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".
Easy Rider
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hot night sweats our clothes
My hell is crackin' fire
That's what you inspire
Cruel highway entrance signs
People driving to their lives
Looks like a giant stream
But it's just a dream
Easy rider, easy rider
Easy rider, easy rider
Broken people all around
Old guarantees that pull you down
You need a way out, you need a ride
Cause where you are is suicide
Easy rider, easy rider
Easy rider, easy rider
Oh I see the sacred dreams
And if I'm no ?
I'll feel real ?
Tearing out my hair
I see fertility
In pretty girls I meet
I love my friend
Give me hands ?
Highway in the sun
We listen to the engines run
I wanna fine myself in you
You wanna find yourself, too
Easy rider, easy rider [Repeat: x4]
In Iggy Pop's song "Easy Rider," the singer finds him/herself in an alley, experiencing night sweats while wearing hot clothes. The lyrics suggest that the singer's life is like a "crackin' fire," and this is what their love interest inspires. The scene then shifts to a highway with people driving to their lives, which looks like a giant stream, but is merely a dream. The song describes the broken people all around and the old guarantees that pull them down. The singer is in need of a way out, which is conveyed through the lyrics, "cause where you are is suicide." The chorus repeats several times and suggests that the easy rider is the solution to escape the current state of mind.
As the song progresses, the singer sees "sacred dreams" and something that is "fertile" in the pretty girls they meet. The lyrics convey an idea of finding oneself and discovering the world within and without. The song ends with the singers' desire to find themselves; a desire to be part of something bigger and more significant than themselves. The highway in the sun becomes a sort of escape that the singer hopes to share with their fellow travelers.
Fun facts about "Easy Rider," include that the song was recorded in 1986, as part of Iggy Pop’s album “Blah-Blah-Blah.” The song was produced by David Bowie, which must have been a treat, given their legendary collaborations. Additionally, the song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 film “Sid and Nancy,” which was also directed by one of Bowie’s frequent collaborators, Alex Cox. The song has been covered by various notable musicians over the years. It's also had mixed reviews, with some critics citing the song’s “punchy beat” and “telecaster riff” as what makes it successful, while others see the song as a failed attempt to imitate other big-name artists.
The chords for "Easy Rider" are E, A, D, G, and B.
Line by Line Meaning
In the alley where have I grown
I grew up in a rough area, where the alleys were my playground.
Hot night sweats our clothes
It's so hot that our clothes are drenched in sweat.
My hell is crackin' fire
My personal hell is filled with intense heat and flames.
That's what you inspire
You are the source of my pain and suffering.
Cruel highway entrance signs
The signs to the highway are mocking and cruel.
People driving to their lives
Everyone is driving to get on with their lives and duties.
Looks like a giant stream
The cars on the highway look like a huge river flowing by.
But it's just a dream
But this is just an illusion, and everything is not as it seems.
Broken people all around
There are many people around who are struggling and broken.
Old guarantees that pull you down
Old promises that have not been fulfilled weigh you down and hold you back.
You need a way out, you need a ride
You need to escape and find a way out of this situation, and a ride to get there.
Cause where you are is suicide
Because staying where you are will lead to your eventual demise.
Oh I see the sacred dreams
I can see glimpses of the sacred, meaningful dreams that I have.
And if I'm no ?
And even if I'm not sure of what the future holds.
I'll feel real ?
I'll still feel like I'm alive and living.
Tearing out my hair
I'm so desperate and frustrated that I'm pulling out my own hair.
I see fertility
I can see that there is potential and growth in the world.
In pretty girls I meet
I find beauty and inspiration in the girls that I meet.
I love my friend
I have a deep affection and appreciation for my friend.
Give me hands ?
I am reaching out for help and support.
Highway in the sun
Driving down a sunlit highway.
We listen to the engines run
We enjoy the sound of the engines as we speed along the highway.
I wanna fine myself in you
I want to discover and connect with who you truly are.
You wanna find yourself, too
I know that you are also searching for meaning and identity.
Easy rider, easy rider [Repeat: x4]
Life can be a wild and bumpy ride, but we can make it through by taking it easy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES OSTERBERG, STEVE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xi-eleven
One of the best rock n roll albums of all time...
@VacioAereo
Great album of Iggy 👍
@mydystopianlife
I saw Iggy live in 88 on the tour for this album. One of the better shows I have been to, it was a lot of fun!
@royalslackest
Correct lyrics in the bridge: "I see the symmetry In a fine pair of legs I feel the open wind Tearing out my head I see fertility In pretty girls I meet I love my friend Who gives me honesty"
@todoricrade3830
the music of my youth
@ASTRUBAL1334
this fucking song rocks my socks!!!! fantastic guitar!! no less spected from sex pistols guitarrist steve jones!
@saucilio1
i love iggy and steve
@cwblackistonio1641
💎
@jamiedobberthien4404
Easy riiiiiiiiiiider!
@anthonywilfredwong4545
I love Iggy💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