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".
Blood on Your Cool
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why living I don't know
Two-thirds habitual
One-third is ritual
How cool are the songs I sing
How cool is anything
I'm spyin'
That check was pretty big
I'll spend it pretty quick
My body's pretty shot
I'm dyin'
[Chorus:]
Everyday is a duel with the fool with the blood on your cool
Every night is a hee-hawing mule when there's blood on your cool
Everyone that you meet is a ghoul when there's blood on your cool
Cruelty will be your school when there's blood on your cool
Blood of the cool
That check was pretty big
Grab gold and then grab more
Didn't have to look too far
I learned this from rock stars
Soul fights against the beast
Beast has a world for please
A world of cruelty
Doesn't do shit for free
Birds singing I am sad
Soul leaves but I'm not mad
Oh, fuck it, yes I am
It's either me or them
[Chorus]
Sun up, big see is blue
Not working how 'bout you?
Don't even fight the weather
That makes me feel better
Wide moon of memory
Big voice inside of me
Short time to live and die
Quick fading live of lies
I think about it when I get old
Payment for being bold
Might be a crown but still
I might get a fucking bill
[Chorus
The song "Blood On Your Cool" by Iggy Pop (Ft. The Trolls) is a commentary on the glamorous and destructive nature of a hedonistic lifestyle. The first verse touches upon the superficiality of living a luxurious life, where the singer is driving a Rolls Royce but questions the purpose of living. The second verse highlights the dependency on habits and rituals, to the extent that they consume two-thirds of one's life. The singer takes pride in the "coolness" of his lifestyle, glorifying hedonistic pleasures such as good sex, drugs, and sleep, but acknowledges that he is on a path of self-destruction.
The chorus is an indictment of the singer's way of life, implying that it is a constant struggle and a battle with the devil inside oneself. The "blood on your cool" refers to the sins of one's lifestyle that are catching up, manifesting as a duel with the fool inside oneself, hee-hawing mule-like nights, and meeting ghouls or evil people. The cruelty of one's lifestyle is its own punishment, a school that one has to go through to learn the hard way.
Overall, "Blood On Your Cool" is a warning against the dangers of living recklessly and highlights the fleeting nature of life. The lyrics are a reflection of Iggy Pop's personal struggles with addiction and self-destructive behavior in his youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun shinin' on my Rolls
I am driving in my Rolls Royce with the sun shining on me
Why living I don't know
I don't know why I am alive
Two-thirds habitual
I spend most of my time doing things out of habit
One-third is ritual
The rest of my time is spent doing things as part of a ritual
How cool are the songs I sing
I think my songs are really cool
How cool is anything
I think everything else is also pretty cool
Good sex good shit good sleep
I enjoy having good sex, taking drugs and getting good sleep
I'm spyin'
I am watching and observing
That check was pretty big
I received a large sum of money
I'll spend it pretty quick
I am going to spend it quickly
My body's pretty shot
My body is in bad condition
I'm dyin'
I feel like I am dying
Everyday is a duel with the fool with the blood on your cool
Every day I am fighting against someone who thinks they are cool but has done something wrong
Every night is a hee-hawing mule when there's blood on your cool
Every night I am dealing with people who are stubborn and hard to deal with
Everyone that you meet is a ghoul when there's blood on your cool
Every person I meet seems to be a bad person
Cruelty will be your school when there's blood on your cool
Being cruel will lead to negative consequences for you
Blood of the cool
People who think they are cool will eventually be exposed for their wrongdoings
Grab gold and then grab more
I am going to keep accumulating wealth
Didn't have to look too far
It was easy for me to find opportunities to make money
I learned this from rock stars
I have learned this from successful musicians
Soul fights against the beast
I am struggling with inner demons
Beast has a world for please
My inner demons want me to give in to temptation
A world of cruelty
Giving in to temptation will lead to harm for myself or others
Doesn't do shit for free
There is always a cost to giving in to temptation
Birds singing I am sad
Despite the pleasant surroundings, I am still feeling sad
Soul leaves but I'm not mad
I am not angry or upset about my emotions
Oh, fuck it, yes I am
Actually, I am feeling angry about my emotions
It's either me or them
I feel like I have to make a decision between myself and others
Sun up, big see is blue
The sun is rising and the ocean looks blue
Not working how 'bout you?
I am not working right now, how about you?
Don't even fight the weather
I am not going to waste energy fighting something I cannot control
That makes me feel better
This mindset helps me feel better
Wide moon of memory
I have vivid memories
Big voice inside of me
I have a strong inner voice
Short time to live and die
Life is short and we will eventually die
Quick fading live of lies
Our lives are short and we often hide the truth from ourselves
I think about it when I get old
I am reflecting on these concepts as I age
Payment for being bold
There are consequences for taking risks
Might be a crown but still
Even if you are successful, you can still experience difficulties
I might get a fucking bill
There may be unexpected costs in achieving success
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALEX KIRST, IGGY POP, PETER MARSHALL, WHITEY KIRST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
R Robinson
on Livin' On The Edge Of The Night (edit)
Here are corrections to incorrect lyrics - outrageously, stupidly incorrect: The first line is, "ILL WIND off the river". (And that's ill, not I'll.) The second line is, "smoke stacks fade to BLACK". Second verse: "I've made my bed but I can't REST my head". And "so much COULD be misunderstood". Bridge: "WELL maybe it's just my life". An artist crafts his work meticulously , then this is what happens to it. Disgusting.