Idol explained that he was trying to capture the political and economic conflict that had created the LA Riots, and that the camcorder – as displayed in the witnessing of the Rodney King beating – was a "potent way of conveying ideas" and an important metaphor for technology used in rebellion.
The make-up effects were achieved through stop motion, with Billy Idol moving in slow stages during points of the filming. Stan Winston, who had previously worked on the Terminator series and Jurassic Park, supervised and created the special effects for the video. The music video for "Shock to The System" was nominated for "Best Special Effects in a Video" and "Best Editing in a Video" at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, losing both times to Peter Gabriel's video for "Steam".
Shock to the System
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was a night, L.A., burning bright
Oh what a night
Say yeah,come on
It makes my world stand still
Ah riot, rape, race and revolution, ah yeah
Here come the fire, and my world burns still
You say yeah
Well, you can rock this land baby you
[Chorus]
Like a shock to the system
I feel good, well alright
Like a shock to the system
Say yeah, ain't it irie
It was a night
Hell of a night, L.A., it really was
Oh what a riot
I said yeah, come on
It makes my life feel real
Fear police and civil corruption oh yeah
Is there a man who would be king
And the world stood still
Ah yeah loud
You can rock this land baby
Yeah
[Chorus]
I said yeah, come on baby
Shock to the system
Feel good, well alright
Like a shock, shock to the system
I say yeah, I say yeah, I say yeah
Come on baby
Yeah, well you can rock this land baby
[Chorus]
I say yeah
Ain't it irie
Shock to the system
It feel good, well alright
Like a shock to the system
I say yeah
I say yeah
I say yeah, come on baby
Shock to the, shock to the
Shock to the system
Loud I gotta
Shock to the, shock to the
Shock to the system
Yeah I gotta
Shock to the, shock to the
Shock to the system
Yeah I gotta
Shock to the, shock to the
Shock to the system
You could be king
Or I could be king
Yeah well
You could be king
Or I could be king
Well I gotta
You could be king
Say it louder
The world still burns
You could be king
I could be king
Yeah well
You could be king
Say it louder
I could be king
You could be king
Say it louder
The world still burns
The song "Shock to the System" by Billy Idol is an ode to the chaos and excitement that can be found in the city of Los Angeles. The lyrics describe a night in L.A. that is filled with riots, race conflicts, corruption, and general unrest, but for the singer, it's a thrilling experience that makes him feel alive. He compares this night to a shock to the system, something that jolts him out of his mundane existence and gives him a new perspective on the world.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "like a shock to the system," emphasizing the transformative power of this experience. The singer feels good and is energized by the chaos around him. He even seems to suggest that this upheaval might lead to a new king, someone who can lead the people out of the darkness and into a better future. Overall, the song celebrates the wilder side of life and encourages listeners to embrace the excitement that can be found in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa yeah
Billy Idol is expressing his excitement about the events he is about to describe in the song.
It was a night, L.A., burning bright
The song is about a very exciting and chaotic night in Los Angeles that he wants to describe in detail.
Oh what a night
Billy Idol is emphasizing the excitement and chaos of the night he is describing.
Say yeah,come on
Billy Idol is inviting the listener to join him in reliving the events of this night.
It makes my world stand still
Despite the chaos of the night described, Billy Idol finds it so exciting that he wants to savor every moment and make his world stand still in that moment.
Ah riot, rape, race and revolution, ah yeah
Billy Idol is listing some of the chaotic and violent events that took place that night: riots, protests, and crimes.
Here come the fire, and my world burns still
Despite the danger and violence, Billy Idol still feels excited and alive.
You say yeah
Billy Idol is encouraging the listener to join him in acknowledging the excitement and danger of the night.
Well, you can rock this land baby you
Billy Idol believes that the excitement of this night is something that can inspire and motivate people to take action and make a difference in the world.
Like a shock to the system
The night described has such an impact that it feels like a jolt or a shock to the system.
I feel good, well alright
Despite the chaos and danger of the night, Billy Idol feels energized and alive.
Say yeah, ain't it irie
Billy Idol is acknowledging that the night was not all positive and that there were negative and dangerous aspects to it as well.
Fear police and civil corruption oh yeah
Billy Idol is acknowledging that there were serious problems with law enforcement and the government that led to some of the chaos and violence described earlier in the song.
Is there a man who would be king
Billy Idol is questioning the idea of strong leadership and whether it can ever truly solve the problems that lead to chaos and violence.
And the world stood still
The events of the night were so powerful that they left a lasting impact on society and the people who participated in them.
Ah yeah loud
Billy Idol is emphasizing the loud and chaotic nature of the events that he is describing in the song.
I said yeah, come on baby
Billy Idol is once again encouraging the listener to join him in reliving the excitement of the night described in the song.
Shock to the system
The events of the night were so powerful that they felt like a physical shock or jolt to people's systems.
Feel good, well alright
Despite the danger and chaos, Billy Idol finds the events of this night to be energizing and inspiring.
I say yeah, I say yeah, I say yeah
Billy Idol is once again emphasizing the excitement and energy of the events he is describing in the song.
Shock to the, shock to the
Billy Idol is again emphasizing the physical shock and impact of the events he is describing in the song.
You could be king
Billy Idol is questioning the idea of strong leadership and whether it can ever truly solve the problems that lead to chaos and violence.
Or I could be king
Billy Idol is suggesting that anyone has the potential to be a leader and make a difference in the world.
The world still burns
Despite the excitement and chaos of the night, the underlying problems and conflicts that led to it are still present and have not been resolved.
