Louie Louie
Iggy Pop the stooges Lyrics

The lyrics of "Louie Louie" by Iggy Pop and The Stooges, although seeming simple at first, evoke a feeling of longing, wanderlust and love. The singer is torn between his need to leave and the love he's leaving behind. The repeated lines of "Louie Louie, oh no, me gotta go" act as a reminder of what he's leaving behind and what he's longing for. He's enticed by the idea of a "fine little girl" waiting for him, but is also afraid of not making it back home.

The song plays like a sailor's lament, with the repetitive verse structure and the emphasis on being at sea. The sailor spends three days and nights at sea, constantly thinking of the girl he left behind. In his dreams, he imagines her scent and holds onto the possibility of being reunited. In the final verse, the singer is in Jamaica and sees the moon above, signaling that he may finally be with his love again. The urgency of the repeated "Let's go!" at the end of the song suggests that the singer has finally found what he's been looking for and is ready to move on to the next part of his journey.