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".
Shades
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The paper was blue and green
I unwrapped it with pleasure
These are the best shades I've ever seen
You can be my girlfriend
Forever and a day
I never thought I was worth much
Or that anyone would treat me this way
[Chorus:]
I'm not
The kind of guy
Who dresses like a king
And a really fine pair of shades
Means everything
And the light that blinds my eyes
Shines from you
It makes me come in the night
It makes me swim with delight
I like this pain
I like this mirror
I like these shades
I could have had a problem
I might have never followed through
The other guys are in trouble
They wouldn't listen to a girl like you
These shades say something
I'll bet they cost a lot
I hope I don't break 'em
I hope we don't break up
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Iggy Pop's "Shades" are a testament to the power of unconditional love and how it can transform us into the best version of ourselves. The song starts off with the singer receiving a pair of shades from his girlfriend. The shades are not just any regular pair of sunglasses, they are the best pair he has ever seen. This moment represents the love and care that his girlfriend has for him, a kind of love that he never thought he was worthy of receiving. With these shades, he finally feels like a king and realizes that sometimes it's the little things that can have the biggest impact on our self-esteem.
The chorus goes on to describe how the singer is not the type of guy who dresses like a king, but these shades mean everything to him. They represent the light that shines from his girlfriend and the joy that she brings into his life. The pain that he describes is not a negative one, but rather a reflection of the intense emotion that he feels for his girlfriend. He likes the person he is when he's with her and these shades serve as a reminder of that feeling.
The final few lines of the song are a nod to the fear of losing this newfound love. He hopes that he doesn't break the shades, but more importantly, he hopes that they don't break up. He understands the value of the relationship and how much it means to him, and he doesn't want to lose it.
Overall, "Shades" is a love song that celebrates the power of unconditional love and how it can transform us into the best version of ourselves. It's a song about self-discovery, and how sometimes all it takes is a small gesture of love to remind us of our worth.
Line by Line Meaning
You gave me a present
You surprised me with a gift
The paper was blue and green
The wrapping paper had a blue-green color
I unwrapped it with pleasure
I enjoyed opening the gift
These are the best shades I've ever seen
These sunglasses are the most impressive ones I've come across
You can be my girlfriend
I would like you to be my romantic partner
Forever and a day
For eternity and beyond
I never thought I was worth much
I never believed I had much value
Or that anyone would treat me this way
Or that anyone would treat me with kindness and affection
I'm not
I am not
The kind of guy
The type of person
Who dresses like a king
Who dresses extravagantly
And a really fine pair of shades
And an excellent pair of sunglasses
Means everything
Is extremely important
And the light that blinds my eyes
And the brightness that overwhelms my vision
Shines from you
Comes from you
It makes me come in the night
It arouses me sexually in the evening
It makes me swim with delight
It fills me with happiness and excitement
I like this pain
I enjoy this emotional distress
I like this mirror
I am fond of this reflection
I like these shades
I appreciate these sunglasses
I could have had a problem
I might have encountered an issue
I might have never followed through
I might have not pursued something to the end
The other guys are in trouble
Other men are having difficulties
They wouldn't listen to a girl like you
They disregarded advice from a woman like you
These shades say something
These sunglasses are indicative of something
I'll bet they cost a lot
I am willing to wager that they were very expensive
I hope I don't break 'em
I hope I do not damage them
I hope we don't break up
I hope our relationship does not end
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, NEWELL JR OSTERBERG JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jello Biafra
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
I never saw this video before.
Great Stuff!
'Iggy-the-court-jester' is there.
'Iggy-the-scary-monster' is missing.
(The New) 'Iggy-the-reg.-guy' is there.
This is one of my fav songs off that album.
Supposedly, a (rehab) 'return-to-form' after yet another journey to the abyss.
Hey, I dug EVERYTHING prior!
Even the weirdest stuff off 'Zom. BH'.
It was still heartening to see The Igster rise from the ashes once again!
Peace. Stay Healthy!
- Dave B.
rod dor
Love this period. Amazing album. One of my favorite songs. Thanks Iggy & Bowie for this gem.
Carlos Alberto Levermann
"Saudade", in brazilian portuguese.
Regina Celia
Beautiful voice, great singer. We love you, iggy.
lefteris georgiou
Iggy Pop is a King 👑! Greetings from Athens Greece!
Jay Winter
Iggy is still rocking in 2023 😎👍
RC Productions
Absolutely one of my fave Iggy tracks. Didn't realize it had a video. Nice and direct, just like the lyric.
Reinaldo Oliveira
saudades do tempo que ouvíamos músicas de alta qualidade,viva Iggy pop
David Hovey
Iggy is such a fascinating visual artist as well.. one moment this look of danger.. then he smiles and all is forgiven.. I cannot explain it... just always got that vibe...
Eva MG
Fantastic song. Blah-blah-blah is one of my favorites! ❤️
turuntash the boo
Great, great album where finally everyone could hear his woow voice in real and full beauty!!!