Idol began his music career in late 1976 as a guitarist in the punk rock band Chelsea. However, he soon left the group. With his former bandmate Tony James, Idol formed Generation X. With Idol as lead singer, the band achieved success in the United Kingdom and released three studio albums on Chrysalis Records, then disbanded. In 1981, Idol moved to New York City to pursue his solo career in collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens. His debut studio album, Billy Idol (1982), was a commercial success. With music videos for singles "Dancing with Myself" and "White Wedding" Idol soon became a staple of then newly-established MTV.
Idol's second studio album, Rebel Yell (1983), was a major commercial success, featuring hit singles "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without a Face". The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of two million copies in the US. In 1986, he released Whiplash Smile. Having accumulated three UK top 10 singles ("Rebel Yell", "White Wedding" and "Mony Mony"), Idol released a 1988 greatest hits album titled Idol Songs: 11 of the Best; the album went platinum in the United Kingdom. Idol then released Charmed Life (1990) and the concept album Cyberpunk (1993).
Idol spent the second half of the 1990s focusing on his personal life out of the public eye. He made a musical comeback with the release of Devil's Playground (2005) and again with Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014).
Craddle of Love
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock the cradle of love
Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true
Well rock the cradle of love
I rocked the cradle of love
Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true
Well now
It burned like a ball of fire
When the rebel took a little child bride
To tease yeah so go easy yeah
Cause love cuts a million ways
Shakes the devil when he misbehaves
I aint nobody's fool
Come on shake it up
Whatever i do
Rock the cradle of love
Rock the cradle of love
Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true
Sent from heaven above that's right
To rob the cradle of love
Yes the pages of love don't talk decently it's true
Yeah flesh for your romeo
Ah yeah baby
I hear you moan
It's easy y' know how to please me yeah
This love starts my rollin train
You can't stop it
It aint in vain
I aint nobody's fool
Come on shake it up
Whatever you do
These are the wages of love
Rock the cradle of love
These are the wages of love
Ooh yeah
Rock the cradle
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Well it burned like a ball on fire
When the rebel took a little child bride
To tease yeah i know how to please you yeah
Well my love starts a rollin train
You can't stop it
It aint in vain
I aint nobody's fool
Come on shake it up
Whatever i do
Rock the cradle of love
Rock the cradle of love
Sent from heaven above
That's right
To rock the cradle of love
Rock the cradle of love
Yeah cradle of love
That's me mama
I robbed the devil of love
All right
Cradle of love
If you teaze me tonight
If you sleaze me all right
If you appeaze me tonight
And let me ease you
Cradle of love
The lyrics to Billy Idol's song "Cradle of Love" speak about the intensity of love and the way it shakes things up, both good and bad. The title "Cradle of Love" is a metaphor for the all-encompassing nature of love- it is where one is born and nurtured, and where one eventually returns.
The first stanza speaks of the need to rock the cradle of love. It emphasizes that while love may be powerful, it needs to be cared for and tended to in order to thrive. It is not something that can be taken lightly or allowed to rock on its own.
The second stanza speaks of the intense passion and heat that love can bring. The rebel and child bride signify a taboo love, one that is challenging to society's norms. The chorus repeats the importance of rocking the cradle of love as a reminder that love needs constant attention and care to maintain its power.
