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".
The Undefeated
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fussed over r in school
Fed and housed and entertained
Wanting to be cool
Summers in the grass
Winters warm and slow
Until the one thing on my mind was to just
Get up and go
We're the undefeated
We got what they want
We're so bored and spoiled
Life is just a bag of pot
We're the undefeated
TV in the shade
Girls at all our parties
We have really got it made
There's a real mean world outside
Where many lives are lost
But struggle builds character
And we are growing soft
I don't want to sit and watch no TV show
I want to roam and be challenged
I want to grow and grow
We're the undefeated
We got what they want
We're so fucking spoiled
Life is just a bag of pot
We're the undefeated
TV in the shade
Girls at all our parties
We have really got it made
What have we made?
A giant jail
A bunch of walls
That's all that we've made
Oh, my
We're the undefeated we got what they want
We're so bored and spoiled life is just a bag of pot
We're the undefeated we got what they want
We're so bored and spoiled life is just a bag of pot
We're the undefeated
Always undefeated
We're the undefeated
We're the undefeated,
Now
The lyrics of Iggy Pop's song "The Undefeated" reflect the feelings of a young person who has grown up in a privileged environment but has become disillusioned with the shallow, "spoiled" lifestyle that they are living. The first verse captures this sentiment with its lines about being "gently raised" and "wanting to be cool," juxtaposed with the realization that life is passing by without any true purpose or direction. The chorus reinforces this sense of frustration, with Iggy singing that despite their privilege, they are "bored and spoiled" and that life is "just a bag of pot" (suggesting that their experiences are shallow and lacking any real substance).
However, the song also contains a thread of hope, as Iggy recognizes that the outside world is full of challenges and struggles that can help build character and push people to grow. He expresses a desire to leave behind the comfort of his current situation and go out into the world to face these challenges and "grow and grow."
Overall, "The Undefeated" is a critique of a certain kind of privileged lifestyle, which can be characterized by emptiness and lack of direction. However, it is also a call to action, urging listeners to seek out challenges and push themselves to grow and develop beyond their current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I was gently raised
I had a comfortable upbringing
Fussed over r in school
I received special attention in school
Fed and housed and entertained
I was provided with all my basic needs and more
Wanting to be cool
I had a desire to fit in with popular culture
Summers in the grass
I spent carefree summers outdoors
Winters warm and slow
I had cozy, leisurely winters
Until the one thing on my mind was to just Get up and go
I eventually grew restless and wanted to leave my comfortable life behind
We're the undefeated
We feel invincible
We got what they want
People envy our privileged lifestyle
We're so bored and spoiled
We are unfulfilled despite having everything
Life is just a bag of pot
Our lives are empty and meaningless
TV in the shade
We enjoy lazy, leisurely activities
Girls at all our parties
We have no trouble attracting companionship
We have really got it made
We have achieved the ultimate level of privilege
There's a real mean world outside
The world can be harsh and unforgiving
Where many lives are lost
People suffer and die in the world
But struggle builds character
Facing adversity can make a person stronger
And we are growing soft
Our privileged lifestyle is making us weak
I don't want to sit and watch no TV show
I want to lead a more exciting and fulfilling life
I want to roam and be challenged
I desire adventure and personal growth
We're so fucking spoiled
We are excessively indulged
What have we made?
What have we accomplished?
A giant jail
Our privilege has trapped us
A bunch of walls
Our privilege has isolated us
That's all that we've made
We have not achieved anything meaningful
Always undefeated
We continue to feel invincible
Now
This is our reality
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JAMES OSTERBERG
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.