Kay Hanley (born September 11, 1968) is an American alternative rock musici… Read Full Bio ↴Kay Hanley (born September 11, 1968) is an American alternative rock musician. She is known as the vocalist for the band Letters to Cleo.

Hanley was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She was a member of Letters to Cleo from 1990 to 2000 (the length of the band's existence). She came up with the band's name (she had a pen pal named Cleo when she was younger). In 1997, she started to work on other projects than the band, starting with a role in the Boston Rock Opera's performance of Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene.

In 1999, Hanley made a cameo as herself in the film 10 Things I Hate about You, singing a cover version of Nick Lowe's "Cruel to be Kind" at the movie characters' high school prom. Towards the end of Letters to Cleo's career, she began performing with her husband and fellow Letters to Cleo member Michael Eisenstein outside of the band. Around the same time, she gave birth to their daughter, Zoe.

Starting her own solo career, Hanley started doing music for the cartoon Generation O. She also provided the singing voice for Rachael Leigh Cook's character Josie in the movie Josie and the Pussycats. In 2002, she released her first solo album, Cherry Marmalade. That same year, she appeared on the Dropkick Murphys/Face to Face split cd, providing guest vocals on the original version of the Dropkick Murphys song "The Dirty Glass". She also performed the song "Follow Me" for the video game Sonic Heroes in 2003. In 2004 she released a follow up to Cherry Marmalade, The Babydoll EP. She is very involved with the Boston based charity "Hot Stove, Cool Music." She is currently in the Los Angeles-based girl band, The Dilettantes, with New York native Michelle Lewis. In 2004, she and her husband Michael Eisenstein had their second child, Henry Aaron, the name given in honor of baseball player Hank Aaron and their love for baseball.

In August 2005, Hanley announced on her website's message board that she would be recording a cover of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" for the soundtrack of the Reese Witherspoon film Just Like Heaven In September 2005, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as part of a pretaped man-on-the-street segment, singing a song about falling in love at Starbucks.

The internet radio station KGRL featured her as their Flower-Powered Artist for September of 2006. The feature includes an exclusive interview, CD Review of Cherry Marmalade, Review of Babydoll EP, and an on-demand video stream of the whole Hotel Cafe performance last July 2006.

She's also quite popular with fans of the New England Patriots, as every time she has sung the National Anthem for them at Gillette Stadium the Patriots have won. She has sung eight times as of January 2007 with as many wins, including the only home playoff games for the Patriots in 2006 and 2007.

She sings the main theme song for My Friends Tigger and Pooh, a half-hour Disney Channel TV show that premiered on Playhouse Disney on May 12, 2007 and "We Are The Care Bears" from Care Bears: Oopsy Does It!.

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, Hanley sang a song called "Caring Changes The World" in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Care Bears Float. Hanley toured as a back up singer with Miley Cyrus on her Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus : Best of Both Worlds Tour.

Lust For Life
Kay Hanley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here comes Johnny in again
With liquor and drugs
And a fast machine
He's gonna do another strip tease.

Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion?
I've been hurting since I'm up again
With something called love

Yeah, something called love.
Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.

Well, I'm just a modern girl
Of course, I've had it in the ear before.
I have a lust for life
'Cause I've a lust for life.

I'm worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a GTO
Wear a uniform
On a government loan.

I'm worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With liquor and drugs
With liquor and drugs.

Well, I'm just a modern girl
Of course, I've had it in my ear before
Well, I've a lust for life (lust for life)
'Cause I've a lust for life (lust for life, oooo)
I've got a lust for life (oooo)
Got a lust for life (oooo)
Oh, a lust for life (oooo)
Oh, a lust for life (oooo)
A lust for life (oooo)
I got a lust for life (oooo)
Got a lust for life.

Well, I'm just a modern girl
Of course, I've had it in my ear before
Well, I've a lust for life
'Cause I've a lust for life.

Well, here comes Johnny in again
With liquor and drugs
And a fast machine
I know he's gonna do another strip tease.
Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the game
With something called love
Love, love, love
Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.

Well, I'm just a modern girl
Of course, I've had it in the ear before
And I've a lust for life (lust for life)
'Cause I've a lust for life (lust for life)
Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
A lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life

Lust for life
Lust for life

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kay Hanley's song Lust for Life describe the reckless, hedonistic lifestyle of the singer who enjoys living on the edge of danger and thrill. Here comes Johnny, the enigmatic character who embodies this lifestyle, with his fast machine, liquor, and drugs. He is going to perform yet another strip tease, which is a representation of the singer's and Johnny's sexually charged life.

The singer reveals her yearning for love, which she equates to hypnotizing chickens - something that is both mesmerizing and pointless. She is a modern girl who has experienced love before, and her lust for life is driven by it. The singer believes that she is worth a million in prizes and that her life is a torture film. She drives a GTO and wears uniform on a government loan. She has had enough of a life with liquor, drugs, and sleeping on the sidewalk. However, her desire for thrill and a fast-paced life persists.

In summary, Lust for Life is a song about living life on the edge, leading a hedonistic lifestyle, and yearning for love, despite the dangers that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Here comes Johnny in again With liquor and drugs And a fast machine He's gonna do another strip tease.
Johnny is back with his usual dangerous and wild behavior, accompanied by substances and a fast car. He is going to perform another striptease, which references his recklessness and disregard for rules.

Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion? I've been hurting since I'm up again With something called love Yeah, something called love. Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.
The singer is asking about the lotion, while expressing her pain and confusion caused by something called love. She compares it to hypnotizing chickens, which suggests that her feelings are out of her control and irrational.

Well, I'm just a modern girl Of course, I've had it in the ear before. I have a lust for life 'Cause I've a lust for life.
The singer identifies herself as a modern girl who has experienced similar situations before. She has a strong desire and passion for life, which drives her actions and choices.

I'm worth a million in prizes With my torture film Drive a GTO Wear a uniform On a government loan.
The artist values herself highly and has achieved success and recognition for her work in a torture film. She drives a luxurious car and wears a uniform, but ironically relies on a government loan to support her lifestyle.

I'm worth a million in prizes Yeah, I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk No more beating my brains No more beating my brains With liquor and drugs With liquor and drugs.
The artist has reached a point in her life where she is no longer struggling and sleeping on the street. She decides to stop hurting herself and numbing her thoughts with substances like alcohol and drugs.

Well, I'm just a modern girl Of course, I've had it in my ear before Well, I've a lust for life (lust for life) 'Cause I've a lust for life (lust for life, oooo) I've got a lust for life (oooo) Got a lust for life (oooo) Oh, a lust for life (oooo) Oh, a lust for life (oooo) A lust for life (oooo) I got a lust for life (oooo) Got a lust for life.
The chorus repeats the singer's strong desire to live and experience life to the fullest. She embraces her lust for life and celebrates it.

Well, here comes Johnny in again With liquor and drugs And a fast machine I know he's gonna do another strip tease. Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion? Your skin starts itching once you buy the game With something called love Love, love, love Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.
The song ends where it started, highlighting the cyclical nature of life. Johnny appears again with his old habits and actions, while the singer asks about the lotion and compares love to something that is beyond her control, like hypnotizing chickens.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie, Iggy Pop

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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