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).
L.A.Woman
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their hollywood bungalows
Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light
Or just another lost angel, city of night
City of night, city of night, city of night, woo,
C'mon
L.A. woman, l.a. woman
L.A. woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. woman Sunday afternoon
Drive through your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue blues
Into your blues, oh, yeah
I see your hair is burnin'
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
Drivin' down your freeways
Midnight alleys roam
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never saw a woman
So alone, so alone
So alone, so alone
Motel money murder madness
Let's change the mood from glad to sadness
Mr. mojo risin', mr. mojo risin'
Mr. mojo risin', mr. mojo risin'
Got to keep on risin'
Mr. mojo risin', mr. mojo risin'
Mojo risin', gotta mojo risin'
Mr. mojo risin', gotta keep on risin'
Risin', risin'
Gone risin', risin'
I'm gone risin', risin'
I gotta risin', risin'
Well, risin', risin'
I gotta, woo, yeah, risin'
Woah, oh yeah
Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood
Bungalows
Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light
Or just another lost angel, city of night
City of night, city of night, city of night,
Woah, c'mon
L.A. woman, L.A. woman
L.A. woman, your my woman
Little L.A. woman, little L.A. woman
L.A. L.A. woman woman
L.A. woman c'mon
The lyrics of Billy Idol's song "L.A. Woman" describe the city of Los Angeles and its various offerings, particularly its women. The singer has just arrived in town and is taking in the sights, including the Hollywood bungalows where the women reside. He wonders if he will be lucky enough to find a lady in the "city of light" or if he will be just another "lost angel" in the "city of night." The second verse is more ominous, with mentions of burning hills and loneliness.
The chorus is a tribute to the titular L.A. woman, who is the singer's object of desire. He repeats her name over and over, emphasizing her importance. The second half of the song takes a darker twist, with mentions of "motel money murder madness" and a repeated chant of "Mr. Mojo Risin'." Mojo is a slang term for sex appeal, so the singer is essentially urging himself to keep his sexual mojo rising. The song ends on a triumphant note, with the singer asserting that he is "risin'," both physically and metaphorically.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
I've just arrived in town, not too long ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Surveyed the surroundings to determine recent trends and behaviors
Where the little girls in their hollywood bungalows
Noticed the young women residing in beautiful housing
Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light
Are you fortunate and enjoying your time in the well-known and illuminated city?
Or just another lost angel, city of night
Or are you feeling aimless and hopeless in this city that never sleeps?
City of night, city of night, city of night, woo, C'mon
Residing in a city that is lively and dangerous, let's keep going
L.A. woman, l.a. woman
A woman from the city of Los Angeles
L.A. woman Sunday afternoon
Description of a specific time of day and reference to the woman from Los Angeles
Drive through your suburbs
Driving through the nearby neighborhoods
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Affected and influenced by your sadness and disappointment
Into your blue-blue blues
Affected by the extreme levels of sadness
I see your hair is burnin'
I see that you're passionate and intense
Hills are filled with fire
The hillside is aflame with passion and energy
If they say I never loved you
If someone says that I never had feelings of love for you
You know they are a liar
You know that the person making such a claim is not telling the truth
Drivin' down your freeways
Driving on the busy and crowded freeways
Midnight alleys roam
Wandering through the neighborhoods after dark
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Police officers cruising the streets, while people frequent the adult entertainment venues
Never saw a woman so alone, so alone
Never seen a woman feel so isolated and lonely
Motel money murder madness
The madness that occurs in cheap motels, including violence and murder in some cases
Let's change the mood from glad to sadness
Let's switch from happiness to grieving and sorrowful thoughts
Mr. mojo risin', mr. mojo risin'
Referring to Jim Morrison's stage name and seeking inspiration and motivation
Got to keep on risin'
Must continue trying harder and harder to achieve success and fulfillment
Mojo risin', gotta mojo risin'
Building energy and enthusiasm to create a sense of power
Mr. mojo risin', gotta keep on risin'
Jim Morrison needs to summon his energy and work hard to succeed
Risin', risin'
Gradually unfolding or advancing from one stage to the next
Gone risin', risin'
Without realizing it, rising further and further
I'm gone risin', risin'
I am rising rapidly and unstoppably
I gotta risin', risin'
I need to climb higher and higher
Well, risin', risin'
Ascent, rising, increasing upwards
I gotta, woo, yeah, risin'
That upward motion that you can't explain or shake
Woah, oh yeah
Feeling of being impressed or surprised
L.A. woman, your my woman
Claiming a proprietary interest in a woman from Los Angeles
Little L.A. woman, little L.A. woman
A young or petite woman from the city of Los Angeles
L.A. L.A. woman woman
Referencing Los Angeles and a female person simultaneously
L.A. woman c'mon
Urging a woman from Los Angeles to engage in something exciting, energetic or fun
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Jim Morrison, John Paul Densmore, Raymond D Manzarek, Robert A Krieger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donaldcook2484
What a cover of la woman. Only billy idol could pull this off. He is iconic in every way. Remarkable music genius
@Pwj579
It’s not bad. Huge fan of Billy and The Doors.
But I do feel this version is lacking in the funky, cool Venice Beach/ Sunset Strip vibes of the original. Billy’s is all Skid Row
@jon2813
I appreciate Billy Idol but this ain’t it. This cover is missing all the things that made the original great. It’s a generic hard rock song
@robpaxson4455
It really is a great cover
@marcieharreld286
And from a woman's point of view......totally HOT and a true guilty pleasure!!!🤘🎶🎼🎵🎧🥁🎸🤘🤘🤘
@johnjepsen4243
Righton
@nickweinbauer
I'm a huge fan of The Doors, my all time favorite band, but I'm also a huge Billy Idol fan, and I was very happy when this cover was released in 1990. Billy and Jim are two people who embody the word Rockstar.
@overcomerbtbojesus
💯💯💯
@freakbaby6981
Absolutely, totally! I don't know of anyone else who can do justice to The Doors.
@bezoticallyyours83
Oh for sure