In the 80s, Hanoi Rocks were the most successful Finnish band internationally and are still popular in the United States, Japan, and the UK. They were also one of the first rock bands to tour in Asia, and were the first western rock band to play in Delhi. According to Finnish radio and TV personality Jone Nikula (who was also Hanoi Rocks' tour manager in the 2000s), Hanoi Rocks' albums have sold between 780,000 and 1,000,000 copies around the world, but mostly in Scandinavia and Japan. Although their album sales are strong, they are more widely known for their energetic live performances.
Hanoi Rocks was formed in Helsinki in 1979 and the first line-up included vocalist and saxophone player Michael Monroe (Matti Fagerholm), guitar player Nasty Suicide (Jan Stenfors), guitar player Stefan Piesnack, bass player Nedo and drummer Peki Sirola. The following year Piesnack, Sirola and Nedo were replaced by guitar player Andy McCoy (Antti Hulkko), bass player Sam Yaffa (Sami Takamäki) and drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Sporre). In 1981 they moved to Stockholm and in 1982 to London to take advantage of the livelier music scene in these cities. Later that year Casino was fired and replaced by Razzle (Nicholas Dingley).
Although the band never gained significant commercial success, they have a considerable cult following and critical acclaim for their 'sleazy' yet melodic style of music. They have been cited as an influence by major bands such as Guns N' Roses and Manic Street Preachers. The re-release of Hanoi Rocks' albums on CD was in large part due to efforts by Guns N' Roses via their own record label UZI Suicide. In Finland, however, Hanoi Rocks is known as the Finnish rock band who at their time had come closest to real international fame, only much later giving way to such groups as HIM.
In 1983 the band signed to CBS Records and appeared to be on the cusp of gaining commercial acceptance. They recorded their fifth album in January 1984 with producer Bob Ezrin in his home town Toronto. The album had just been released when disaster struck in December of that same year: Razzle was killed in a car accident (the driver was Vince Neil, singer with the band Mötley Crüe). Although replaced by Terry Chimes, drummer on The Clash's first album, and René Berg from the Idle Flowers, the band never recovered; first Yaffa and then Monroe left, and in 1985 the band folded. The members spent the next 15 years in various short-lived projects, and although they worked with numerous artists including Iggy Pop, Stiv Bators, Steve Stevens, Little Steven, Samantha Fox, Sebastian Bach, Sylvain Sylvain, Nicky Hopkins, Joan Jett and Guns N' Roses they never achieved anything resembling their earlier success
In 2002 Monroe and McCoy reformed the band, with two members of the Electric Boys, and a drummer who had previously featured in Monroe's solo project. They have released two new albums and toured heavily since then.
2005 and beyond: Nasty Suicide works as a pharmacist. Sami Yaffa now plays in a band called Mad Juana with his wife, Karmen Guy, and is based in New York City. Yaffa is also touring and recording with the reformed New York Dolls. Suicide and Yaffa have appeared onstage with the reformed Hanoi although not at the same time. The single "Fashion", released in May, went straight to #1 in the Finnish singles chart. On the 8th of August, a the single 'This One's For Rock'n'Roll' was released to be downloaded from selected sites. This was featured on the album 'Street Poetry', which was released early September 2007.
In October 2008, the band announced that they will be splitting up for good in spring, 2009. The band will play their farewell tour in Japan and end their career with a gig in Tavastia, Helsinki where they originally started playing. According to Mike Monroe and Andy McCoy, the band has reached its full potential now and has gone as far as it will ever go.
Michael Monroe - lead vocals (1979-1985, 2002-2009)
Andy McCoy - guitar, backing vocals (1980-1985, 2002-2009)
Conny Bloom - guitar (2004-2009)
Andy "A.C." Christell - bass (2004-2009)
Lacu - drums (2002-2008)
Lost In The City
Hanoi Rocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now won't you take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart, now won't you take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone, city boy stole my car city girl stole my heart
She stole my heart , yeah, well, I've been in trouble since I don't know when
Never got no money to pay my rent, this city life it hits hard on me
But I got keep on trying, gotta keep on lying to myself, yeah
But one day I will make it, and I'll become a wealthy man
Take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart, now won't you take me down to the way back home
I lost all my money now I'm all alone, city girl stole my car city boy stole my heart, yes he did
Its cold and its rainin, it don't hurt me at all, as long as I can do what I want, yeah
Alone in the night, the night is black, I'm living like a rat, I know I'll survive yeah
'cause somebody somewhere is waiting for me, this time I'm gonna take it
I'm really gonna make it get high
Take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart
Take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart, she stole my heart yeah
The song Lost in the City by Hanoi Rocks is about a person who has lost all their money and their car in the city, and feels alone and helpless. The lyrics are suggestive of someone who is struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life in the city. The singer of the song is caught in a cycle of poverty, and the pressures of city life are too much to bear.
