Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish glam rock band formed in 1979, whose most success… Read Full Bio ↴Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish glam rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after their drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley died in a car accident a year earlier. Original members vocalist Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy reunited in 2001 and were active with the new line-up of Hanoi Rocks until 2009.

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)

Visitor
Hanoi Rocks Lyrics

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I'm not sorry 'bout the things that I've done to you
I'm not sorry, I never felt this good
All I wanted was to get to you
And hurt you for a while

I'm a trespasser in your company
Looks like it's me who fill your thoughts and your diary
Just as fast as my moment comes

I'll turn out to be a memory

The day I came was the day I left
Now you're just like all the rest
I only take I take the best
Like you used to be, now you're left in lunacy

I'm just a visitor, visitor, visitor, visitor...

I'm not sorry 'bout the things that I've done to you
I'm not sorry, I never felt this good
All I wanted was to get to you
And hurt you for a while

My romance, you're in a trance
I'll destroy all of your plans
Just as fast as my moment comes
I'll turn out to be a memory

The day I came was the day I left
Now you're just like all the rest
I only take I take the best
Like you used to be, now you're left in lunacy

I'm just a visitor, visitor, visitor, visitor...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hanoi Rocks's song "Visitor" deal with a narrator's desire to hurt someone they've been involved romantically with. The opening verse establishes that the singer feels no remorse about anything they've done to this other person, in fact, they feel good about it. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm just a visitor," which seems to suggest that the singer is not committed to this relationship and will be moving on soon.

The second verse reveals that the singer is aware they are not welcomed in the company of the other person, as they are described as a "trespasser." But, the singer also notes that they seem to be occupying the other person's thoughts and diary, indicating an obsession on the part of the other person, even as the singer plans to move on. The bridge lyrics indicate that the singer has successfully hurt the other person and intends to disrupt their future plans. The final chorus repeats the singer's status as a "visitor," and leaves the impression that they will continue this cycle of manipulation and destruction.

The lyrics to "Visitor" are bleak and cynical, and reflect the attitude of the band towards the world of love, sex, and relationships. The song is a warning that interactions with people could lead to a sense of desperation and cynicism, and that care should be taken to avoid those negative feelings. The song has been described as a breakup song, but what makes it interesting is that it's not just about moving on, but in inflicting emotional damage to the other person for pleasure.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm not sorry 'bout the things that I've done to you
I have no regrets for my actions towards you

I'm not sorry, I never felt this good
I'm not remorseful, in fact, I feel great

All I wanted was to get to you
My sole purpose was to get to you

And hurt you for a while
And cause you pain, if only temporary

I'm a trespasser in your company
I'm unwelcome in your presence

Looks like it's me who fill your thoughts and your diary
It seems that I am the subject of your thoughts and diary

Just as fast as my moment comes
As soon as my brief tenure is up

I'll turn out to be a memory
I will become nothing more than a recollection

The day I came was the day I left
I was in and out in the same day

Now you're just like all the rest
Now, you are like everyone else

I only take I take the best
I only take the most suitable