The song was written in the Hyatt Hotel (nicknamed the "Riot House") in West Hollywood, California:
"I was on tour with Hawkwind in 1974, we were staying at the Riot House and Roy Wood and Wizzard were also in town. I got this urge to write a song in the middle of the night. I ran downstairs to the Wizzard room, got Roy's Ovation acoustic guitar, then hurried back to mine. I went on to the balcony and howled away for four hours. Cars were stopping and the drivers were listening then driving off, and there I was yelling away at the top of my voice." - Lemmy.
The title of the song refers to a person who indulges in the recreational use of amphetamines.
The song first appeared on the B side of Hawkwind's 1974 single "Kings of Speed". In July 1981 the song was released as the A side to a 7" and 12" single on the Flicknife label, this time having a Dave Brock vocal and synthesizer overdubs. Flicknife re-released the single as a 12" vinyl in October 1982. It was also used by Hawkwind on their 1986 single "Motorhead"/"Hurry on Sundown", released on Flicknife Records. In 1992 the song was added to the Dojo CD re-issues of Hawkind's "Warrior on the Edge of Time" album, and the Griffin release of the album in 1994. The song also features on various Hawkwind compilation albums.
It has, very occasionally, featured in live performances by Hawkwind.
Motorhead
Hawkwind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sky high and six thousand miles away,
Don't know how long I've been awake,
Wound up in an amazing state,
Can't get enough,
And you know it's righteous stuff,
Goes up like prices at Christmas,
Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead, alright
Brain dead, total amnesia,
Get some mental anesthesia,
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
And if I can't be wrong I could be right,
All good clean fun,
Have another stick of gum,
Man, you look better already,
Motorhead, remember me now Motorhead, alright
Fourth day, five day marathon,
We're moving like a parallelogram,
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
I guess I'll see you all on the ice,
I should be tired,
And all I am is wired,
Ain't felt this good for an hour,
Motorhead, remember me now, Motorhead alright
The lyrics of Hawkwind's song, Motorhead, are intriguing and allow for a great deal of interpretation. The opening lines, "Sunrise, wrong side of another day, Sky high and six thousand miles away," seem to suggest a feeling of disorientation or perhaps even a physical distance from reality. The following line, "Don't know how long I've been awake," adds to this sense of confusion or lack of grounding. However, the next line, "Wound up in an amazing state," suggests that this disorientation is not necessarily negative, but rather an exhilarating feeling.
The chorus is where the title comes into play, with the lyrics "Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead, alright." It is unclear what exactly the term "Motorhead" represents, but it seems to be a name that the singer has given themselves, possibly implying a sense of power or control. The second verse includes the lyrics "Brain dead, total amnesia, Get some mental anesthesia," which could suggest attempting to escape reality or forget one's troubles through the use of drugs or alcohol. The rest of the verse involves further attempts to distance oneself from reality, such as shutting the door and killing the lights.
The third verse includes the lines "Fourth day, five day marathon, We're moving like a parallelogram," which suggest a prolonged period of time spent in a state of disorientation or altered consciousness. The final chorus restates the title and seems to suggest that this state of mind is enjoyable or euphoric.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunrise, wrong side of another day,
It's early in the morning, but the singer is not feeling good about it.
Sky high and six thousand miles away,
The singer is feeling distant, both physically and mentally.
Don't know how long I've been awake,
The singer has lost track of time and has been awake for a while.
Wound up in an amazing state,
Despite being tired, the artist is feeling energized and excited.
Can't get enough,
The artist is addicted to the feeling of excitement and wants more of it.
And you know it's righteous stuff,
The singer believes that what they are doing is morally right.
Goes up like prices at Christmas,
The excitement and energy is increasing rapidly, like the prices of gifts during the holiday season.
Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead, alright
The artist is feeling so alive that they liken themselves to the powerful motorhead.
Brain dead, total amnesia,
The artist is so exhausted that they are experiencing memory loss and confusion.
Get some mental anesthesia,
The artist wants to numb their mind and emotions to escape the exhaustion and confusion.
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
The singer wants to be alone and shut out the world to recover from the exhaustion.
And if I can't be wrong I could be right,
The artist is feeling unsure, but believes that they could still end up being right.
All good clean fun,
Despite the exhaustion, the singer finds their experience to be enjoyable and harmless.
Have another stick of gum,
The singer is trying to keep themselves awake and alert by chewing gum, possibly a stimulant.
Man, you look better already,
The singer is feeling better and more energized and thinks that others will notice the difference in them.
Motorhead, remember me now Motorhead, alright
The artist still feels powerful and alive, despite the exhaustion, and likens themselves once again to the motorhead.
Fourth day, five day marathon,
The artist has been going strong for several days and is mentally and physically exhausted.
We're moving like a parallelogram,
The singer and their companions are moving in a synchronized and consistent way, like the sides of a parallelogram.
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
The singer still wants to be left alone to recover.
I guess I'll see you all on the ice,
The artist implies that they will see their companions later, possibly in a frozen or dead state.
I should be tired,
The artist acknowledges that they should be exhausted.
And all I am is wired,
Despite being exhausted, the artist is feeling buzzed and excited.
Ain't felt this good for an hour,
The singer is feeling amazing and energized, possibly due to a recent high point in their experience.
Motorhead, remember me now, Motorhead alright
The artist still sees themselves as powerful and alive, and likens themselves once again to the motorhead.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN KILMISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind