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".
New Values
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But everything is spinnin'
And if I use a gun I'm sure to go to prison
I'm stubborn as a mule
And nobody breaks my rules
But nothin' comes my way.
I've got a hard-ass pair of shoulders
Yeah, and what I got I double
I swear I'm keepin' out of trouble.
I'm lookin' for one new value
I'm lookin' for one new value
But nothing comes my way.
We live in the same world
But nothin' comes my way.
The opening lyrics of Iggy Pop's New Values convey a sense of internal chaos despite being physically healthy. The metaphor "healthy as a horse" contrasts with the line "everything is spinnin," suggesting that while everything seems fine on the outside, there is a lot happening internally. The following line, "if I use a gun, I'm sure to go to prison," highlights a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as if the singer is stuck and doesn't know how to get out of their current situation.
The second verse, with its contrasting images of stubbornness and openness, suggests a duality in the singer's personality. On the one hand, they are "stubborn as a mule" and have strict rules, but on the other hand, they have a "love you can't imagine" and are willing to explore new values. However, the line "but nothin' comes my way" is repeated twice, emphasizing a sense of frustration and lack of progress. Despite the desire for change, the singer feels stuck and unable to move forward.
Overall, the lyrics of New Values convey a sense of restlessness, frustration, and internal conflict. The singer wants to change and find something new and meaningful, but they feel stuck and unsure of how to do so. The repeated line "but nothin' comes my way" suggests a sense of defeat and hopelessness, as if the singer has given up on finding anything new or valuable in their current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm healthy as a horse
I feel strong and fit.
But everything is spinnin'
Despite my physical health, my life seems chaotic and out of control.
And if I use a gun I'm sure to go to prison
I understand the consequences of resorting to violence and don't want to end up in jail.
I'm stubborn as a mule
I am very headstrong and don't like to change my mind.
And nobody breaks my rules
I have a strict code of conduct that I expect others to abide by as well.
But nothin' comes my way.
Despite my confidence and determination, I am not achieving my goals.
I've got a hard-ass pair of shoulders
I am emotionally resilient and can handle whatever comes my way.
I've got a love you can't imagine
I have deep affection and passion for someone or something.
Yeah, and what I got I double
I am grateful for what I have and want to keep it safe and secure.
I swear I'm keepin' out of trouble.
I am committed to avoiding any actions that could get me into trouble.
I'm lookin' for one new value
I want to find a new guiding principle or belief that will help me live a better life.
We live in the same world
Despite our differences, we are all part of the same human family.
But nothin' comes my way.
Although we share a world, I am still struggling to find purpose and meaning in my life.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: James Jr. Osterberg, Scott Troy Thurston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dee66daniel72
Tell Me A Story 2:48
New Values 2:36
Girls 2:57
I'm Bored 2:44
Don't Look Down 3:36
The Endless Sea 4:50
Five Foot One 4:28
How Do Ya Fix A Broken Part 2:52
Angel 3:33
Curiosity 2:26
African Man 3:33
Billy Is A Runaway 2:26
@jonasabry9099
Iggy is one of the Greatest Rock and Roll Legends of all Time. A Class Act.
@tamassas5618
Perfect music for hedgehogs who live in Central Park in a shanty town! Us all! Love this album! Peace
@christophermitton9276
I think this album and Soldier are highly underrated and deserve much more attention.
@gontierfrancois8115
Houston is hot tonight too
@marcburger8458
Absolute right
@volkerkorn754
I think you mean, Party
@rileycole2588
Soldier and especially new values are generally loved by iggy fans… party is underrated!! Not sure how everyone feels about zombie birdhouse but I love it. General public is a different matter, they don’t even know who iggy is usually
@josephmythen2753
Soldier is great. I bought it from a proper record store in the late 70's early 80's...was only distributed in Germany at the time. "I'm a conservative" one of my favorite's.
@SL-vi4tk
New Values - 1979... Soldier - 1980. 2 very good years for Iggy.
@gontierfrancois8115
Houston is hot tonight too