Facade
Iggy Pop Lyrics


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A little girl trapped in her knowledge and craft
Came tripping to my room last night
I cooked her a steak and I tried not to fake
And still make everything alright
She had dreads in her hair and problems and cares
She tried hard not to let 'em show
She was decent and sweet and I was sizin' up the meat
But doubts fell in my mind like snow
And when the shove comes down to love
The facade falls down
And when the bricks fall from the tricks
The facade falls down

It's a sunny afternoon and I'm sitting in my robe
I'm dirty and I'm here alone
There's a story on my table that talks about me
And I want to stuff it down the author's throat
And I'm sleeping with someone new every night
And in the morning politely saying "bye"

And I'm nowhere and no one
And I only wanna run
And I feel like a hamburger bun
And when you must
Believe or bust
The facade falls down
When you're scared of a brand new care
The facade falls down
I got no reason to believe
I got no reason but I'm New York Scumbag Tough
And I'll keep on truckin'

So night is falling
And I'm getting' tired
And it's time to get my slippers and books
Got a sweater and glasses
And something that passes
For a way to get by in this world
And I'm getting' tired
Of so many different things
I guess I'm just plain tired
Or maybe too intelligent to believe
In the obvious side of things
And when voice says make a choice
The facade falls down
When your knees start to concede
The facade falls down
When the shove comes down to love
The facade falls down
And when the bricks fall from the tricks
The facade falls down





The facade falls down [Repeat: x5]

Overall Meaning

The song Facade by Iggy Pop is a melancholic reflection on the concept of authenticity versus facade or persona. The lyrics suggest the singer meets a young girl who tries to hide her problems behind a facade of decency and sweetness but fails to suppress her issues. The singer feels doubts about their efforts to make things right for the girl, and as a result, the facade falls down.


The song then shifts to the singer's personal life. They lead a promiscuous life and reject an article written about them. Still, they find themselves feeling exhausted, tired of the various aspects of their life, almost too intelligent to believe in the obvious side of things. The singer acknowledges that when one must believe or bust, or when one's knees start to concede, the facade falls down.


The song carries a warning that inevitably, the facade we create to hide our problems, flaws, and shortcomings will always unravel, and we will be left with our raw and vulnerable selves. Sometimes, asking for help and acknowledging our problems is the best way to navigate life.


Line by Line Meaning

A little girl trapped in her knowledge and craft
A young woman who is confined by her own learnings and abilities


Came tripping to my room last night
She made her way to my room in a clumsy and possibly intoxicated manner


I cooked her a steak and I tried not to fake, And still make everything alright
I attempted to prepare a genuine meal for her without deception in order to make her feel better


She had dreads in her hair and problems and cares, She tried hard not to let 'em show
She had dreadlocks in her hair and personal concerns that she attempted to conceal


She was decent and sweet and I was sizin' up the meat, But doubts fell in my mind like snow
She was a good and pleasant person while I couldn't help but doubt my own actions and motivations


And when the shove comes down to love, The facade falls down, And when the bricks fall from the tricks
When one faces the true emotion of love, all pretenses and illusions crumble away


It's a sunny afternoon and I'm sitting in my robe, I'm dirty and I'm here alone
A bright day and I'm sitting comfortably while feeling unclean and by myself


And there's a story on my table that talks about me, And I want to stuff it down the author's throat
A written piece that discusses me and my actions that angers me to the point of wanting to retaliate


And I'm sleeping with someone new every night, And in the morning politely saying 'bye'
I have a string of sexual liaisons with different partners each night, and in the morning, I respectfully end it


And I'm nowhere and no one, And I only wanna run, And I feel like a hamburger bun
I am lost and insignificant, only wanting to escape, and feeling squished and flattened like a hamburger bun


And when you must, Believe or bust, The facade falls down, When you're scared of a brand new care
When one has to make a decision, depending on whether it’s true or false that choice will either shatter or sustain the illusion


I got no reason to believe, I got no reason but I'm New York Scumbag Tough, And I'll keep on truckin'
I don't have a good reason for placing faith on anything, but I'm strong in my own way and will persevere


So night is falling, And I'm getting' tired, And it's time to get my slippers and books
As the night comes to a close, I grow weary and need to say goodbye


Got a sweater and glasses, And something that passes, For a way to get by in this world
I wear a cozy but unappealing outfit and possess something that could help me cope with the world


And I'm getting' tired, Of so many different things, I guess I'm just plain tired
I am becoming fatigued of the different aspects in my life, and perhaps I am just simply exhausted


Or maybe too intelligent to believe, In the obvious side of things
Or perhaps I am too intelligent to accept the obvious explanation


And when voice says make a choice, The facade falls down, When your knees start to concede
When it's time to make a choice, the falsehoods disappear, and when you begin to give up, the act falls apart


The facade falls down [Repeat: x5]
All pretenses and illusions crumble and come to an end




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES OSTERBERG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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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.