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)
Killed By Death
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you squeeze my lizard
I'll put my snake on you
I'm a romantic adventurer
And a reptile too
But it don't make no difference
The only time I'm easy's when I'm
Killed by death, killed by death
Killed by death, come on!
I'm a lone wolf ligger
But I ain't no pretty boy
I'm a backbone shiver
And I'm a bundle of joy
But it don't make no difference
'Cause I ain't gonna be, easy, easy
The only time I'm easy's when I'm
Killed by death, killed by death
Killed by death, come on!
Killed by death, Killed by death
Killed by death, come on!
Come on, I said you're killed by death
Come on!
Killed by
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by death, ha-ha-ha-ha!
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by death
Aah!
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by a bunch of death!
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by death
Shout out your mouth, shout out your mouth!
Come on!
Killed by death
Killed by death
Killed by death
I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead
I'm dead, I'm dead
Dead, dead, dead, killed by death
Aah!
The song "Killed by Death" by Motörhead is a classic heavy metal track that speaks about the singer's pride, bravery, and refusal to be easy. The first two lines are a metaphor that suggests that he will fight fiercely against anyone who tries to play dirty games with him. The next two lines further elaborate that the singer is not just a romantic adventurer, but also a wild animal, capable of causing harm. However, the chorus suggests that death is the only thing that could put the singer at ease. The title "Killed by Death" suggests that the singer is so tough that only death can stop him, making him a martyr of sorts.
The second verse of the song suggests that the singer is a loner, who is not a pretty boy but rather fearsome and exciting. He implies that he is not interested in being easy either, using the same chorus to describe that he is only easy in death. The repetitive nature of the chorus and the way the words are delivered suggests that the singer is confident and bold about his feelings.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a certain confidence and bravado that is characteristic of the heavy metal genre. The motifs of death, wild animals, and toughness are common in many heavy metal songs, and "Killed by Death" is no exception. The song gives off a feeling of fighting against the odds, being brave and refusing to be pushed around.
Line by Line Meaning
Shut up!
Stop talking and listen to what I have to say
If you squeeze my lizard
If you mess with me or try to control me
I'll put my snake on you
I'll retaliate and make you feel my power
I'm a romantic adventurer
I'm a free-spirited person who seeks adventure and new experiences
And a reptile too
And I have a tough, unyielding side to me
But it don't make no difference
But it doesn't matter anyway
'Cause I ain't gonna be, easy, easy
Because I won't let you control me or bring me down easily
The only time I'm easy's when I'm
The only time I let my guard down is
Killed by death, killed by death
When I'm faced with extreme danger or death
Killed by death, come on!
The threat of death motivates me to fight harder
I'm a lone wolf ligger
I'm a solitary person who's always on the move
But I ain't no pretty boy
But I am tough and rugged, not concerned with appearances
I'm a backbone shiver
I'm a force to be reckoned with, and my presence can intimidate others
And I'm a bundle of joy
And I enjoy living life to the fullest, even in dangerous situations
Killed by death, come on!
Even when facing death, I won't back down
Killed by death, ha-ha-ha-ha!
I find humor in the face of danger and death
Killed by a bunch of death!
The threat of death is all around me
Shout out your mouth, shout out your mouth!
Stop trying to control me or criticize me
I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead
I'm fully committed to danger and death, even if it means dying
I'm dead, I'm dead
Even if it kills me, I won't give up or back down
Dead, dead, dead, killed by death
My obsession with danger and death will be the end of me
Aah!
Exclamation of excitement and adrenaline
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN KILMISTER, MICHAEL BURSTON, PETER GILL, PHILIP CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DAVE FULFORD
I only saw Motorhead once, it was this gig, I was 15 and I'll remember it as one of the best things I have ever witnessed. Raw power!
Steve Joynson
I can imagine it was a great day, Dave. Unfortunately I was not there. I sourced this audio elsewhere around the same time. I did manage to get to Donington around 1987 for Bon Jovi, Dio, Anthrax, Metallica, Wasp and Cinderella.
DAVE FULFORD
@Steve Joynson Superb, thanks for the upload.
Andy T
Snap. This was the only time I saw Motörhead too, and I was also 15. Great day.
Nonrev Nosnibor Metal & Beer reviews
We came we saw we conquered 🤘🤘
Alejandro Magaña
I was there.
Penfold
It was Lemmy plus guests after Eddie left