Cold Turkey
Lenny Kravitz Lyrics


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Temperature's rising
Fever is high
Can't see no future
Can't see no sky

My feet are so heavy
So is my head
I wish I was a baby
I wish I was dead

Cold turkey has got me on the run

My body is aching
Goose-pimple bone
Can't see no body
Leave me alone

My eyes are wide open
Can't get to sleep
One thing I'm sure of
I'm in at the deep freeze

Cold turkey has got me on the run

Cold turkey has got me on the run

Thirty-six hours
Rolling in pain
Praying to someone
Free me again

Oh I'll be a good boy
Please make me well
I promise you anything
Get me out of this hell

Cold turkey has got me on the run
Cold turkey
Cold turkey




Got me on the run
Cold turkey

Overall Meaning

In Lenny Kravitz’s song Cold Turkey, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the agony of withdrawal. The singer describes his current state with the first line, “Temperature’s rising, fever is high”. We feel his desperation with “Can’t see no future, can’t see no sky”. The heaviness of his body and head is expressed in the next line, “My feet are so heavy, so is my head”. The chorus gives us the most powerful imagery, comparing his withdrawal symptoms to a state of being in a “deep freeze”.


He pleads with someone to “Free me again” and says that he’ll do anything if he can get out of the hell he’s in. The repetition of “Cold turkey has got me on the run” reinforces the feelings of being trapped, on the run from the pain, and powerless in the face of his addiction. The song ends with the repetition of “Cold turkey”, as if the singer is screaming out the phrase in agony.


Kravitz’s interpretation of Cold Turkey is emotional and powerful. Many people can relate to the pain and despair that comes from detaching from dependency. In this song, Kravitz has expressed the agony of withdrawal so viscerally that anyone who has ever experienced it can’t help but feel his pain.


Line by Line Meaning

Temperature's rising
I'm feeling hot and feverish


Fever is high
My body temperature is very high


Can't see no future
I can't imagine what my future holds


Can't see no sky
I feel trapped and hopeless, like there is no escape


My feet are so heavy
I feel weighed down and unable to move


So is my head
I feel mentally exhausted and overwhelmed


I wish I was a baby
I wish I didn't have to deal with the pain and stress of withdrawal


I wish I was dead
The physical and emotional pain is so intense that I would rather not exist


Cold turkey has got me on the run
I am struggling to cope with the withdrawal symptoms of quitting cold turkey


My body is aching
My muscles and bones are sore and hurting


Goose-pimple bone
I have chills and my bones feel cold


Can't see no body
I feel disconnected from my body and the world around me


Leave me alone
I need to be left to deal with the pain on my own


My eyes are wide open
I am unable to sleep because of the pain and discomfort


Can't get to sleep
I am unable to find any relief or rest


One thing I'm sure of
The one thing I know for certain is that I am suffering


I'm in at the deep freeze
I am trapped in a state of intense pain and discomfort


Thirty-six hours
I have been dealing with withdrawal symptoms for over a day


Rolling in pain
I am in so much pain that I can't stop moving and writhing


Praying to someone
I am desperate and pleading for someone to help me


Free me again
I want to be free from the suffering of withdrawal


Oh I'll be a good boy
I am willing to do anything to make the pain stop


Please make me well
I am begging for relief from the symptoms of withdrawal


I promise you anything
I am willing to make any promise to be rid of the pain


Get me out of this hell
I am trapped in a state of agony and I need to escape


Cold turkey
Going cold turkey is the abrupt and difficult process of quitting a dependency or addiction




Lyrics © Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN WINSTON LENNON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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