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".
Head On
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey!
See me comin'
See me comin'
See me comin' baby, on the bend
See me comin'
Head on, around the bend
You gotta see your man
Comin' baby, 'round the bend
Yeah
You gotta see your man
Comin' around the bend
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
See me comin'
See me comin'
See your man comin' 'round that bend
Head on baby
Head on baby
Head on the curve and then
See your man a-comin'
'Round the bend
You gotta see your man comin'
Around the bend
Now bring it up loud!
I been a lover since I was born
Champagne, woman, and I need me some more
See your man a-comin'
'Round the bend
You gotta see your man comin'
'Round the bend
Alright!
See your man comin'
See your man a-comin'
C'mon Bob!
Yeah C'mon'
He'll be comin'
Yeah you'll see him come-come-a-comin'
See him
See him
You'll see him comin'
Comin'
Comin'
Come
Come
Yeah come
Yeah!
Now do it again, hey!
You gotta see him comin'
You gotta see him comin'
You gotta see him comin'
You gotta see him comin'
You gotta!
The lyrics to Iggy Pop's "Head On" are rather simple and straightforward, but they invoke a sense of anticipation and excitement. The first few lines repeat the phrase "See me comin'", followed by "on the bend" or "around the bend". This creates an image of Iggy on a motorcycle, speeding towards the listener, and ultimately arriving with a burst of energy as the final refrain urges us to "see him comin'".
The chorus revs up the energy even more with the phrase "Head on baby, head on baby, head on the curve and then". The lyrics seem to emphasize the thrill and danger of a high-speed ride, especially since Iggy claims to have been a lover "since I was born". The repetition of "you gotta see your man comin'" is almost like a command, urging the listener to brace themselves for the arrival of something intense and exciting.
Overall, the lyrics to "Head On" are less about telling a story or conveying a deep message, and more about creating a visceral experience through the power of repetition and imagery. Iggy Pop's signature raw energy shines through in this song, leaving no doubt that he's a force to be reckoned with.
Line by Line Meaning
See me comin'
Notice my approach
See me comin' baby, on the bend
Notice my approach as I turn the corner
Head on, around the bend
Straight ahead, turning the corner
You gotta see your man
You need to pay attention to me
Comin' baby, 'round the bend
As I turn the corner, heading towards you
See your man comin' 'round that bend
Notice me as I approach the bend in the road
Head on baby
Straight ahead
Head on the curve and then
Straight ahead as I maneuver the curve
I been a lover since I was born
I have always had a passion for love
Champagne, woman, and I need me some more
I desire more of the good things in life, especially women
See your man comin' around the bend
Pay attention to me as I turn the corner
C'mon Bob!
Encouragement to someone, possibly the band member Bob
He'll be comin'
I will be approaching soon
Yeah you'll see him come-come-a-comin'
You will definitely notice my approach
You gotta see him comin'
Pay attention to my arrival
Now do it again, hey!
Start from the beginning
You gotta see him comin'
Pay attention to me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES OSTERBERG, JAMES WILLIAMSON
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.