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".
Ugliness
Iggy Pop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ugly!
See'mon! Yeah! hey! all right
You got an ugly ass guy,
He got a problem with his dick.
You got a song with no soul,
He got an ugly bouzy house,
He got a girlfriend on T.V,
That girl's something,
He can't sing for shit.
And I'm trying to be a person,
But they all say I'm worthless.
I'm trying to be a person,
But they all make me nervous.
This is my description of an ugliness. [Repeat: x4]
Ugliness
Ugliness
Ugliness
You got a dog face chic,
With basketball tit's.
Porno sucks,
That's the truth of it.
You got a bunch of dumb fat guys,
In a wrestling uniform,
Trying to fake they're playing music,
They ought to be killed.
And I'm trying to be a person,
But they all say I'm worthless.
I'm trying to be a person,
But they all say I'm worthless.
This is my description of an ugliness. [Repeat: x5]
Ugliness
They got the chics,
The money cars and all, but they ain't got no motherfuckin' balls.
They got the chics,
The money cars and all, but they ain't got no motherfuckin' balls.
They got a fungus on their dick,
They got bald heads and tupees,
They're in total control,
Total fucking control,
They're even parked in my space.
You got a song with no soul,
No truth no love.
Because the music sucks,
That's why little kids blow up.
Everybody needs a gun,
To express feelings,
That should be expressed by a real musician
And I'm trying to be a person,
But they all say I'm worthless.
I'm trying to be a person,
But they all say I'm worthless.
This is my description of an ugliness. [Repeat: x4]
Ugliness
Ugliness
Ugliness
They got the car the money house and all,
But they ain't got no motherfuckin' balls.
You see the cocksuckers on MTV,
And they ain't even got a good CD.
Ugliness [Repeat: x4]
The lyrics to Iggy Pop's song Ugliness are a scathing critique of contemporary culture, in which he denounces the shallowness, greed, and lack of authenticity of modern society. Iggy Pop starts off by attacking an ugly man who has problems with both his body and his ability to perform. He then moves on to a woman with a "dog face" and large breasts who appears in pornography. Next, he derides a group of overweight men in wrestling uniforms who try to pass themselves off as musicians.
Iggy Pop expresses his frustration with society's inability to recognize true talent, and his own struggle to be recognized as a worthy person. The repeated lines "I'm trying to be a person, but they all say I'm worthless" emphasize his feelings of isolation and rejection. Pop also references violence, stating that people resort to using guns to express emotions that should be conveyed through music.
The song ultimately argues that modern society is plagued by ugliness, which is characterized by a lack of talent, authenticity, and concern for others. Through his lyrics, Iggy Pop challenges listeners to reject this ugliness and strive for a better way of living.
Line by Line Meaning
Ugly!
Introducing the song and setting the tone of the theme: ugliness.
See'mon! Yeah! hey! all right
Urging the listener to pay attention as the lyrics begin, while adding an element of excitement.
You got an ugly ass guy,
There is a physically unappealing man in the picture being described, which contributes to the ugliness theme.
He got a problem with his dick.
The man mentioned earlier has a genital-related issue, further emphasizing his physical ugliness.
You got a song with no soul,
There is music being created, but it lacks depth and authenticity, making it spiritually ugly.
Fucking don't mean a thing.
Sexual activities are being engaged in, but they are empty and do not provide any value or satisfaction.
He got an ugly bouzy house,
There is a home being occupied, but it is unattractive and reflects a materialistic and shallow lifestyle.
He got a girlfriend on T.V,
A woman is being displayed for entertainment purposes, but she is superficial and lacks qualities beyond her appearance.
That girl's something,
Despite her superficiality, the woman being seen on television has a magnetic quality to her that is worth acknowledging.
He can't sing for shit.
A person is attempting to make music, but they are terrible at it and do not have a natural talent for it.
And I'm trying to be a person,
The singer is attempting to become a better and more evolved individual themselves, setting an example for others.
But they all say I'm worthless.
Despite the effort being put forth by the artist, others are dismissing and rejecting their progress and growth.
This is my description of an ugliness. [Repeat: x4] Ugliness Ugliness Ugliness
Repeating the core theme of the song and underscoring the concept of ugliness in various forms.
You got a dog face chic,
A woman with unattractive facial features is being described, continuing the theme of physical ugliness.
With basketball tit's.
Despite the dog-face of the aforementioned woman, they have unusually large breasts, juxtaposing elements of beauty and ugliness.
Porno sucks, That's the truth of it.
Pornography is being criticized and condemned for being an ugly and degrading medium, devoid of any real artistic value.
You got a bunch of dumb fat guys,
A group of overweight and unintelligent men are present in this scene, adding to the ugliness theme through their physical and perhaps emotional state.
In a wrestling uniform,
These unfit men are wearing attire that does not complement their bodies or project a respectable image, contributing to the ugliness.
Trying to fake they're playing music,
These men are pretending to create music, but their efforts are unconvincing and artificial - a shallow and ugly display.
They ought to be killed.
The artist holds a violent and extreme opinion about the men, who represent an ugly and dishonest expression of art.
They got the chics, The money cars and all, but they ain't got no motherfuckin' balls.
A critique of the false sense of power and esteem that some individuals gain through the possession of superficial items, as opposed to genuine integrity and strength.
They got a fungus on their dick, They got bald heads and tupees,
Further emphasizing the physical ugliness of these men, through the presence of fungal growths and poorly disguised baldness.
They're in total control, Total fucking control, They're even parked in my space.
This is an addition to the previous verse, describing the offending group as also gaining dominance over spaces that are not theirs logically or ethically.
No truth no love. Because the music sucks,
Emphasizing that the music being created by these men is ugly because it lacks real emotion or meaning, as well as vocal and instrumental talent.
That's why little kids blow up.
This line posits that children act out violently because they are subject to an ugliness in society, beyond their control or understanding.
Everybody needs a gun, To express feelings, That should be expressed by a real musician
This line critiques the notion that violence is a means of expression, which it is not. Only authentic and talented artists have the ability to truly express and convey their emotions.
This is my description of an ugliness. [Repeat: x4] Ugliness Ugliness Ugliness
Restates the core theme of the song and reasserts the detrimental effects of ugliness on society, as well as the aspiration to rise above it and create something meaningful.
They got the car the money house and all, But they ain't got no motherfuckin' balls.
Recapitulating the opposing elements of material wealth versus personal character, suggesting that the former cannot compensate for the lack of the latter.
You see the cocksuckers on MTV, And they ain't even got a good CD.
Critiquing the musicians and performers displayed on a popular music channel as undeserving of their fame and commercial success, as they do not produce any good or meaningful content.
Ugliness [Repeat: x4]
Reiterates the overarching theme, encapsulating the entirety of the song and its commentary on various forms of image, behavior, and society.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IGGY POP, WHITEY KIRST, WHITNEY 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.