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).

The Loveless
Billy Idol Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I know she's waiting for me
Yeah
Outside of society
I know she's sailing for me
Ooo baby
Ran out of society
Yeah dance with me

I said heal me
Hear me
I gotta confess
I'm one of the love love loveless

I know you're hungry for me
Love me
Outside of society yeah
I know you're hungry for me
Believe me baby
Out of rhyme and subtlety

I said heal me
Hear me
I gotta confess
That I'm one of the love love loveless

Yeah hopelessly we look
Into the barrel of a gun
We gotta pull ourselves together
And make a plan
Woah yeah
No control mama
One of the loveless baby
Rockin' tonight

Drunk n' stupid n' naked
Love me
Outside of society
Oooo rancid singin' lonely
Believe me baby
Drunken on sobriety

I said well heal me
Hear me
I gotta confess
I'm one of the love love loveless
I said hear me
Hear me
I gotta confess

That I'm one of the love love loveless
Ah yeah
Love love loveless
No control mama
Waiting to be swept away

In your cold black storm
No control

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Billy Idol's song The Loveless are a reflection of the struggles of being an outsider and not fitting into society's norms. The song opens with the singer addressing someone waiting for him outside of society, possibly a fellow outcast. He acknowledges that they are different and have been cast out from mainstream society, but they are together in their pursuit of love and acceptance. The repetition of the phrase "I know you're hungry for me / Love me / Outside of society, yeah" emphasizes the longing for connection with someone who understands him, despite being rejected by society.

As the song progresses, the singer confesses that he is one of the "love love loveless," someone who is unable to find love despite their yearning for it. He acknowledges that he is "out of rhyme and subtlety," unable to fit into the norms of romance and courtship in society. He recognizes the danger he and his fellow outcasts face and calls for them to "pull ourselves together and make a plan." The final lines of the song, "waiting to be swept away / in your cold black storm / no control," suggest a sense of hopelessness and resignation to their outsider status.

Overall, The Loveless can be interpreted as a plea for acceptance and understanding from society while recognizing the difficulties of being an outsider. The repetition of certain phrases emphasizes the longing and desperation for connection, while the acknowledgement of the dangers and struggles faced by outcasts adds depth and complexity to the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I know she's waiting for me
I am aware that my lover is eagerly waiting for me

Outside of society
Beyond the norms and conventions of society

I know she's sailing for me
I feel that she is making a journey to meet me

Ooo baby
Expressing love and affection for the lover

Ran out of society
Escaped from the constraints and expectations of society

Yeah dance with me
Inviting the lover to dance together

I said heal me
Requesting support and emotional healing

Hear me
Asking for attention and acknowledgement

I gotta confess
Admitting a truth or secret

I'm one of the love love loveless
Admitting to being one of the hopeless and lonely in love

I know you're hungry for me
I realize that my lover desires me passionately

Love me
Expressing desire for the lover to love back

Out of society yeah
Being different and unconventional in love and life

Believe me baby
Asking the lover to trust and have faith in him

Out of rhyme and subtlety
Not conforming to the usual ways of expressing love

Yeah hopelessly we look
Feeling desperate and lost in our pursuit of love

Into the barrel of a gun
Taking a big risk or facing a dangerous situation

We gotta pull ourselves together
Encouraging oneself and the lover to stay strong

And make a plan
Suggesting that they need to come up with a strategy

Woah yeah
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm

No control mama
Feeling lost and helpless in love

Rockin' tonight
Having a good time together tonight

Drunk n' stupid n' naked
Being reckless and careless in love

Oooo rancid singin' lonely
Feeling sad and miserable in love

Drunken on sobriety
Being drunk on the idea of being sober and finding love

Ah yeah
Expressing agreement or affirmation

Waiting to be swept away
Longing for a passionate and exciting experience in love

In your cold black storm
Expecting to find love in a dark and challenging situation

No control
Feeling powerless and unable to manage love or life

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY IDOL, MARK YOUNGER-SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS