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".
SAVIOR
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you like him or turn him away,
Would he have a girlfriend with a thong,
Or a boy group singing dumb ass songs.
Would he be a rapper with a gun,
Or a bugger building steel buns.
If the savior was crucified to lose
What's the difference?
Get me outta here [Repeat: x4]
Watch me walk on water
Watch me walk on water
Watch me walk on water
Before they
Put me in a box
We Should have never
Gotten another break,
Praying is an art for it's own sake,
Would he have a pair of Gucci shoes
With a pitbull
Get me outta here [Repeat: x4]
Watch me walk on water
Watch me walk away on water
Watch me walk on water
Get me outta here [Repeat: x7]
Watch me walk on water
Watch me walk away on water
Watch me walk on water
The lyrics of Iggy Pop's song Savior seem to be a commentary on the current state of society's obsession with fame, materialism, and superficiality. The song opens with the question: "If the savior came again today, would you like him or turn him away?" suggesting that even if the ultimate savior were to appear in the world, he would not be accepted by society due to his lack of conformity to conventional norms. The lyrics further speculate whether the savior would have a girlfriend with a thong or be a boy group singing dumb songs, implying that society expects its idols to be attractive, sexualized, and shallow. The lines "Would he be a rapper with a gun, or a bugger building steel buns" continue this notion, as they suggest that society values the outward appearance of success and power over authentic and worthwhile qualities.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Watch me walk on water" three times, with a final line "Before they put me in a box". This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the pressure to conform and fit into societal expectations before one dies and is put in a box, representing the grave. The song ends with the repeated phrase "get me outta here", which can be seen as a desperate plea to escape the constraints and expectations of society and find true freedom and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
If The savior came again today,
If Jesus appeared in person today,
Would you like him or turn him away,
Would you accept him or reject him,
Would he have a girlfriend with a thong,
Would he have a partner dressed scandalously,
Or a boy group singing dumb ass songs.
Or surround himself with a group of untalented singers.
Would he be a rapper with a gun,
Would he be a violent rapper,
Or a bugger building steel buns.
Or a weightlifter focused on building muscle.
If the savior was crucified to lose
If Jesus was crucified to fail,
What's the difference?
Would it really matter?
Watch me walk on water
See me do the impossible,
Before they Put me in a box
Before I die and am confined to a coffin.
We Should have never Gotten another break,
We should never have been given another chance.
Praying is an art for it's own sake,
Praying should be done for its own purpose.
Would he have a pair of Gucci shoes With a pitbull
Would he have expensive shoes and a fierce dog.
Get me outta here [Repeat: x4]
I want to escape or leave this place.
Watch me walk away on water
Observe me leave effortlessly, like walking on water.
Watch me walk on water
See me do the impossible.
Get me outta here [Repeat: x7]
I need to escape or leave this place urgently.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Iggy Pop, Whitey Kirst
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.