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".
Pretty Flamingo
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You locked the door on me so I crawled in your window
Ooo
Ooo, pretty young flamingo
I, I will protect you
And you, you are so worth protecting
Ooo
You'll never be cold flamingo
You'll never grow old flamingo
You my pretty flamingo
Flamingo I'm right on the brink
So what do you think?
Can I buy you a drink?
You're built like a willow
I ?
So when I undress you
I peek in your window
They want to look in your window
'Cause your a pretty flamingo
Ooo, pretty young flamingo
The song "Pretty Flamingo" by Iggy Pop talks about someone's obsession with a female named 'Pretty Flamingo.' The flamboyant lyrics of the song depict the person's attraction towards the girl and his attempt to win her attention. The first verse of the song talks about the singer sneaking into the girl's house through the window after she locked the door on him. The second verse implies the person's possessiveness over the girl and his desire to protect her from any harm. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Pretty young flamingo," further emphasizing his admiration and attraction towards her.
The singer doesn't shy away from expressing his intentions, as the third verse of the song talks about his desire to undress the girl and peek into her window. The song's lyrics also mention other people's desires to look into her window, suggesting that the girl is someone who garners attention effortlessly. The song ends with the singer asking the girl if he can buy her a drink, further indicating his attempt to get to know her better. The song paints a picture of someone's infatuation with a girl who is both desirable and out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooo, pretty flamingo
Iggy Pop is complimenting the girl he is singing about, calling her a beautiful flamingo.
You locked the door on me so I crawled in your window
The girl may have rejected Iggy Pop, but he was willing to do anything to get close to her, even if it meant sneaking in through her window.
Ooo
Iggy Pop is simply expressing his emotions through this sound, and it does not have a specific meaning.
Ooo, pretty young flamingo
Similarly to the first line, Iggy Pop continues to compliment the girl by calling her a pretty, young flamingo.
I, I will protect you
Iggy Pop wants to be there for the girl he likes and make sure she is safe.
And you, you are so worth protecting
He believes that the girl is someone who deserves protection and care, which is why he is so willing to offer it.
You'll never be cold flamingo
Iggy Pop wants to make sure the girl he likes is always comfortable and taken care of, promising that she will never be cold.
You'll never grow old flamingo
Another promise from Iggy Pop to take care of the girl, ensuring that she will never grow old and that he will always make her feel young and vibrant.
You my pretty flamingo
Iggy Pop wants the girl to know that he finds her irresistible and that he is completely infatuated with her.
Flamingo I'm right on the brink
Iggy Pop is feeling like he is on the edge, suggesting that the girl he likes is making him feel vulnerable and exposed.
So what do you think?
Iggy Pop wants to know what the girl thinks of him, whether or not she feels the same way he does.
Can I buy you a drink?
Iggy Pop is hoping to get closer to the girl by offering to buy her a drink.
You're built like a willow
Iggy Pop is admiring the girl's slender and graceful physique, comparing her to the flexible and graceful branches of a willow tree.
I ?
This line is a bit unclear and difficult to determine the meaning of. It could simply be Iggy Pop stumbling over his words or trailing off as he becomes distracted by his own thoughts.
So when I undress you
Iggy Pop is imagining being intimate with the girl he likes, picturing himself undressing her.
I peek in your window
Iggy Pop continues the theme of sneaking into the girl's window, suggesting that he wants to watch her even when she doesn't know he's there.
They want to look in your window
Iggy Pop is acknowledging that other people may be just as infatuated with the girl as he is, and that they may be watching her from afar.
'Cause your a pretty flamingo
Iggy Pop is once again complimenting the girl's beauty and grace, suggesting that others are drawn to her for the same reason he is.
Ooo, pretty young flamingo
Iggy Pop concludes the song by repeating his initial compliments, declaring once again how beautiful and desirable the girl is to him.
Contributed by Eva R. 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.