The song seems to suggest that the singer is having a hard time adjusting to city life and feels out of place there, even though they are stuck in the city for the foreseeable future. They dream of returning to their "way back home," where they can escape the troubles of the city and find peace. The song also touches on themes of love, with the singer lamenting the fact that they have lost their heart to a city girl who has taken advantage of them.
In general, the song is about feeling lost, alone, and out of place in the city, and trying to find a way to cope with the difficult reality of life there.
Line by Line Meaning
Well
The song begins with an exclamatory statement expressing a strong emotion.
Now won't you take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
The artist is requesting someone to help him find his way back home since he has lost everything.
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart, now won't you take me down to the way back home
The artist is narrating how his car was stolen by a city boy and his heart was also stolen by a city girl. He pleads for someone to help him go back home.
I lost all my money now I'm all alone, city boy stole my car city girl stole my heart
The artist reiterates on the loss of his money, car and heart as he feels abandoned.
She stole my heart , yeah, well, I've been in trouble since I don't know when
The artist expresses his feeling of disarray since the day his heart was stolen by a lady.
Never got no money to pay my rent, this city life it hits hard on me
The artist is expressing how the city life has not been kind to him as he has no money even to pay for his rent.
But I got keep on trying, gotta keep on lying to myself, yeah
The artist is trying to encourage himself to keep pushing despite the difficulties he is facing. He is trying to tell himself that everything will be okay.
But one day I will make it, and I'll become a wealthy man
The artist is hopeful that one day he will become rich and hence he continues to push regardless of the difficulties he is facing.
I'll make as much money as I can, and I'll try so hard, try try try so hard, try so hard yeah
The artist is determined to make as much money as he can and will work hard to achieve that despite the challenges he faces.
Its cold and its rainin, it don't hurt me at all, as long as I can do what I want, yeah
The artist is trying to explain that regardless of how bad the situation is, he is still okay with it, as long as he can do what he wants.
Alone in the night, the night is black, I'm living like a rat, I know I'll survive yeah
The artist is acknowledging his current state of loneliness and how scary the night can be. He however states that he will survive.
'cause somebody somewhere is waiting for me, this time I'm gonna take it, I'm really gonna make it get high
The artist is hopeful that someone is out there waiting for him and this time around he is ready to take up that challenge and succeed.
Take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
The artist repeats his plea for someone to help him find his way back home.
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart
The artist repeats the incidents that led to his loss of car and heart.
Take me down to the way back home, I lost all my money now I'm all alone
The artist reemphasizes his call for help to find his way back home.
City boy stole my car city girl stole my heart, she stole my heart yeah
The artist repeats the fact that his heart was stolen by a city girl.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
apinanraivo100
Pretty heavily influenced by the Stones. Good stuff.
love love
Holy- Wow, great call.
Dan V
One of my favorites!
Lucian Albu
Even if I listened to this song a million times and still couldn't hear anything regarding Paradise City.
This song is a good one, while Paradise City is a masterpiece.
I think Andy McCoy is just jealous.
Phương Nam Phạm
I think Back to Mystery City is closer
neuteredLee
Andy McCoy has said that the Guns N' Roses song "Paradise City" is a compilation of a few riffs of Hanoi Rocks. He said the chorus is the same as the riff in "Lost in the City", just slowed down.
SouthpawJBrowning
Quite obvious how they influenced the look of G n R, Poison, & Motley Crue. In some cases even the sound & guitar riff style is similar with G & R on this & some other Hanoi Rocks tracks minus keyboards & Saxophone of course. Anyone else hear the riffs & similar lyrics from "Paradise City" by G n R like I do? Shocking actually. Slash himself even says these guy influenced him heavily in his book I hear.
SouthpawJBrowning
"Actually" Hanoi Rocks was formed 2 years before the Crue & touring 1 year before the Crue existed. European metal bands heavily influenced what happened in the 80's metal scene from USA metal mags like Kerrang. HR had material charting successfully in their country before MC even hired Vince Neil to sing. In 1982 HR released a 2nd album & had 3 music video's already in rotation. 1984 Vince Niel killed HR's drummer "Razzle" while driving drunk. So I think its obvious the Crue knew Hanio Rocks.
T P
Also GnR had massive respect for Hanoi:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzi_Suicide
"was created in 1986 by Guns N' Roses", "The label also re-released albums by the Finnish glam band Hanoi Rocks."
Larz Gustafsson
Top band!