Though his popularity has fluctuated through the years, many of Pop's songs have become well-known, including "Lust for Life", "The Passenger", "Real Wild Child", "Candy" (a duet with Kate Pierson of The B-52's), "China Girl", "Nightclubbing", "Search and Destroy" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog".
In 2010, The Stooges were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Pop was the lead singer of The Stooges, a late 1960s/early 1970s band that featured brothers Ron and Scott Asheton and Dave Alexander and was highly influential in the development of hard rock. The debut album was produced by the Velvet Underground's John Cale. The band's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a garage punk standard.
Raw Power was first released in1973, perhaps the first record that could truly be called punk. It was the confluence of The Stooges ages, hormones, creativity, ability, experience, tastes, lack of supervision, contempt for authority and ambition that has made Raw Power one of the most influential albums of all time.
The Stooges were infamous for performances in which Pop leapt off the stage (hence, the "stage dive"), smeared raw meat or peanut butter over his chest and cut himself with broken bottles. A glimpse of the vibrating intensity of Iggy live can be seen in the Ramones movie "End of the Century." Guitarist James Williamson became a key collaborator, a partnership documented on the 1978 album Kill City.
In 25 years as a solo artist, Pop's best-known songs have included the thumping Lust for Life, to be heard on the soundtrack of the find-a-vein, shoot-it-up movie Trainspotting, I'm Bored and The Passenger (the latter based on a poem written by Jim Morrison). David Bowie played a key role in reinvigorating Pop's post-Stooges career and was a collaborator on the albums Lust for Life and The Idiot. Iggy may be under-rated as a songwriter. Bowie and Tina Turner covered his "Tonight". Bowie also put out his own version of "China Girl," while Grace Jones covered the icey "Nightclubbing".
Blah-Blah-Blah
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steady as she goes, following my nose
I'm a bull mongrel, that's me
Baby, that's me
Shimon Peres, whatcha gonna do
I'm from Detroit, blow the reveille
Deatho knocko
Johnny can't read
Blah-blah-blah
I' can't see
Blah-blah-blah
Tuna on white, guns all night
Blah-blah-blah
Cat taboo girl, raped by an ape
Cat taboo girl jam the sucker in
You dig the mongrels
Guardian of the state who says you gotta go bombin' low
Senator Rambo merrily you go
Monkey butcher knows a cab to find abank
A bank to find a loan 'cause you can't be alone
You dig the mongrels, that's you
Heaven, it's you [Incomprehensible] you
Violent peace
Blah-blah-blah
Buy it right now
Blah-blah-blah
We are the world, we are so huge
Blah-blah-blah
Johnny can't read
Blah-blah-blah
I can't see
Blah-blah-blah
Tuna on white, guns all night
Blah-blah-blah
Blue jeans coolies, everything huge
Petrified food, pizza killers from napalm to nice guy
Hit 'em where they live, nifty fifty
[Incomprehensible]
The most spoiled brats on God's green earth
Pop before the war
In "Blah Blah Blah," Iggy Pop is taking aim at the superficiality and violence of American culture. He opens the song with the lines "Pop before the war, lunch before the score, steady as she goes, following my nose." This seems to suggest a nostalgic longing for a simpler, less violent time in American history. Iggy then identifies himself as a "bull mongrel," a scrappy underdog who refuses to be cowed by authority figures like Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres or Senator Rambo.
The second verse takes a darker turn, as Iggy relates the story of a “Cat taboo girl, robbed by an ape.” Here, he seems to be criticizing society's tendency to blame and shame victims of sexual assault rather than holding perpetrators accountable. He also references the ubiquitous phrase “blah blah blah,” which he uses to criticize the meaningless platitudes and empty promises of politicians and mainstream culture.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase, “Johnny can’t read, blah blah blah, I can’t see, blah blah blah, tuna on white, guns all night, blah blah blah.” Iggy seems to be saying that, in a society that values materialism and violence over education and empathy, it's impossible for anyone to see clearly or make sense of the chaos.
Overall, "Blah Blah Blah" is a scathing critique of American society's shallow values, empty promises, and violent tendencies.
Line by Line Meaning
Pop before the war, lunch before the score
I used to enjoy the simple things in life, like eating lunch before a game, but that all changed once war entered the picture.
Steady as she goes, following my nose
I'm keeping a level head and going wherever my intuition takes me.
I'm a bull mongrel, that's me
Baby, that's me
I'm a strong and tenacious person, and that's just who I am baby.
