The Heartbreakers were a punk rock group formed in New York in May 1975 by … Read Full Bio ↴The Heartbreakers were a punk rock group formed in New York in May 1975 by Johnny Thunders (vocals/guitar) and Jerry Nolan (drums), who had just quit the New York Dolls, and Richard Hell (vocals/bass), who left Television the same week. After a few shows, they added Walter Lure (vocals/guitar), who had played with a group called the Demons. In 1976, Hell tried to persuade Nolan and Lure to kick Thunders out, but Nolan was too close with Johnny and kicked Hell out instead. He was replaced by Billy Rath, who, according to legend, was a gigolo. Hell went on to form Richard Hell and the Voidoids.

Arriving just as the UK punk scene was building momentum, the Heartbreakers developed a following playing in and around London. The Sex Pistols invited them to open on the ill fated Anarchy Tour. They shortly signed up with Track Records. Their debut--and only--studio album, L.A.M.F., featured all the Heartbreakers' popular live songs. The release of the album put a huge strain on the band because of anger among some band members over the poor quality of the mix. Several members left at this point. The band reformed in 1979 for a few farewell shows at Max’s Kansas City with drummer Ty Stix filling in for Nolan. The result was the live album Live at Max's Kansas City '79, considered a punk classic.

The band re-formed occasionally to play at New York clubs (and for a sold out show at The Lyceum in London, England in 1984) until the death of Thunders in 1991 of a supposed methadone overdose. The facts remain unclear: Johnny's passport and money were missing. The coroner's report said no alcohol was in his bloodstream, though many witnesses say Johnny was drinking the night before with people that he had just met. He was 38 years old. Jerry Nolan died of a stroke a few months later at age 40.

Live shows often consisted of songs performed with the New York Dolls or taken from Thunders' solo career. Richard Hell rarely plays music live, concentrating instead on writing and spoken word performances. Billy Rath's whereabouts are currently unknown, leading to various rumors such as that he died or became a priest. Walter Lure still performs about once a month with his band the Waldos, playing mostly Heartbreakers songs. The influence of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers is still noticeable today in many punk rock bands. Johnny Thunders solo work is mainly made up of live albums, although he recorded the critical success So Alone in 1978 and Que Sera Sera in 1985. He often worked with Patti Paladin of the band Snatch and they recorded an album of covers, Copycats in 1987.

All By Myself
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't want to talk too much
I just want to get to you
I don't want to see you there
I just want to get you there

All by myself
Not everybody else

I don't need no wedding hall
I just watch your roller ball
Forget your friends and what they do
I got to get inside of you

I don't need society
To open up my life for me
I don't need no audience
To shoot you in my cunning sense

I don't think you understand
What's that dripping in your hand

All the things you thought you do
You finally met your Waterloo

Overall Meaning

At its core, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers' song All by Myself is a carnal and hedonistic expression of desire. The lyrics are filled with bold declarations of wanting to be alone with the object of the singer's desire, with a need so powerful that it doesn't require the trappings of society or even the company of others. The repetition of "I don't" in the song serves to reinforce this sense of individuality and detachment. In a way, the singer is rejecting the conformity and expectations of society and instead seeking to satisfy his own desires, without any interference or judgment.

The lyrics oscillate between moments of boldness and vulnerability. While the singer is assertive and confident in his desires, he also seems to be begging for the listener's attention, pleading with them to understand what he's feeling. The final lines, "All the things you thought you do / You finally met your Waterloo" suggest a sort of triumph over his desire, a sense that the singer has finally achieved what he wanted, but at a cost.

Overall, the lyrics of All by Myself are suggestive and erotic, but there's also a sense of loneliness and desperation that underlies them. The singer is seeking to connect deeply and intimately with someone, but it's unclear whether or not he's successful in that endeavor.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't want to talk too much
I desire to avoid long discussions

I just want to get to you
I merely yearn to reach you

I don't want to see you there
I don't aim to encounter you in that environment

I just want to get you there
I just aspire to take you with me

All by myself
Completely unaccompanied

Not everybody else
Excluding everyone else

I don't need no wedding hall
I have no requirement for a wedding venue

I just watch your roller ball
I watch you dance

Forget your friends and what they do
Ignore your pals and their actions

I got to get inside of you
I passionately desire to be closer to you

I don't need society
I don't necessitate societal acceptance