William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a Brit… Read Full Bio ↴William Michael Albert Broad, known professionally as Billy Idol, is a British singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He also holds United States citizenship. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as the lead singer of the group Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the US. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".

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).

Heroin
Billy Idol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I wish, I was born
A thousand years ago
And I wish that I sailed
The darkened sea
On a great big clipper ship
Goin' from this land into that
In a sailors suit and cap
Away from the big city -

Away from the big city

Where a man cannot be free
Of all the evils in this town
And of himself and those around
And I'm closin' in on death

And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know

Ah - Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine
Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine

I don't know just where I'm goin' - Ahh
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom
If I can - yeah
'Cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
And I tell you things aren't quite
The same
It's a mainline to my pain

Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Jesus died for somebody's sins
(I can feel it)
But not mine - HEROIN
I said, Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN

I have made a very big decision
I gonna try to nullify my life -
You know
I get so low and then the smack flows
I don't care I'm gonna make it my wife
Because when the blood begins to flow
And shoots up the droppers neck
And I'm closin' in on death
You can all go take a walk

And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know

Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Jesus died for somebody's sins
(I can feel it)
But not mine - HEROIN
I said, Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
I said, Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN not mine,
HEROIN, smack attack

Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Jesus died for somebody's sins
But not mine - HEROIN
Smack attack

Don't touch that needle
V.R. H E R O I N
V.R. H E R O I N
V.R. HELL H E R O I N (forever)

And I'm closin' in on death
H E R O I N

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Billy Idol's song Heroin are an introspective exploration of the singer's struggles with addiction and the pain that he feels both physically and emotionally. The first verse expresses a longing to escape the modern world and all of the evils that come with it. The singer wishes he was born a thousand years ago so that he could sail across the darkened sea on a great big clipper ship wearing a sailor's suit and cap, away from the big city where a man cannot be free of all the drugs and temptations. As he is "closin' in on death," he admits that he just doesn't know what to do about his addiction.

The chorus of the song speaks to the disillusionment of the singer with the idea that Jesus died for somebody's sins – but not his. He puts a spike into his vein as a way of getting a mainline to his pain, but acknowledges that things are not quite the same. The second verse continues with the theme of addiction, with the singer admitting that he has made a big decision to try to nullify his life. He knows that when the blood begins to flow and he shoots up with heroin in his neck, that he is "closin' in on death."

Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the grip of addiction and the hopelessness that comes with trying to escape it. The lyrics are raw, honest, and powerful, and Billy Idol delivers them with a powerful intensity that captures the pain and desperation of someone struggling with addiction.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I wish, I was born
I regret existing in this time and year

A thousand years ago
I wish I was born a millennium before the present time

And I wish that I sailed
I desire to travel by sea

The darkened sea
I want to travel on a sea that is not well-lit

On a great big clipper ship
I desire to sail on a gigantic, clipper vessel

Goin' from this land into that
My intention is to travel from my current location to another place

In a sailors suit and cap
I want to dress in attire typical of a sailor

Away from the big city - Away from the big city
I want to leave the metropolis

Where a man cannot be free
I feel as though I have a lack of freedom where I am now

Of all the evils in this town
I feel weighed down by the immoralities present in this area

And of himself and those around
I also feel hindered by the self-destructive tendencies of both myself and those around me

And I'm closin' in on death
I am nearing the end of my life, either literally or figuratively

And I guess that I just don't know
I realize that I do not fully understand my predicament

Ah - Jesus died for somebody's sins
I am invoking Jesus Christ and his sacrifice

But not mine
But I do not believe that his death applies to me specifically

I don't know just where I'm goin'
I am uncertain about my future and my path in life

- Ahh
I am exhaling deeply or moaning slightly

But I'm gonna try for the kingdom
However, I will endeavor to make it to a better place

If I can - yeah
If it is possible, I will do it

'Cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
The act of using drugs like heroin makes me feel empowered and in control

When I put a spike into my vein
Taking heroin by injecting it directly into my bloodstream

And I tell you things aren't quite The same
After I use heroin, things are different and nothing is as it was before

It's a mainline to my pain
Using heroin is a direct path to numbing my emotional and physical pain

I have made a very big decision
I have decided to take a significant step in my life

I gonna try to nullify my life -
I am attempting to erase or cancel out my existence

You know
You understand what I'm talking about

I get so low and then the smack flows
When I feel a certain way, I turn to heroin to make me feel better

I don't care I'm gonna make it my wife
I don't care about anything else, and I am committing myself to using heroin

Because when the blood begins to flow
When the heroin enters my bloodstream

And shoots up the droppers neck
The heroin travels up the hypodermic needle and into the wearer's body

You can all go take a walk
At this point, nothing else matters to me and I don't care about other people's opinions or thoughts

Jesus died for somebody's sins
I am again referencing Jesus Christ's sacrifice

(I can feel it)
I am indicating that I can feel the power of Jesus even though I don't believe his death applies to my situation

But not mine - HEROIN
I am reiterating that Jesus' sacrifice did not include my own sins or addiction to heroin

I have made a very big decision
I am repeating that I have made an important choice

I gonna try to nullify my life -
Again, I am trying to eliminate myself from existence

You know
Again, I am speaking to the listener as if they understand my thoughts and feelings

Smack attack
A phrase that indicates an aggressive style of using heroin or forcing drugs onto someone else

Don't touch that needle
A warning to not use heroin or drugs in general

V.R. H E R O I N V.R. H E R O I N V.R. HELL H E R O I N (forever)
An abbreviation of the phrase 'Virtual Reality Heroin', indicating a simulated version of the drug that some speculate will be created in the future

And I'm closin' in on death
Again, I am indicating my proximity to death

H E R O I N
A simple repetition of the drug's name, as if to emphasize its power or pull

Contributed by Keira A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS