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).
Lady Do Or Die
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It takes a dog to cry
What it takes a boy must die
What it takes sometime
Before midnight
What it takes
It takes a life
Misshaped before my time
Ride metallic monsters
And there's mud in your eye
For lady do or die
It makes a woman bleed
Can't give her all her needs
Close the door before you leave
Can almost hear her breath
"It's a shame what you've become"
The things I do for love
On this road tonight
Looking for her candlelight
For lady do or die
For lady do or die
Tumbleweed, passing by
Train whistle start to cry
More people start to die
I don't know why
God knows why
I wonder what it takes
To free someone
I wonder what it takes
Free you from your prison
Kings of the road keep travelin' on
Every mile a ragged woe
Kings on the road keep smiling on
Play the guitar and sing the blues and cry
Play the guitar and sing the blues and cry
Play the guitar and sing the blues and cry
For lady do or die
For lady do or die
For lady do or die
For lady do or die
For lady do or die
Play the blues and cry
For lady do or die
Play the guitar
For lady do or die
Sing, sing the blues and cry
For lady do or die
The song "Lady Do or Die" by Billy Idol is a haunting and mysterious ballad about a young boy who is corrupted by the road and the woman he loves. The song opens with the lines "What it takes, It takes a dog to cry, What it takes a boy must die, What it takes sometime, Before midnight, What it takes, It takes a life." These lyrics suggest that the road is a harsh and unforgiving place, where only the strong survive. The reference to a dog crying may be a metaphor for the pain and suffering that the singer experiences on his journey.
The second verse of the song suggests that the singer is a young boy who was "misshaped before his time." He rides "metallic monsters" and is blinded by the mud in his eye. He is on a quest to find the woman he loves, who is referred to as "lady do or die." The lyrics suggest that the woman is a dangerous and enigmatic figure who is both alluring and deadly. The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to find her, even if it means risking his life.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "For lady do or die" several times, suggesting that the woman is an obsession for the singer, and that she drives him to take risks and make sacrifices. The rest of the lyrics are fragmented and disconnected, suggesting that the singer is lost and disoriented on his journey. The final lines of the song suggest that the road is a place where people are constantly dying, but that the kings of the road keep traveling on, playing the guitar and singing the blues and cry for lady do or die.
Line by Line Meaning
What it takes
This situation requires a specific something
It takes a dog to cry
This situation requires something tragic or heartbreaking to happen
What it takes a boy must die
This situation requires a sacrifice, possibly a sacrifice of youth or innocence
What it takes sometime
This situation takes time or patience
Before midnight
This situation has a deadline
It takes a life
This situation requires a significant amount of risk, possibly a life or death situation
'Cos I was o' so young
Because I was so young
Misshaped before my time
I was altered or affected in a negative way before I had a chance to fully develop
Ride metallic monsters
I am riding on vehicles that are dangerous or unsettling
And there's mud in your eye
I am experiencing difficulties or troubles on this journey
For lady do or die
I am doing this for the sake of a woman, even if it means risking everything
It makes a woman bleed
This situation is causing physical or emotional pain to a woman
Can't give her all her needs
I am unable to fulfill everything she desires or requires
Close the door before you leave
Leave quietly and without attention, to avoid hurting or upsetting the woman
Can almost hear her breath
I can feel the closeness of this woman and the weight of my actions on her
"It's a shame what you've become"
A statement of disappointment or disapproval of one's actions or choices
The things I do for love
I am willing to do anything, even if it seems absurd, for the sake of love
On this road tonight
In this particular, risky situation
Looking for her candlelight
Searching for the hope or light that this woman brings to my life
Tumbleweed, passing by
Symbol of the barren and empty surroundings
Train whistle start to cry
The sound of a train, possibly symbolizing a journey or change, making an emotional impact
More people start to die
Loss of life is becoming more common in this dangerous setting
I don't know why
No clear explanation or reasoning for the events taking place
God knows why
Only God can know the reasoning behind these situations
I wonder what it takes
I am curious about what is required to change or escape from this situation
To free someone
To release or liberate someone from their situation or pain
Free you from your prison
To free someone from the constraints or limitations that are holding them back
Kings of the road keep travelin' on
Powerful leaders continue to move forward in life
Every mile a ragged woe
Each step of the journey is difficult or painful
Kings on the road keep smiling on
Despite the hardships, the powerful continue to portray a facade of happiness and success
Play the guitar and sing the blues and cry
Expressing emotions, often sadness or pain, through music
For lady do or die
Again emphasizing the risk and sacrifice taken for the sake of a woman
Play the blues and cry
Continuing to express emotions through music
Play the guitar
Continuing to make music
Sing, sing the blues and cry
Continuing to express emotions through music
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: William Broad, Brian Tichy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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