Deep Purple have had several line-up changes and were broken up for eight years from 1976 to 1984, with drummer Ian Paice being the band's only constant member. The first four line-ups, which constituted the band's original 1968–1976 run, are officially indicated as Mark I (1968–1969), Mark II (1969–1973), Mark III (1973–1975) and Mark IV (1975–1976). Mark I comprised the founding members of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Rod Evans (vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards), Paice (drums) and Nick Simper (bass), while Mark II was the most commercially successful line-up, with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover replacing Evans and Simper respectively. Mark III saw David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes replace Gillan and Glover respectively, while Mark IV featured Tommy Bolin replacing Blackmore. The band split in July 1976 and Bolin died from a drug overdose five months later. In 1984, Deep Purple reformed with the Mark II line-up, which remained in place until Joe Lynn Turner replaced Gillan in 1989. Gillan rejoined in 1992, with Blackmore leaving for the second and final time the following year. He was replaced temporarily by Joe Satriani and then permanently by Steve Morse. In 2002 Don Airey replaced Jon Lord, which saw Deep Purple settle into its longest running line-up, unchanged for the next twenty years, until Morse announced his departure from the band in 2022. His place was taken by Simon McBride. Paice, Glover, Gillan, Airey and McBride comprise the current line-up of Deep Purple.
Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock programme] and a poll on radio station Planet Rock ranked them 5th among the "most influential bands ever". The band received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards. Deep Purple (specifically Blackmore, Lord, Paice, Gillan, Glover, Coverdale, Evans, and Hughes) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
DEAD OR ALIVE
Deep Purple Lyrics
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You might draw the Queen of Spades
Don't shut the door
You don't need to be alone
I won't bring you no food
There might be some poison in your meat
I've got to know
Don't shut the door
Are you dead or alive
Dead or alive
Pick your window you're leaving
Don't look in the mirror
With a dollar up your face
You've got money to burn
You're cheap at half the price
Oh don't powder your nose
Don't blow your brains just for the the crack
I've got to know
Are you dead or alive
Just for the crack
Are you dead or alive
Dead or alive
Pick your window you're leaving
You're running so fast
But you know you're standing still
I'm afraid of your shadow
And the knife in it's hand
You're dancing with death
To the tune of the dealer
And he don't care
Don't give a toss
Don't want to know
If you're dead or alive
Don't want to know
If you're dead or alive
Dead or alive
Pick your window you're leaving
"Dead or Alive" by Deep Purple is a song filled with ambiguity, yet expressing a sense of danger and uncertainty. The singer of the song pleads with someone not to turn off the light or shut the door as they might draw “the Queen of Spades,” an ominous reference to the female personification of death. The singer tells the addressee that they do not need to be alone, and that he won’t bring them any food because it could be poisoned. The singer has to know if the addressee is dead or alive.
The lyrics of the song contain references to drug use, as the singer tells the addressee not to look in the mirror with a dollar up their face, not to blow their brains just for the crack, and not to powder their nose. The chorus of the song repeatedly asks, “Are you dead or alive?” expressing the uncertainty and danger of the situation. The final verse of the song talks about the addressee running, yet standing still, dancing with death to the tune of the dealer, who doesn’t care about their well-being.
Overall, the song explores themes of danger, ambiguity, and drug use, as the singer tries to determine the addressee's state of being- dead or alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't turn off the light
Leave the light on, so that the Queen of Spades does not appear
You might draw the Queen of Spades
If you turn off the light, the Queen of Spades might appear
Don't shut the door
Don't be alone, keep someone near you
You don't need to be alone
It's not good to be alone, have company near you
I won't bring you no food
I won't bring you any food
There might be some poison in your meat
The food might be poisoned
I've got to know
I need to find out the answer
Are you dead or alive
I need to know if you are alive or dead
Don't look in the mirror
Don't look at yourself in the mirror
With a dollar up your face
With your face covered in powder
You've got money to burn
You have a lot of money
You're cheap at half the price
You are not worth much
Oh don't powder your nose
Don't use drugs
Don't blow your brains just for the the crack
Don't do something foolish that might harm you, just for the sake of pleasure
Just for the crack
Just for the fun of it
Pick your window you're leaving
Choose an exit, and leave if you want to
You're running so fast
You are constantly in motion
But you know you're standing still
You are not making any progress in life
I'm afraid of your shadow
I am afraid of the things you might do in the future
And the knife in it's hand
And the danger you might bring
You're dancing with death
You are flirting with danger
To the tune of the dealer
To the beat of the person who is providing you with drugs
And he don't care
The dealer is indifferent to what might happen to you
Don't give a toss
Doesn't care about you
If you're dead or alive
The dealer doesn't care if you are alive or dead
Pick your window you're leaving
Choose an exit, and leave if you want to
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RITCHIE BLACKMORE, IAN GILLAN, ROGER DAVID GLOVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind