MC5 is an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. T… Read Full Bio ↴MC5 is an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. The original band line-up comprised vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. Early success in and around Detroit led to the band name, MC5 being short for "Motor City Five". The band's radical left-wing political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk rock movement in the United States. Though Thompson is the only surviving original member of the band, the band's first three albums are regarded by many as staples of rock music, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered. MC5 was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2002, 2016 and 2018.

MC5 had a promising beginning that earned them a January 1969 cover appearance in Rolling Stone magazine and a story written by Eric Ehrmann before their debut album was released. They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams. Their initial run was short-lived, though. In 1972, just three years after their debut record, the band came to an end. Often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of that era, their three albums are regarded by many as classics.

Tyner died of a heart attack in late 1991 at the age of 46. Smith also died of a heart attack, in 1994 at the age of 45. The remaining three members of the band reformed in 2003 with The Dictators' singer Handsome Dick Manitoba as its new vocalist, and this reformed line-up occasionally performed live over the next nine years until Davis died of liver failure in February 2012 at the age of 68.

In 2022, Kramer announced that a tour would take place that spring, and that a new MC5 studio album with producer Bob Ezrin would also be released later that year with original MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson playing on two tracks. In 2023, Kramer announced that the album would be released in the spring of 2024. Kramer died in February 2024, leaving Thompson as the only surviving original member of the band.

Call Me Animal
MC5 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I take a laser beam
And I use it like a stone axe, baby
I take the present, past and future Mama
And blast it out my thorax, hey, hey

Call me animal, that's my name
Call me animal, I'm not ashamed
Call me animal, this is your hour

Call me animal, you've got the power

I use the juju of my ancestors
To drive this piece of meat
I scream the music of the Pleistocene
Well, just because it's got a good beat, hey, hey

Call me animal, that's my name
Call me animal, I'm not ashamed
Call me animal, this is your hour
Call me animal, you've got the power
Animal, animal, animal, animal

Call me animal, that's my name
Call me animal, I'm not insane
Call me animal, this is your hour
Call me animal, you got the power

Animal

Animal
Animal

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to MC5's song Call Me Animal are a celebration of primal energy, a rejection of societal norms, and a proclamation of independence. The singer takes pride in his animalistic qualities and challenges the listener to do the same. He uses a laser beam as a symbol of his power and savage determination. The line "I take the present, past and future Mama and blast it out my thorax" is a reference to the singer's ability to tap into the essence of humanity through his music. He believes that he is part of a long line of ancestors who have used music to connect with the divine, and he channels their energy to create something new and exciting.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrases "Call me animal, that's my name", "Call me animal, I'm not ashamed", "Call me animal, this is your hour", and "Call me animal, you've got the power". These lines are a call to arms, urging the listener to embrace their inner animal and reject the chains of society. The repetition of the word "animal" serves to reinforce the idea that the primal energy within us is something to be celebrated and embraced, not hidden away.

Overall, the lyrics to MC5's Call Me Animal are a celebration of the power of music, the energy of the human spirit, and the primal nature of humanity itself. They urge the listener to reject conformity and embrace their inner animal, tapping into the energy that has driven human progress for millennia.

Line by Line Meaning

I take a laser beam
I use advanced technology to create an effect similar to an ancient, primitive tool

And I use it like a stone axe, baby
I apply this technology with the same crude force as a simple, rudimentary tool

I take the present, past and future Mama
I incorporate all of time and space into my artistic expression

And blast it out my thorax, hey, hey
I channel this expression through my body with great intensity and power

Call me animal, that's my name
My primal energy and rawness is synonymous with the term 'animal'

Call me animal, I'm not ashamed
I embrace and own my wild instincts and behavior

Call me animal, this is your hour
This moment is perfect for unleashing the untamed aspect of your being

Call me animal, you've got the power
You possess the same strength and potency as an unbridled creature

I use the juju of my ancestors
I draw upon the spiritual knowledge and energy of my predecessors

To drive this piece of meat
I use this energy to propel my physical body and tap into my animalistic nature

I scream the music of the Pleistocene
I sing out the sounds and rhythms of ancient times, when humans were in tune with nature

Well, just because it's got a good beat, hey, hey
The power and vibe of this music are reason enough to make it worth expressing

Call me animal, I'm not insane
My wildness and untamed spirit should not be judged as madness or irrationality

Animal
I am a primal, instinct-driven entity

Animal
I am a superior force of raw, natural energy

Animal
I am a beast of unbridled and ferocious power

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DENNIS THOMPSON, FRED SMITH, MICHAEL H. DAVIS, ROBERT W. DERMINER, WAYNE KRAMER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS