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).
Trouble With The Sweet Stuff
Billy Idol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta give it up
Can't give it up)
Oh mama oh oh
The money's run out
And I'm a hungry man
Oh mama oooo
I--I'm a--hurtin' man
I was just a boy
When they told me
"God love ya"
"You're insane"
Here I am
Pistol in my hand
Judge and jury
One the same
I got
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
I got
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
And I'm never ever gonna shake it
Shake it
Trouble with the sweet stuff
Trouble with the sweet stuff
Bang bang
They shot me down
Caught me
Robbing the bank again
Say I'm crazy
I'm a desperate man
Nah right (c'mon)
Daddy's in the junk shop
Alley babe
Tryin' to some that stuff
I said
I can't believe it (ooh give it up)
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
I got
Trouble with the sweet stuff
And I'm never
Ever gonna shake it
Shake it
Don't want to give it up
Don't want to give it up
Yeah
Shake it
Gotta give it up
Don't want to give it up
Don't want to give it up
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
Mommy's in the graveyard
Pushed her oh so long
Baby ain't cryin'
Cradles cold, long gone
And me mama, mama
Yes when the situation
Breaks down
You've got trouble trouble
Bang bang
They shot me down
Caught me robbin d' bank again
(Are you crazy)
Baby oh yeah
I'm a desperate man
Daddy, in the junk shop
Alley babe
Tryin' to smoke that stuff
And me
Never gonna shake it
Baby yeah
(ooh give it up)
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
I got
Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
Trouble with the sweet stuff
Baby
And I'm never
Never, never, never, ever
Gonna shake it
I want
(Don't want to give it up)
Trouble with the sweet stuff yeah
(laugh) Believe me babe
(Shake it
Can't give it up
Come on and shake it)
Yeah
(Daddy's in the junk shop alley babe
Tryin' to smoke that stuff oh yeah)
Yeah, gonna shake it
(Can't give it up
Can't give it up)
Do you feel pain
The same way I feel pain babe
(Give it up)
Breathe the same air
I gotta give it up
(Wanna give it up
Can't give it up
Gotta give it up)
Give it up
Give it up
The lyrics to Billy Idol's "Trouble With The Sweet Stuff" tell the story of a man who is struggling with addiction and the consequences that come with it. He is hungry and desperate for money, resorting to robbery to get his fix. The repeated line "Trouble with the sweet stuff" refers to his addiction and how it is causing him problems. He knows he needs to give it up, but he can't shake it.
The mention of his mother being in the graveyard and the line "cradle's cold, long gone" suggest that she has passed away, possibly due to similar struggles with addiction. The singer is left alone to deal with his own addiction and the harsh realities that come with it, including being shot down by the law.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of addiction and the destructive nature it can have on one's life and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh mama oh oh
The singer is in a difficult situation – broke and hungry.
The money's run out
The singer is out of money.
And I'm a hungry man
The singer is very hungry.
Oh mama oooo
The artist is looking for help from Mama.
You see I--I'm a--hurtin' man
The artist is in pain and he needs help quickly.
I was just a boy
The singer is recalling his childhood.
When they told me "God love ya"
Someone used to comfort the singer with the phrase 'God love ya' in his childhood.
"You're insane"
People thought the artist was crazy and he might have been teased or bullied because of it.
Here I am
The artist is now an adult and has a gun in his hand.
Pistol in my hand
The artist is armed with a gun.
Judge and jury
The singer is playing the role of both judge and jury.
One the same
The artist is both the judge and jury in this situation.
I got Trouble with the sweet stuff oh yeah
The singer is addicted to something, which is causing him a lot of trouble.
Bang bang They shot me down
The singer has been caught and shot while robbing the bank.
Caught me Robbing the bank again
This is not the first time that the singer has robbed this bank.
Say I'm crazy
People still think the artist is crazy.
I'm a desperate man
The artist is desperate and willing to do anything.
Daddy's in the junk shop Alley babe
The singer's father is smoking something in the alley.
Tryin' to some that stuff
The father is trying to indulge in whatever vice he has.
Trouble with the sweet stuff
The artist is still struggling with his addiction despite being caught and shot for it.
Mommy's in the graveyard Pushed her oh so long
The artist's mother has been deceased for a long time.
Baby ain't cryin' Cradles cold, long gone
The baby is now dead and gone.
Yes when the situation Breaks down
When things go wrong in life, the singer is all alone.
Never gonna shake it
The artist's addiction is not going away anytime soon.
Do you feel pain The same way I feel pain babe
The singer is trying to connect with someone and express his pain.
Can't give it up
The singer feels like he can't give up his addiction.
Gotta give it up
The singer knows he has to give up his addiction eventually.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY IDOL, DAVID CONCORS, KETIH FORSEY, MARK YOUNGER-SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Venus Diane Luna
on Mother Dawn
Super Sexy!!!!