to Reb Beach's touring commitment with Whitesnake as well as his solo album "Masquerade" and involvement with "super-group" project The Mob with King's X frontman Doug Pinnick and Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy.
On July 16, 2005, it was announced that Kip Winger would perform as the lead singer for the Alan Parsons Live Project at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing, Michigan. In May 2006, it was confirmed that Winger had reformed without one of its original members Paul Taylor, to record another album and tour Europe. The album, IV, was released in Europe in October and the nine-country "Winger IV Tour" ran in the last two weeks of the same month.
On February 25, 2008, the band performed in Providence, Rhode Island, as part of a benefit for survivors of the Station nightclub fire. The concert, along with other artists was debuted on VH1 Classic on March 23, 2008. In late 2009, it was confirmed that Winger would record a fifth album Karma, with a tour to support it. Most recently, John Roth became the guitarist for Giant and would appear on their forthcoming album Promise Land then set for release in February/March of 2010.
Winger released their sixth studio album titled, Better Days Comin' in April 2014, after teasers were published on Kip Winger's website and on the official Winger Facebook page as well.
As of late 2018, Winger was playing club dates. They were scheduled on Dec 29, 2018 in Westland, Michigan.
Style and influences.
The band's musical style combines elements of glam metal and progressive metal. Kip Winger, in description of the band's musical ability and style, said, "Our band was known to musicians, and a lot of musicians showed up to see me play — watching, trying to figure out how I'm playing. We were like the 'hair band' (version of) Dream Theater."
The Lucky One
Winger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my silent heaven
Without your love
Lord knows I've tried
But I keep looking into
Your empty eyes
Don't take for granted
I'll be lyin' here
If there's still a chance
Tell me now
But don't think I'll be waitin'
around
While you treat my love
Like it's all a dime a dozen
You don't feel the pain
Baby, you're the lucky one
Every day and night
I keep wondering
Should I just tear out these
pages
Can't you see it girl
You're the lucky one
Who have you been lyin' to
Is it me baby
Or is it you
How long would you trust
Before your Lady Luck
Gives you up
Any truth to your promises
Washed away before the war began
If there's still a chance
Tell me now
(Repeat Chorus)
Maybe it's true nothing lasts forever
So they say
So sad
Baby without your love
No sun would rise again
But girl these open arms are
gettin' tired
And pretty soon I'm gonna
walk away
No you don't feel the pain
Baby you're the lucky one
And don't think I'll be waitin'
round
While you treat my love
Like it's all a dime a dozen
Can't you see it girl
You're the lucky one
You're the lucky one
And every day and night
I keep wonderin'
Should I just tear out these
pages
Can't you see it girl
It's you yeah
You're the lucky one
The lyrics to Winger's song The Lucky One are about a person who has been hurt by their partner and yet still feels deeply in love. The singer is torn between wanting to give up on the relationship and wanting to hold onto it despite their partner's neglect. The opening lines, "No sun would rise in my silent heaven without your love," show how their world feels empty without their partner's affection. They acknowledge that they've tried to live without their partner's love, but ultimately they can't. The singer is hurt by their partner's indifference and feels put aside, as evidenced by the line, "You treat my love like it's all a dime a dozen."
Despite feeling hurt, the singer continues to love their partner and desperately pleads with them not to take their love for granted. They're afraid their partner might leave them, but they're also tired of waiting around. The song's chorus repeats the message that the partner is the lucky one because they don't feel the pain of the singer's love. The song ends with the singer feeling worn out and ready to walk away from the relationship.
Overall, The Lucky One is a melancholic ballad about loving someone who doesn't appreciate it. The lyrics describe someone who wants to be loved in return, but they feel stuck in a one-sided relationship. The song's message is relatable to anyone who has loved someone who took them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
No sun would rise
My life would be empty and devoid of hope without your love.
In my silent heaven
In my innermost thoughts and feelings where I seek solace.
Without your love
Without the warmth, affection, and sense of security that only your love provides.
Lord knows I've tried
I've done everything in my power to make things work between us.
But I keep looking into
But every time I see you,
Your empty eyes
I see a lack of emotion or caring that leaves me feeling hurt and alone.
Don't take for granted
Don't assume that I will always be here waiting for you.
I'll be lyin' here
I'll be lying in bed alone and abandoned by you.
When the morning comes
When the new day dawns and I face the reality of another loveless day.
If there's still a chance
If you still believe that we can make this work somehow,
Tell me now
Speak up and let me know how you feel before it's too late.
But don't think I'll be waitin' around
But don't assume that I will keep holding onto false hope for a future that won't happen.
While you treat my love
While you show no regard or appreciation for the depth of my feelings for you.
Like it's all a dime a dozen
Like my love is cheap and easily replaceable by anyone else.
You don't feel the pain
You are unaware of the hurt and anguish that your neglect and indifference cause me every day.
Baby, you're the lucky one
You are fortunate that I continue to love and care for you despite your thoughtless actions.
Every day and night
Around the clock, without respite or relief from my feelings of despair and heartbreak.
I keep wondering
I keep questioning whether I should continue to hope and hold on or if I should let go and move on.
Should I just tear out these pages
Should I just forget the past and erase all the memories and emotions associated with our relationship?
Can't you see it girl
Can't you see the pain and suffering that you cause me every day?
You're the lucky one
You are lucky to have someone who is willing to love and care for you unconditionally despite your flaws and shortcomings.
Who have you been lyin' to
Who have you been deceiving or hiding your true feelings from?
Is it me baby
Could it be that you are lying to me about your feelings for me?
Or is it you
Or could it be that you are lying to yourself about your true feelings for me?
How long would you trust
How much longer can you continue to depend on luck and chance before reality catches up with you?
Before your Lady Luck
Before your good fortune or chance at happiness runs out.
Gives you up
Abandons you or turns against you, leaving you with nothing but regret and remorse.
Any truth to your promises
Are there any real commitments or promises that you have made to me that you intend to keep?
Washed away before the war began
Forgotten or disregarded before the struggles and challenges of our relationship even started.
Maybe it's true nothing lasts forever
Perhaps it is true that nothing in life is permanent or eternal, including our love.
So they say
As others have observed and commented on before.
So sad
Such a depressing and tragic thought to contemplate the loss of love.
Baby without your love
Without the warmth, companionship, and sense of belonging that your love provides me.
No sun would rise again
My life would be without hope or meaning, and every new day would seem bleak and uninviting.
But girl these open arms are gettin' tired
But I can only wait and hope for so long before my patience and strength give out.
And pretty soon I'm gonna walk away
And soon I will be forced to face the reality that I can no longer sustain this one-sided relationship.
You're the lucky one
You have benefited from my love and devotion despite your failure to reciprocate or appreciate it.
And every day and night
Every moment of my life without you is a torment and a reminder of my pain and heartbreak.
I keep wonderin'
I continue to reflect on whether I should stay or go, and whether you truly deserve my love and loyalty.
Should I just tear out these pages?
Should I forget the past and move on?
Can't you see it girl?
Can't you see the suffering and sacrifice that I have made for our relationship?
It's you, yeah
Ultimately, the choice lies with you, whether you will choose to love and cherish me, or continue to take me for granted and cause me pain and disappointment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEACH WINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind