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).
Flesh For Fantasy (Below The B
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We want
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
You cry
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
And back to back
You see and feel
My sex attack, sing it
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We cry
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
Flesh
Flesh
Flesh
It's after midnight
Are you feelin' alright, oh yeah
Turn on the light, babe
Are you someone else tonight?
Neighbor to neighbor, door to door
Don't ask questions
There's time for it all, oh yeah
Face to face
And back to back
You see and feel
My sex attack, sing it
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We cry
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
You cry
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We cry
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
Flesh
Flesh
Flesh
The lyrics of Billy Idol's "Flesh For Fantasy" are about the desire for physical pleasure and the idea of fulfilling carnal desires. The repeated phrase "flesh for fantasy" highlights the craving for physical sensations and the appeal of indulging in fantasies. The song's opening lines "We want, flesh for fantasy" further emphasize this need for something tangible and suggests a desire to live out one's fantasies.
The lyrics are also imbued with a certain sense of rebellion and the idea of breaking societal norms. The lines "Neighbor to neighbor, door to door, don't ask questions, there's time for it all" hint at a sense of secrecy and hushed desires that are not discussed openly. The idea of sex as a forbidden pleasure is also evident in the line "Are you someone else tonight" which raises the question of whether one is breaking free from societal expectations and societal roles.
The chorus of the song, "face to face and back to back, you see and feel my sex attack" speaks to the physicality of the experience and suggests a certain intensity of desire. The repetitive use of the word "flesh" highlights the primal nature of the desire, further underlining the idea of indulging in baser instincts.
In summary, "Flesh For Fantasy" is a song about the desire for physical pleasure and the idea of fulfilling one's carnal fantasies. It speaks of breaking social norms and embracing one's sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Flesh, flesh, flesh for fantasy
We desire purely physical experiences and pleasures, devoid of emotional connections and attachments.
We want Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We crave these experiences and seek them out.
You cry Flesh, flesh for fantasy
You also long for these experiences, but perhaps feel ashamed or guilty about it.
Face to face
And back to back
You see and feel
My sex attack, sing it
Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We engage in sexual encounters, both face-to-face and from behind, and I am taking control of the situation, which is enjoyable to me. The physical sensations are the main focus of this encounter.
It's after midnight
Are you feelin' alright, oh yeah
Turn on the light, babe
Are you someone else tonight?
It's late at night and we are engaging in sexual escapades. I am asking if you are enjoying yourself and, perhaps, wondering if you are pretending to be someone else in this situation.
Neighbor to neighbor, door to door
Don't ask questions
There's time for it all, oh yeah
These physical experiences are not limited to just us, but happen between others in the neighborhood. We don't need to question or judge each other for it. There's time for all kinds of experiences.
We cry Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want Flesh, flesh for fantasy
We can't get enough of these physical experiences and are constantly craving more.
Flesh
Flesh
Flesh
The physical sensations associated with these experiences are what we are focused on and seeking out.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY IDOL, STEVE STEVENS, WILLIAM BROAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markarmstrong3374
As a 50 year old guy, I can tell you the 80s had a certain unexplainable magic about it.
@michaelconnolly7681
I totally agree
@jasoninthehood9726
Yea, it’s called America still being a Protestant country and Reagan in office. Period.
@DPRyan-vd5pp
I’m also 50, good times being a kid in the 1980’s… they played all these 80’s jams at the public pool in the summer! Born November 29th, 1972!
@Townchild1
I m 56 and I heard during Motorbike ride a this Music with Walkman under the Helmet. MY old Kawasaki Z 650 is in pretty good conditions like me today.
@gooberclown
Eyes Without a Face is my favorite Billy Idol tune.
@Dan.50
The 80's still seems like something that will come in the future. We have regressed.
@rickymartinez1944
Hell yeah I belive it to
@tickedoffsheikh8587
Beautifully said.
@redsoxfanrob
We can only hope you are correct. This shit on the radio now does not come close to constituting music.