Leslie West (born Leslie Weinstein on 22 October 1945; died 22 December 20… Read Full Bio ↴Leslie West (born Leslie Weinstein on 22 October 1945; died 22 December 2020) was an American rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Mountain. He also produced two studio albums and a live release with Cream bassist Jack Bruce under the name West, Bruce and Laing. West released a number of solo albums and was highly respected for his guitar work.

West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.

West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.

In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.

West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.

Allergic
Leslie West Lyrics

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Some women make me weak in the knees
When I'm near you I start to sneeze
Went to the Doctor told him what I got
Threw up his hands and he gave me a shot

I'm allergic
I'm allergic to your touch
I'm allergic baby

Don't get me wrong I like you too much

You're easy on the eyes it's plain to see
Only from a distance don't get near me
When you first come up to me I fell so alive
Next thing I know I'm breaking out in hives

I'm allergic
I'm allergic to your touch
I'm allergic baby
Don't get me wrong woman I like you too much

I've tried everything from thyme to jungle root

But I break out when I get next to you

It's like you press the button on my remote
I get a little scratchy in my throat
My eyes start to water and I feel like cryin
It sounds unlikely but I ain't lyin'

I'm allergic
I'm allergic to your touch (to your touch)
I'm allergic baby
Don't get me wrong woman I like you too much

I'm allergic, allergic baby
I'm allergic to your touch
I'm allergic baby I'm allergic
Don't get me wrong woman I like you too much

I'm allergic
I'm allergic baby

Overall Meaning

The song "Allergic" by Leslie West is a blues rock song that tells the story of a man who is physically allergic to a woman he is attracted to. The lyrics describe the man's physical reactions to being near the woman, which include sneezing, breaking out in hives, and feeling scratchy in his throat. He becomes frustrated by his inability to be close to her, despite his attraction to her.

The song can be interpreted in a few different ways. One interpretation is that the allergic reaction is a metaphor for the man's fear of intimacy, and his physical symptoms are a representation of the emotional discomfort he feels when he gets too close to someone. Another interpretation is that the allergic reaction is a physical manifestation of the man's desire for the woman, and his body's response to being near her is beyond his control.

Overall, the song is a unique take on the theme of unrequited love, and the use of the allergic reaction as a metaphor adds an interesting layer to the lyrics. The bluesy guitar riff and Leslie West's gravelly voice add to the song's overall mood of frustration and longing.

Line by Line Meaning

Some women make me weak in the knees
I find some women attractive

When I'm near you I start to sneeze
But when I'm near you, I have an allergic reaction

Went to the Doctor told him what I got
I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms

Threw up his hands and he gave me a shot
But he didn't have a cure, so he gave me a shot

I'm allergic
I have an allergy

I'm allergic to your touch
And I'm allergic to your touch in particular

Don't get me wrong I like you too much
But that doesn't change how much I like you

You're easy on the eyes it's plain to see
You're attractive, I can see that

Only from a distance don't get near me
But I can only admire you from afar, don't come too close

When you first come up to me I fell so alive
When you first approached me, I felt great

Next thing I know I'm breaking out in hives
But then I started having an allergic reaction