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".
Now I Wanna Be Your Dog
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in my room I want you here
And now we're gonna be face to face
And I'll lay right down in my favorite place
Yeah you know what that is
Now I want to be your dog
Now I want to be your dog
(C'mon) (I want to be your dog you know it)
Ooh give it to me
Now I'm ready to close my eyes
Yes now I'm ready to close my mind
Now I'm ready to feel your hands
Lose my heart on the burning sand
Now I want to be your dog
Now I want to be your dog
Now I want to be your dog
(C'mon) (I want to be your dog you know it)
Do it
Yeah that's right
So messed up I want you here
And in my room I want you here
And now we're gonna be face to face
And I'll lay right down in my favorite place
Yeah you know what that is
Now I want to be your dog
Now I want to be your dog
Now I want to be your dog
(C'mon) (I want to be your dog you know it)
Well come on
I'll be your dog
The song “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by Iggy Pop is a straightforward, primitive love song that borders on obsession. The lyrics are repetitive with only slight variation, so one can’t help the feeling of urgency and desperation. The singer seems to be in some sort of trance or state of mind where nothing else exists except his object of affection. He appears disoriented and out of touch with reality with the idea of wanting to be his lover’s dog, an animal that is completely submissive, loyal, and obedient to its master. The lines “So messed up I want you here, and in my room I want you here, and now we're gonna be face to face” suggest that he’s overcompensating for his emotional vulnerability by taking control of the situation physically.
The line “Now I’m ready to feel your hands, lose my heart on the burning sand” implies that the singer is no longer in control of his desires and is willing to succumb to his lover’s every whim, even if it causes him pain. The chorus is repeated three times throughout the song for emphasis, and with each repetition, the singer appears to become more and more frenetic, as if his animalistic impulses are overtaking him. In the end, he relinquishes all his power to his lover, volunteering to be her dog.
Line by Line Meaning
So messed up I want you here
I am emotionally damaged and I crave your presence to heal me
And in my room I want you here
I desire intimacy with you, within the private confines of my safe space
And now we're gonna be face to face
We will finally be in close proximity with each other
And I'll lay right down in my favorite place
I want to fully submit to you, surrendering myself in my happy place
Yeah you know what that is
I trust that you know what I need and where I feel most comfortable
Now I want to be your dog
I want to be completely submissive to you, following your every command
Ooh give it to me
I want to experience your physical touch
Now I'm ready to close my eyes
I am ready to let go of control and rely on you fully, trusting you blindly
Yes now I'm ready to close my mind
I am ready to shut off my thoughts and let you lead me
Now I'm ready to feel your hands
I am eager to feel your touch and let you take control
Lose my heart on the burning sand
I am willing to risk getting hurt and expose myself fully to you
Well come on
I am urging you to take action and make a move
I'll be your dog
I am completely devoted to you and willing to do whatever you want
Lyrics © DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dave Alexander, Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton
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.