Throughout the song, Idol speaks about how love cuts in a million ways and how it is a force that can both grant and take away pleasure. Nonetheless, it is something he will defend, and he encourages his lover to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Well rock the cradle of love
Let's make love with unstoppable passion
Yes the cradle of love don't rock easily it's true
Love is a powerful and uncontrollable force that can change everything
It burned like a ball of fire
The intensity of our sexual desire was overwhelming
When the rebel took a little child bride
When I, the rebel, fell in love with a much younger woman
To tease yeah so go easy yeah
To play games that stoke the flames of passion
Cause love cuts a million ways
Love can bring pain and pleasure in equal measures
Shakes the devil when he misbehaves
Even the devil can't resist the power of love
I aint nobody's fool
I won't be manipulated or controlled by anyone
Come on shake it up
Let's take this love to the next level
Whatever i do
No matter what happens, our love will continue to burn bright
Sent from heaven above that's right
Our love is a divine gift that cannot be ignored
To rob the cradle of love
To pursue a younger lover
Yes the pages of love don't talk decently it's true
The taboo nature of our attraction adds to its excitement
Yeah flesh for your romeo
I am willing to be your sensuous lover
Ah yeah baby
I am thrilled to be with you
I hear you moan
I am excited by the sounds you make during sex
It's easy y' know how to please me yeah
You know how to perfectly satisfy me
This love starts my rollin train
Our love is like a powerful engine that cannot be stopped
You can't stop it
Our love will continue to grow and thrive
These are the wages of love
This is the price we pay for our passionate love affair
Ooh yeah
I am overwhelmed by the intensity of our love
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I am lost in the pleasure of our love
That's me mama
I am the one who loves you passionately
I robbed the devil of love
I overcame any obstacles to be with the one I love
If you teaze me tonight
If you prolong our lovemaking, it will be even more pleasurable
If you sleaze me all right
If you do things that are considered taboo, it will be an exciting transgression
If you appeaze me tonight
If you satisfy me completely, I will be yours forever
And let me ease you
I will do everything in my power to bring you pleasure
Contributed by Samuel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jmacjmac6307
Well, rock the cradle of love
Rock the cradle of love
Yes, the cradle of love don't rock easily, it's true
Well, rock the cradle of love
I rocked the cradle of love
Yes, the cradle of love don't rock easily, it's true
Well now
It burned like a ball on fire
When the rebel took a little child bride
To tease yeah, so go easy, yeah, ow!
'Cause love cuts a million ways
Shakes the devil when he misbehaves
I ain't nobody's fool
Come on, shake it up
Whatever I do, rock!
Rock the cradle of love (woo!)
Rock the cradle of love
Yes, the cradle of love don't rock easily, it's true, ooh yeah
Sent from Heaven above, that's right
To rock the cradle of love
Yes the pages of love don't talk decently, it's true
Yeah, flesh for your Romeo
Ah yeah, baby
I hear you moan
It's easy, y'know how to please me, yeah (ow!)
'Cause love starts my rollin' train
You can't stop it
It ain't in vain
I ain't nobody's fool
Come on, shake it up
Whatever I do
Ha, ow, whoo!
These are the wages of love, of love
Rock the cradle of love (of love, of love)
These are the wages of love
Hm, yeah
Rock the cradle
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ow!
Shake it, baby!
Ain't it little man!
Well it burned like a ball on fire
When the rebel took a little child bride
To tease yeah, good to know how to please you, yeah, ow!
Well my love starts a rollin' train
You can't stop it
It ain't in vain
I ain't nobody's fool
Come on, shake it up
Whatever I do, ow-ow-ow!
Rock the cradle of love, yeah
Rock the cradle of love, ooh
Sent from Heaven above
That's right
To rock the cradle of love, ow!
Rock the cradle of love
Yeah, cradle of love
That's me mama
I robbed the devil of love, alright
Cradle of love, ow!
If you tease me, tonight (rock the cradle of love)
Might just sleaze me, all right (cradle of love)
If you appeaze me tonight (rock the cradle of love)
And let me ease you (cradle of love) yeah!
Rock the cradle of love, yeah cradle of love, alright
Rock the cradle of love and soul, cradle of love, yeah, ow!
@kelliewhyte_85
Lol 36 here and yep, it was my mum who got me onto all the older music!!!
Haha funnily enough, this is ALSO the first Billy Idol song I heard too!!!
I grew up with this song!!!
My mum used to have all these video tapes with all different music videos recorded on it from the MTV days and she had sooo many tapes, through soooo many years!!
Her tape that was from 1987 was awesome, and so was the 1990 tape!
I can't remember if that was the tape that cradle of love was on, it HAD TO BE!!!
@kevinbaker1642
Me at 16...... "THIS is gonna happen when I get my own place". Me at 26 …."Why aint THIS happening?!?!?". Me at 51 …. "You are gonna make that bed you just messed up, young lady!"
@23SOADFAN
Damn skippy !!!
@JamesDziezynski
Me at 13: I need a cold shower! Me at 44: What... what kind of PC is that?
@maxwellmarsden7273
...i'd forget how to talk so couldn't tell her to make up the bed!!!
@Ravertwo
Hahaha!!
@lindsay6188
kevin baker, funniest 😂 guy in here!
@luannabbate2624
God he has a legacy. From the 80s to the 90s to today. He is still out on the road and rocking. He deserves to be in the Rock Hall of Fame.
@countd5955
Agreed.
@marybell6436
take your like!!!😊
@timperdue4436
How is he not in