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".
TV Screen
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not rushing through this time
In a bar where a fat lady reigns supreme
Come in and drink with a false name
In circus clothes forget their pain
They are the zombie bodies
Caught in the glow of the TV screen
Just forget it?
Forget it all
The TV screen
TV screen makes you feel small
No life at all
Now that you have turned it off
It's harder than you thought
No one wants to give a damn
Or even hear a thought
They rush from one fad to the next
You talk and it has no effect
You are the target for stars
And the planets on the TV screen
Just forget it?
Forget it all
The TV screen
TV screen makes you feel small
No life at all
Find a beautiful old street
Not rushing through this time
In a bar where a fat lady reigns supreme
Come in and drink with a false name
In circus clothes forget their pain
They are the zombie bodies
Caught in the glow of the TV screen
Just forget it?
Forget it all
The TV screen
TV screen makes you feel small
No life at all
Now that you have turned it off
It's harder than you thought
No one wants to give a damn
Or even hear a thought
They rush from one fad to the next
You talk and it has no effect
You are the target for stars
And the planets on the TV screen
Just forget it?
Forget it all
The TV screen
TV screen makes you feel small
No life at all
The lyrics of Iggy Pop’s song “TV Screen” explores themes of disillusionment, emptiness and the allure of escapism in a world characterized by the pervasive influence of mass media. Pop paints a picture of a world that is oppressive and subduing, with the TV screen acting as an all-encompassing force that distracts his audience from their pain and inner turmoil. The “beautiful old street” and the “bar where a fat lady reigns supreme” become symbols of escape, where one can forget their pain and become a part of a circus-like atmosphere that allows them to be someone else, in other words, being able to ignore the reality and the daily grind of their mundane existence.
Pop highlights how the TV screen is dehumanizing, making people feel small and insignificant. His line “They rush from one fad to the next” suggests that people have become easily swayable and lack critical thinking skills. This is glaringly evident, given the global trends of blindly following social media trends/fads without necessarily analyzing them. The song’s critical message is summed up in the line, “No one wants to give a damn or even hear a thought,” which suggests that people have become so consumed with the mundane aspects of their lives that they no longer care for anything beyond their scope.
In today’s society, where people rely heavily on the media to escape their realities, TV screen has become a ubiquitous part of daily life. The song, thus, can resonate with audiences on a personal level as Iggy Pop combines relatable and themes in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Find a beautiful old street
Take your time to discover something that you find visually appealing and charming.
Not rushing through this time
Don't hurry, and take your time with this experience.
In a bar where a fat lady reigns supreme
In a place where someone who exudes confidence and strength is in charge.
Come in and drink with a false name
Drink something you wouldn't normally, and pretend to be someone else while you're at it.
In circus clothes forget their pain
Wear your wildest outfit, and temporarily forget about the problems that have been bothering you.
They are the zombie bodies
People who have been zombified, hypnotized, or numbed by the action on the TV screen.
Caught in the glow of the TV screen
Sucked in and caught up in the TV screen's light or action.
Just forget it?
Is it best to forget the experience, or keep thinking about it?
Forget it all
Let it all go, and forget about everything.
TV screen makes you feel small
Watching the TV screen can make you feel insignificant or powerless.
No life at all
Sitting in front of the TV screen all day can result in a lack of fulfillment or purpose.
Now that you have turned it off
After turning off the TV screen, realizing that it's not as easy to let go of its effects as one might think.
It's harder than you thought
It's more difficult to detach from what was seen on the screen than one initially believed.
No one wants to give a damn
No one is concerned about or invested in what you're saying or thinking.
Or even hear a thought
People aren't even willing to listen to what you have to say.
They rush from one fad to the next
People are always hurrying from one trend or craze to another.
You talk and it has no effect
Your words aren't having any real impact or influence on those around you.
You are the target for stars
Celebrities or other famous people are trying to lure you in with their influence or allure.
And the planets on the TV screen
All the shiny, elevated, or glamorous things on screen that are beyond your reach or control.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: IGGY POP, GORAN BREGOVIC
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.