Say it louder
Billy Idol is encouraging people to speak up and take action to address the issues that led to the chaos and violence of the night described in the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK YOUNGER-SMITH, BILLY IDOL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@k.k.7385
Uau, sim
Whoa yeah
Era uma noite, L.A., ardendo intensamente
It was a night, L.A., burning bright
Oh que noite
Oh what a night
Diga sim, vamos lá
Say yeah, come on
Isso faz meu mundo parar
It makes my world stand still
Ah motim, estupro, raça e revolução, ah sim
Ah riot, rape, race and revolution, ah yeah
Aí vem o fogo, e meu mundo ainda queima
Here come the fire, and my world burns still
Você diz sim
You say yeah
Bem, você pode agitar esta terra, baby, você
Well, you can rock this land baby you
Como um choque para o sistema
Like a shock to the system
Eu me sinto bem, tudo bem
I feel good, well alright
Como um choque para o sistema
Like a shock to the system
Diga sim, não é irie
Say yeah, ain't it irie
Foi uma noite
It was a night
Que noite infernal, L.A., realmente foi
Hell of a night, L.A., it really was
Ah, que tumulto
Oh what a riot
Eu disse sim, vamos lá
I said yeah, come on
Isso faz minha vida parecer real
It makes my life feel real
Medo da polícia e da corrupção civil, oh, sim
Fear police and civil corruption oh yeah
Existe um homem que seria rei
Is there a man who would be king
E o mundo parou
And the world stood still
Ah, sim, alto
Ah yeah loud
Você pode agitar esta terra, baby
You can rock this land baby
Sim
Yeah
Eu disse sim, vamos lá, querido
I said yeah, come on baby
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
Sinta-se bem, tudo bem
Feel good, well alright
Como um choque, choque para o sistema
Like a shock, shock to the system
Eu digo sim, eu digo sim, eu digo sim
I say yeah, I say yeah, I say yeah
Vem cá Neném
Come on baby
Sim, bem, você pode agitar esta terra, baby
Yeah, well you can rock this land baby
Como um choque para o sistema
Like a shock to the system
Eu me sinto bem, tudo bem
I feel good, well alright
Como um choque para o sistema
Like a shock to the system
eu digo sim
I say yeah
Não é irie
Ain't it irie
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
É uma sensação boa, tudo bem
It feel good, well alright
Como um choque para o sistema
Like a shock to the system
eu digo sim
I say yeah
eu digo sim
I say yeah
Eu digo sim, vamos lá, querido
I say yeah, come on baby
Choque para o, choque para o
Shock to the, shock to the
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
Alto eu tenho que
Loud I gotta
Choque para o, choque para o
Shock to the, shock to the
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
Sim, eu tenho que
Yeah I gotta
Choque para o, choque para o
Shock to the, shock to the
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
Sim, eu tenho que
Yeah I gotta
Choque para o, choque para o
Shock to the, shock to the
Choque no sistema
Shock to the system
Você poderia ser rei
You could be king
Ou eu poderia ser rei
Or I could be king
Ou eu poderia ser rei
Or I could be king
Bem, eu tenho que
Well I gotta
Você poderia ser rei
You could be king
Fale mais alto
Say it louder
O mundo ainda queima
The world still burns
Você poderia ser rei
You could be king
Eu poderia ser rei
I could be king
Sim, bem
Yeah well
Você poderia ser rei
You could be king
Fale mais alto
Say it louder
Eu poderia ser rei
I could be king
Você poderia ser rei
You could be king
Fale mais alto
Say it louder
O mundo ainda queima
The world still burns
@jcm1972
This album was ahead of its time. It has depth that showed Billy Idol’s evolution as a musician. The man is an icon. ☄️
@EuropeanGeisha
He can sing very well live, I was surprised. better than the record. Plus he is a nice grandpa, I like to watch his IG videos with his grandchild.
@DarkturtleX
We had similiar music like this in Germany back in the early 80s
@zemxxi2765
@Tom Powers The cyberpunk subculture failed to get anywhere because the youth of the time were choosing "retro" over futurism. Enter the goths and a new generation of phony bourgeois hippies.
@IntrusiveCuckholeGenerator
it's not ahead of its time it borrows so much from The Terminator, Robocop, Total Recall, Universal Soldier etc in its concept I thought it's pretty obvious
@user-a4a4444
Бил Сибирь.
@jamesriver3745
I love cyberpunk. When you rate Billy's albums you can't really count this one because it is in a plane of its own. When people ask me about it that never heard it, I describe it as billy idol like you've never heard him before....and it is. A real gem as far as I'm concerned. You have to admire his vision here....one of the first of its kind if not the first....
@fryke
I love the album, too, but I have to admit when I first heard it, it was quite cringey. Billy was kind of the old papa trying to use the sounds the new kids were using, adopting the term "Cyberpunk" kind of out of nowhere. That's the main reason it didn't click with the masses and went completely under the radar for most people. Didn't click with the pop fans, the rock fans, the house/techno fans or the cyberpunk (literature) fans. I felt I loved it against all odds at the time.
@whenwhen2284
The album wasn’t so bad, but it was a very bad idea on Billy’s part. At that time, no one was really doing this type of big flashy rock & roll
@jamesriver3745
@Patrick Armbruster the song Heroin goes on way too long though, I like the way it starts out but then it gets too crazy and is way too drawn out. Love Labour's On, Concrete Kingdom, Tomorrow People, Adam In Chains, and Neuromancer are pure gold!