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".
Hassles
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the morning I got hassels
In the evening I got hassels
I'm in the sun as my cigarette burns
Always there's a hassel
Nothing, nothing but hassels
Wasting my time
'cause I've liquor and dime
Why you are hasseling me?
In the morning I got hassels
In the evening I got hassels
I'm so alone, on my own, with no fun
Hassels
Hassels
The lyrics to Iggy Pop's song "Hassels" seem to convey feelings of frustration and weariness with the constant struggles and difficulties in life. The repetition of the phrase "in the morning I got hassels, in the evening I got hassels," highlights the persistent nature of these issues, with no respite in sight. Iggy Pop also references his solitary state, with the line "I'm so alone, on my own, with no fun," suggesting that perhaps his struggles are compounded by a lack of support or companionship.
The lyrics also touch on the coping mechanisms that people may turn to in order to deal with these difficulties. Iggy Pop mentions having "liquor and dime," possibly indicating that he is using alcohol and money to escape or distract himself from his problems. However, the question "why you are hasseling me?" shows that the struggles are not entirely self-inflicted, and may involve external factors such as other people or societal pressures.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hassels" capture the persistent, draining nature of life's difficulties, and how they can leave one feeling alone and overwhelmed.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning I got hassels
Every morning, I face problems and difficulties
In the evening I got hassels
At night, I am still troubled and bothered
I'm in the sun as my cigarette burns
While smoking, I am in the sun and it reminds me of the brief moments of pleasure I have
Always there's a hassel
Troubles and obstacles seem to be constantly present in my life
Nothing, nothing but hassels
All I experience are difficulties and problems, and nothing seems to go right
Wasting my time
I feel like my efforts and energy are being wasted in the face of overwhelming obstacles
'cause I've liquor and dime
Despite feeling like I'm wasting my time, I turn to alcohol and money for temporary relief and escapism
Why you are hasseling me?
I question why others are adding to my already overwhelming problems and making my life more difficult
I'm so alone, on my own, with no fun
I am isolated and feeling no joy or enjoyment in my life
Hassels
Overall, the song is about the constant struggles and difficulties faced by the singer and the feeling that everything in life is a hassle.
Contributed by Lucy J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.