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".
Louie Louie
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus:]
Louie Louie
Oh baby I gotta go
Louie Louie
Oh baby I gotta go
The capitalists are just breakin' hearts
Money is the reason to be
It makes me just want to sing Louie Louie
[Chorus]
A fine little girl is waitin' for me
But I'm as bent as Dostoevsky
I think about the meaning of my life again
And I have to sing Louie Louie again
[Chorus]
Let's give it to 'em right now
Oh man, I dunno like, health insurance
The homeless and world peace and aids and education
I'm tryin' to do right
But Hey
Life after Bush and Gorbachev
The wall is down but something is lost
Turn on the news it looks like a movie
It makes me want to sing Louie Louie
Louie Louie
Oh baby I gotta go, let's go
The song "Louie Louie" by Iggy Pop is a cover of the famous song by the same name, first written by Richard Berry in 1955. The song has been covered numerous times, and is infamous for its incomprehensible lyrics. However, the lyrics to the Iggy Pop version add a modern twist to the song. The chorus, "Oh baby I gotta go, Louie Louie," is repeated throughout the song and points to a desire to escape the current social and political climate.
The song's lyrics also reference the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of capitalism, highlighting the disillusionment of the modern generation with government and the prioritization of money and power over human welfare. Iggy Pop sings, "The communist world is fallin' apart, the capitalists are just breakin' hearts, money is the reason to be, it makes me just want to sing Louie Louie." The song speaks to a feeling of helplessness in the face of daunting global issues such as homelessness, world peace, and AIDS. The line "I'm trying to do right, but Hey" reflects the struggle to make a positive impact in the world, even when it feels overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the news
The singer is introducing a new topic, possibly referring to something that was just on the news.
Louie Louie
The singer is getting ready to sing the chorus to the song, which is a repeated phrase.
Oh baby I gotta go
The singer is expressing a sense of urgency or desire to move on to something else.
The communist world is fallin' apart
The artist is commenting on the collapse of communism as a political system.
The capitalists are just breakin' hearts
The artist suggests that capitalists are hurting people, possibly through exploitation or greed.
Money is the reason to be
The singer implies that the pursuit of money is the main purpose or driving force behind people's actions or existence.
It makes me just want to sing Louie Louie
The singer uses the repetition of this phrase as a way of expressing their frustration or disillusionment with the state of society.
A fine little girl is waitin' for me
The artist is referencing a potential love interest, possibly as a source of motivation or inspiration.
But I'm as bent as Dostoevsky
The artist suggests that they are struggling with their own personal demons, perhaps feeling mentally or emotionally unstable.
I think about the meaning of my life again
The artist is reflecting on their own existence, possibly feeling lost or uncertain about their purpose or direction in life.
And I have to sing Louie Louie again
The singer uses the repetition of this phrase as a way of coping with their own internal struggles and doubts.
Let's give it to 'em right now
The artist is urging action, suggesting that they should take decisive steps or confront a certain problem head-on.
Oh man, I dunno like, health insurance
The singer is expressing uncertainty or confusion about a particular issue, which could be related to healthcare or personal finances.
The homeless and world peace and aids and education
The singer is listing a series of important social issues that need attention and concern.
I'm tryin' to do right
The singer is acknowledging their own efforts to be a responsible, morally upright person.
But Hey
The artist is shifting their tone, possibly to suggest a change of topic or direction.
Life after Bush and Gorbachev
The artist is referencing two important political figures and suggesting that their influence or impact is still being felt in the present day.
The wall is down but something is lost
The singer is referencing the fall of the Berlin Wall and suggesting that while it was a significant event, it also had negative consequences.
Turn on the news it looks like a movie
The singer is commenting on the sensational or dramatic nature of news coverage, possibly suggesting that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction.
It makes me want to sing Louie Louie
The artist uses the repetition of this phrase as a way of expressing their frustration or disbelief about the state of the world.
Louie Louie
The artist is repeating the refrain from the chorus as a way of emphasizing the message of the song.
Oh baby I gotta go, let's go
The artist is signaling the end of the song, possibly suggesting a desire to move on to something else or take action in response to the issues raised in the lyrics.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ESTREMONIAS
Iggy Pop is so right, The wall is down, but something is lost.
When the wall fell, ............... that we have?...................... this
Greetings Iggy for your magnificent cover
And now...the news:
Yeah!
Louie Louie, whoa baby
I gotta go now
Louie Louie, whoa-oh baby
I really gotta go now
The Communist world is fallin' apart
The capitalists are just breakin' hearts
Money is the reason to be
It makes me just wanna sing Louie Louie
Louie Louie, whoa baby
I gotta go now
Louie Louie, whoa-oh baby
I really gotta go now
There's a fine little girl, she's waitin' for me
But I'm as bent as Dostoevsky
I think about the meaning of my life again
And I have to sing Louie Louie again
Louie Louie, whoa baby
I gotta go now
Louie Louie, whoa-oh baby
I really gotta go now
Let's give it to' em right now!
Oh man, I dunno, like...man, like you know
I don't know, health insurance and the homeless and world peace
And...AIDS...and education... I mean, uh, I'm trying to do right, but...hey
Life after Bush and Gorbachev
The wall is down, but something is lost
Turn on the news, it looks like a movie
It makes me wanna sing Louie Louie
Louie Louie, whoa baby
I gotta go now
Louie Louie, whoa-oh baby
I really gotta go now
Say I gotta go now!
I gotta go now!
I really gotta go now!
Let's go!
thisisahorse
This is exactly what a "cover version" is supposed to be - take a song and make it different, make it your own. My shirt goes off to Iggy!
scorpion.666
Wait this a cover who actually created the song
Punctured Bicycle
@scorpion.666 The Kingsmen
Xogroroth666
"My shirt goes off to Iggy!"
As long as you keep them pants on, I can't care.
Siggy Lloyd
Let's all donate a shirt to Iggy, why don't we ! Haha
Toph Majora
Yeah man you either cover it so perfect that the original singer thinks you sang it better or you sing it in a way that's unique to yourself that the original singer thinks you sang it better
Tattyshoes Shigure
Great version of this classic by Iggy, undoubtedly the best cover of the song I’ve heard.
emerpus01
The original is actually a calypso song by Richard berry. Iggys version sounds more like Richard berrys in that you can understand the words!
Tattyshoes Shigure
@emerpus01 indeed it is a Richard Berry original. I read a hilarious story about the FBI investigation into the song’s lyrics as they were thought to be possibly obscene, because at the time no one could understand the Kingsmen’s popular version of the song!
TheWiegos
Iggy, what a man, what a singer, what a frontman?! How can not love such artist?! He is super for ever!