Shimon Peres, whatcha gonna do
I'm from Detroit, blow the reveille
Deatho knocko
That's me, little old me, glamorous me
I'm from Detroit and don't care if world leaders like Shimon Peres don't approve. I'll sound my trumpet loud and proud, even if it's a signal of death. That's just me being me, and it can be quite glamorous.
Johnny can't read
Blah-blah-blah
I' can't see
Blah-blah-blah
Tuna on white, guns all night
Blah-blah-blah
People like Johnny and I are ignored and overlooked, and our problems are dismissed as meaningless. We're living in a dangerous world where some are hungry while others have weapons on standby.
Cat taboo girl, raped by an ape
Cat taboo girl jam the sucker in
You dig the mongrels
Guardian of the state who says you gotta go bombin' low
A woman like Cat, who is seen as taboo and different, has been mistreated by society. But she's taking matters into her own hands and fighting back. Those who consider themselves guardians of the state don't care about the innocent people who are hurt in their quest for power.
Senator Rambo merrily you go
Monkey butcher knows a cab to find a bank
A bank to find a loan 'cause you can't be alone
You dig the mongrels, that's you
Heaven, it's you [Incomprehensible] you
Politicians act like action heroes and think they're doing good, but in reality, they're just causing chaos. Even lowly people like monkey butchers have access to banks, because everyone needs financial support. We're all in this together, and that includes the mongrels, which is all of us.
Violent peace
Blah-blah-blah
Buy it right now
Blah-blah-blah
We are the world, we are so huge
Blah-blah-blah
The idea of 'peace' is just a facade for more violence and greed. Everything is about consumerism and money, no matter how much we try to sugarcoat it. And despite all our differences, we're all the same in the grand scheme of things.
Blue jeans coolies, everything huge
Petrified food, pizza killers from napalm to nice guy
Hit 'em where they live, nifty fifty
[Incomprehensible]
The most spoiled brats on God's green earth
Our society is obsessed with big and flashy things, but even our food is artificial and processed. We have people who go from using napalm to acting like perfect gentlemen in a blink of an eye. But we need to attack the root of the problem and make real change, even if it's not the easiest path. And despite all our wealth and material possessions, we are still lacking in basic humanity.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, TINTORETTO MUSIC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, POP IGGY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jello Biafra
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
In the late '80s; It looked like many of
my favs were heading for the 'dust-bins' of popular music.
'Steel Wheels' & 'Blah, Blah, Blah' gave me new hope! The 'old-guard' still had something to say!
And, there was this 'new' group using the
Hard R&R grooves of the '60s/'70s! (G'nR)
ROX ON!
- Dave B.
Jello Biafra
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
And this, my friends, is where I got my (2nd) handle!
I started writing "I'm from Detroit." so everyone would know: 'not-real-Jello'.
Then, I thought:
"Why not add that Iggy lyric to it?"
I know.
"Why not just drop the (main) handle?"
(Jello Biafra)
I started using that in The '90s after I moved back to Michigan.
Lots of folks were doing that.
I didn't think anyone would know about The DK's.
(I didn't fully understand 'the-worldwide-web' yet)
Anyway, the roots are too deep now.
(old army buddies, off-shore friends, etc.)
(FB, YT, gmail, fantasy sports, etc.)
The real Jello is from Colorado/S.F.
His (real) name is Eric. B.
🎵 "California! Über Alles!" 🎵
- Dave B.
Nick Heitzeberg
A great , classic tune, should be played at all half-time shows at Super Bowls by Deatho Knocko himself!!
Eric Kolkey
Great song and album!!
maxwell smart
Classic iggy
Tremendous performer🦖
ivan eztospell
Single greatest song of the 80s
ivan terrible
This is the punk rock "We didn't start the fire", but with huge swinging balls.
Bucko Z33
Yeah that’s kind of how I feel, like everybody preach in their cars trying to shove it down Iggy’s throat as well as mine! Yeah I completely relate to this song LOL!
Jello Biafra
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
In the late '80s; It looked like many of
my favs were heading for the 'dust-bins' of popular music.
'Steel Wheels' & 'Blah, Blah, Blah' gave me new hope! The 'old-guard' still had something to say!
And, there was this 'new' group using the
Hard R&R grooves of the '60s/'70s! (G'nR)
ROX ON!
- Dave B.
R.Bowie🌎
🗣🔊Iggy🎤🎵🎼🎶🎼🎵!!!!!!!😎👍
Joseph Bruno
"TUNA ON WHITE/GUNS ALL NIGHT"...........great lyric
David Ripley
Iggy is a Young God