I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE OF ROCK N' ROLL
Writers: Holly Knight/Paul Stanley/ Curt Cuomo
Looking back yeah I feel alright
Getting more than my expectations
Yeah my future looks clear and bright
I’m living up to my reputation
Yeah, I’m satisfied
Yeah, until the day I die
I gave my blood and I gave my soul
I stood my ground and I took control
The legend’s growing as the story’s told
I pledge allegiance to the state,of rock and roll
Oh yeah
I’ve been a rebel for all my life
I never cared about regulations
I only went for the things I liked
And my guitar was my inspiration
Yeah, we pay a price
Yeah, I made the sacrifice
I gave my blood and I gave my soul
I stood my ground and I took control
The legend’s growing as the story’s told
I know that heaven’s gonna wait
I pledge allegiance to the state, of rock and roll
[solo]
Yeah, I’m satisfied
Yeah, until the day I die
I gave my blood and I gave my soul
I stood my ground and I took control
The legend’s growing as the story’s told
I know that heaven’s gonna wait
I gave my blood and I gave my soul
I stood my ground and I took control
The legend’s growing as the story’s told
I pledge allegiance to the state, I pledge allegiance to the state
Of rock and roll, of rock and roll
Rock and roll.
1. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE (TO THE STATE OF ROCK N' ROLL)
RAISE YOUR GLASSES
Writers: Holly Knight/Paul Stanley
I took a ride with a one way ticket
I aimed my arrow at the mark and hit it
We all need to be somebody
Been broken down but not defeated
I kept on punching back’til I succeeded
We all need to be somebody now
We stopped at nothing even climbed barbed wire
We struck a match and set the world on fire
And if we tried we couldn’t get much higher now
Everyone around the nation
Raise your glasses, raise your glasses
Standing proud cos’ we’re the champions
Raise your glasses, raise your glasses
We pushed it all beyond the limit
We took our chances
and we jumped right in it
We all need to be somebody
Now I believe in strength in numbers
went into battle with the force of thunder
We all need to be somebody now
I want to shout it out with all my power
I want to scream it from the highest tower
I want to celebrate our finest hour now
Everyone around the nation
Raise your glasses, raise your glasses
Standing proud cos’ we’re the champions
Raise your glasses, raise your glasses
Oh you gotta give it your all
You gotta know what you’re after
Go we’ll make it over the wall together
I took a ride with a one way ticket
I shot my arrow at the mark and hit it
We all need to be somebody
So while all the others only talked I did it
Kept pushin’ everything beyond the limit
You play the game
You gotta play to win it
So raise your glasses, raise your glasses
Everyone around the nation
Raise your glasses, raise your glasses
Lift your voice in celebration
Raise your glasses
RAise your glasses
2. RAISE YOUR GLASSES
‘I’ve known three of the members of Kiss since I was 20. When I joined my first band, Spider, our drummer Anton Fig was starting to do sessions on the side, and he got hired to play drums on Ace Frehley’s solo record. Through our friendship with Ace we met Bill Aucoin, Kiss’s manager, who also started managing us. The first record I ever played on was ‘Kiss Unmasked’. I was visiting another band at the Record Plant and was sitting in the lounge talking to them when Gene Simmons walked in and asked me if I would put a keyboard down on one of the tunes, and one tune led to another until I realized I had pretty much played on the whole record. When the record went gold, the band was really nice and sent me a gold plaque which I still treasure in my studio. I got to know Gene and especially Paul pretty well. Fast forward to years later after I had started having hits as a songwriter, I reconnected with Paul and he asked me to write with him for several records. Our first effort was ‘Hide Your Heart'(cowritten with Desmond Child) – in addition to Kiss’s version, it was recorded by Ace Frehley, Bonnie Tyler and Molly Hatchett. Years later we worked on Psycho Circus together, and then Paul’s most recent solo record.
I never really understood what Kiss was about til I went to see them live in the 80’s. At that point I already knew them, so seeing them dressed up in full Kiss Regalia, spitting blood and fire in huge arenas seemed surrealistic to me. Back then no one knew what they looked liked without their makeup, but for me it was the other way around . I did have some fun times with those guys. Especially Ace because he was the most outrageous.’ –HK
