Motörhead released 23 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band. The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. As of 2016, they have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said that they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the latter theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".
Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The day after his death, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motörhead
Discography
Motörhead (1977)
Overkill (1979)
Bomber (1979)
On Parole (1979)
Ace of Spades (1980)
Iron Fist (1982)
Another Perfect Day (1983)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
1916 (1991)
March ör Die (1992)
Bastards (1993)
Sacrifice (1995)
Overnight Sensation (1996)
Snake Bite Love (1998)
We Are Motörhead (2000)
Hammered (2002)
Inferno (2004)
Kiss of Death (2006)
Motörizer (2008)
The Wörld Is Yours (2010)
Aftershock (2013)
Bad Magic (2015)
Jack the Ripper
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See into the past
I gotta tell you what I'm seeing in the glass
Tall dark stranger, knocking your door
Looking through the window,
It's you he's looking for
Don't be acting crazy don't you cause a riot
Stand very still,
You'll never see the face
Of the man in the window
Heart begins to race
He's the one to spring you a surprise
Aaah, the ripper master of disguise
See into the mind
See into the brain
Try to find the reasons that Jacky's out again
Slipping and sliding don't even try to hide
Just like your shadow, breathing at your side
Don't give into panic,
Don't you run an' scream
Aaah, the ripper, haunting all your dreams
You'll never see the face
Of the man in the window
Heart begins to race
He's the one to spring you a surprise
Aaah, The ripper master of disguise
Cold steel, whisper in the night
He'll be at your side, with a smile and a knife
It's seems like dreaming, moving in the dance
The last embrace you'll ever know, The violence of romance
Don't try to run, you'll trip and fall
You'd be a fool
He's right beside you and he can be so cruel
Stand O very still your heart is beating like a drum
He turns his face towards you
And the two move as one
And so the mystery continues to beguile
The ones who know can never tell you of his smile
See the faces shiver, see the figures move
How can you see they move so fast
You're bound to lose
"Jack the Ripper" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. The song begins with the singer telling us that he can see into the future and past through a glass, but he is not sharing what he sees. Then he warns that there is a dangerous stranger knocking on your door, but it is actually you he is searching for, peering through the window. The singer urges you not to act crazy and cause a riot, to stand very still and keep very quiet. Jack the Ripper, a master of disguise, could be anyone; you will never see the face of the man in the window. The singer advises you not to panic or run but to face Jack the Ripper haunting all your dreams with courage.
The song's lyrics continue the theme of Jack the Ripper committing murder, emphasizing that Jack the Ripper is pure evil in his heart and mind, elusive and uncatchable. The song describes Jack The Ripper as dancing close to you, whispering in the night, moving in for the final, fatal embrace. The mystery of Jack the Ripper continues to confound and scare us, and the song ends with a suggestion that we are already too slow in evading his wrath. In music, the heavy guitar and drums create a sense of danger and rising panic.
Line by Line Meaning
See into the future
Attempting to predict what will come next
See into the past
Looking at what has already happened
I gotta tell you what I'm seeing in the glass
The singer is going to reveal what they've seen via supernatural means
Tall dark stranger, knocking your door
Mysterious man visiting someone's house unannounced
Looking through the window,
Peering into the house
It's you he's looking for
The stranger is specifically interested in the person of the house
Don't be acting crazy don't you cause a riot
Do not react or cause trouble
Stand very still,
Remain motionless
Keep very quiet
Remain silent
You'll never see the face
The person's face is hidden
Of the man in the window
The mysterious stranger peering inside
Heart begins to race
Heartbeat becomes faster due to anxiety or fear
He's the one to spring you a surprise
The stranger has plans to shock or frighten
Aaah, the ripper master of disguise
A reference to Jack the Ripper, who was notoriously difficult to identify
See into the mind
Psychological penetration
See into the brain
Anatomy of the brain under examination
Try to find the reasons that Jacky's out again
Determining Jack the Ripper's motivation for killing
Slipping and sliding don't even try to hide
Unable to escape or conceal oneself
Just like your shadow, breathing at your side
The presence of Jack the Ripper is close, yet somewhat elusive
Don't give into panic,
Do not succumb to fear
Don't you run an' scream
Do not try to escape by shouting and fleeing
Aaah, the ripper, haunting all your dreams
An entity that causes nightmares or is always on one's mind
Cold steel, whisper in the night
A sharp object being wielded without sound
He'll be at your side, with a smile and a knife
The Ripper is in close proximity, armed and in good spirits
It's seems like dreaming, moving in the dance
The flow of motion and violence seems surreal, like a dream
The last embrace you'll ever know, The violence of romance
The final hug one will experience, while also being killed
Don't try to run, you'll trip and fall
Avoid running because it will not end well
You'd be a fool
It would not be a wise decision
He's right beside you and he can be so cruel
The Ripper is extremely close and has a malicious streak
Stand O very still your heart is beating like a drum
Be as still and calm as possible, despite the rapid heartbeat
He turns his face towards you
The Ripper shows its face
And the two move as one
A dark unity between the victim and the killer
And so the mystery continues to beguile
The Ripper's identity remains a mystery
The ones who know can never tell you of his smile
Those who are aware of the killer's identity cannot tell anyone
See the faces shiver, see the figures move
People react anxiously to what is happening
How can you see they move so fast
The movements of the people are so rapid that it is difficult to comprehend
You're bound to lose
The situation is unwinnable
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN FRASER KILMISTER, PHILIP ANTHONY CAMPBELL, RICHARD BURSTON MICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind