Kill City
Iggy pop and the Stoogees Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, I live here in kill city, where the debris meets the sea
I live here in kill city, where the debris meets the sea
It's a playground to the rich but it's a loaded gun to me

Well, I'm sick of keeping quiet and I am the wild boy
I'm sick of keeping quiet and I am the wild boy
But if I have to die here, first I'm gonna make some noise
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Turn that boy loose

Yeah, the scene is fascination, man and everything's for free
The scene is fascination, man and everything's for free
Until you wind up in some bathroom, overdosed and on your knees

Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up, turn the boy loose




Give it up, turn the boy loose
Give it up

Overall Meaning

The song "Kill City" by Iggy Pop and James Williamson is a reflection on the dangerous and destructive lifestyle of living in the city. The lyrics describe the city as a place where the wealth gap is stark, with the rich having access to the finer things in life while the poor struggle to survive. The line "It's a playground to the rich but it's a loaded gun to me" paints a picture of the city as a kind of trap, with its allure and promise of freedom masking the fact that it can be deadly and unforgiving.


The song's narrator is someone who has been caught up in this lifestyle, but is now ready to fight back. He declares himself the "wild boy" and vows to make noise before he dies. This could be interpreted as a call to action for others who are living similarly dangerous lives. The repeated line "Give it up, turn the boy loose" could be seen as a plea to society to give young people a chance to escape the cycle of poverty and addiction that keeps them trapped in the city.


Overall, "Kill City" is a powerful and unflinching look at the darker side of urban life, and a call to action for change.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, I live here in kill city, where the debris meets the sea
The singer resides in a place where trash and waste meet the ocean.


It's a playground to the rich but it's a loaded gun to me
While the wealthy might view the singer's home as a leisurely haven, it is hazardous for the singer.


Well, I'm sick of keeping quiet and I am the wild boy
The singer is fed up with being silent about their predicament and considers themselves an unabashed rebel.


But if I have to die here, first I'm gonna make some noise
If the artist's life must end here, they will cause a commotion before they go.


Give it up, turn the boy loose
An urgent plea to release the artist's constraints and allow them to live freely.


Yeah, the scene is fascination, man and everything's for free
The singer enjoys the captivating atmosphere where everything seems obtainable without cost.


Until you wind up in some bathroom, overdosed and on your knees
However, this alluring world can quickly spiral into a dangerous circumstance that leads the singer to find themselves overdosed and desperate.


Give it up, turn the boy loose
Repeated call to take off the shackles and liberate the artist.


Give it up, turn the boy loose
And again, another plea to free the artist.


Give it up, turn the boy loose
One more time, the artist demands their release to live independently.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES WILLIAMSON, JAMES NEWELL JR OSTERBERG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Voidette Null

It's such a good album definitely worth listening during hard times

Ralf Huwald

I like this album it's a jewel. Specially "I got nothing" and "night theme" are my favorit songs on it. Great work, I like it very much. I like Iggy and hear his sound since a very long time. This is a real Rock'n Roll album. 👍

NatoratorBiz

I absolutely love this! You know its vinyl when you hear all the little dynamics and pops😎Top #1 or #2 Iggy albums☠Thanks for posting this awesome green vinyl mix👽

Josh R.

I don't like using noise reduction, I'm a purist. Vinyl is vinyl and will have noise! glad you enjoyed :)

andrew westcott

I love the raw sound of 'Night theme'- definitely an album to revisit.

Vivian Stanshall

The best thing hes ever done
One of my favourite albums ever

MrSKINFLICK

Also one of my favourite albums ever !

Martin Blondel

Yes that’s true

CosmosNut

Amazing Album, made a huge impression when I first head it in the day, still love it

Josh R.

I really dig the original mix. The remix is nice, but I think the original vinyl captures the rawness of the music better. I can only imagine hearing this when it came out!!!!

More Comments

More Versions