Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup from 1978–92 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass guitar), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only constant member is Rudolf Schenker, although Meine has been the lead singer for all of the band's studio albums, and Jabs has been a consistent member since 1979.
During the mid-1970s, with guitarist Uli Jon Roth part of the line-up, the music of Scorpions was defined as hard rock. After the departure of Roth in 1978, Matthias Jabs joined and, following the guidance of producer Dieter Dierks, Scorpions changed their sound towards melodic heavy metal, mixed with rock power ballads. Throughout the 1980s the group received positive reviews and critical acclaim from music critics, and experienced commercial success with the albums Animal Magnetism (1980), Blackout (1982), Love at First Sting (1984), World Wide Live (1985) and Savage Amusement (1988).
Their best-selling album Crazy World (1990) includes the song "Wind of Change", a symbolic anthem of the political changes in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is one of the best-selling singles in the world with over fourteen million copies sold. Scorpions have sold over 100 million records in total. They have released 18 studio albums, 27 compilation albums and 74 singles.
"Sting in the Tail" is their seventeenth studio album. It was released on 19 March 2010 in Europe (March 14 in Greece) and on March 23 in North America. At the time it was a farewell album, released prior to their farewell tour.
"Lorelei" appears in this album as the 7th track and it's a song about the legend of the water-spirit Lorelei who lives on the top of the rock Loreley above the river Rhine.
Scorpions Lyrics
"Lorelei"
There was a time when we sailed on together
Once had a dream that we shared on the way
There was a place where we used to seek shelter
I never knew the pain of the price I would pay
You led me on with a cloak and a dagger
And I didn't know you had made other plans
You had me believe we were meant for forever
I really thought my heart would be safe in your hands
Lorelei
My ship has passed you by
And though you promised me to show the way
You led me astray
You were my Lorelei
What kind of fool was I
Cause I believed in every word you said
And now I wonder why
Lorelei
There was a time when we held one another
Bearing our souls in the light of the flame
Those were the days now I've lost my illusions
Sometimes I wake in the night and I call out your name
Lorelei
My ship has passed you by
And though you promised me to show the way
You led me astray
You were my Lorelei
What kind of fool was I
Cause I believed in every word you said
And now I wonder why
Lorelei
Now there's a light that shines on the river
Blinding my eyes from so far away
Shot through the heart but now I know better
As hard as it is to resist the song that you play
Lorelei
My ship has passed you by
And though you promised me to show the way
You led me astray
Oh, Lorelei!
What kind of fool was I
Cause I believed in every word you said
And now I wonder why
Lorelei
