Motörhead was an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead … Read Full Bio ↴Motörhead was an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.

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)

Louie Louie
Motörhead Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go
Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye
Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go

Y'know, my little girl, she's waiting for me
Sail a ship across the sea
On the ship you know I'm all alone
I wonder if I'll ever make it home

Louie Louie, oh no, we gotta go
Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye
Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go

Three nights and days I sailed the sea
I think of girls, oh constantly
On the ship, you know I dream that she's there
I smell the roses in her hair

Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go
Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye
Louie Louie, oh yeah, we've gotta go

Let's give it to 'em, right now!

I see the Jamaica moon above
I don't know when I'm gonna see my love
I know I'll hold her in my arms and then
I'll tell her that I'll never leave her again

Louie Louie, a-cha-cha-cha-cha
Louie Lou

Oh, no, Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go
Hey, hey, hey, hey!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Motörhead's song Louie Louie tell the story of a sailor who is away from his girl, sailing across the sea. He is wondering if he will ever make it back home to her. Even during the long journey, he thinks constantly of his girl, dreaming and smelling the roses in her hair. He sees the Jamaica moon above and longs for the day when he will be reunited with his love. The song concludes with the sailor proclaiming that they "gotta go", possibly in search of the girl he has been missing.

The song is simple, yet poignant. Its repetition of the phrase "Louie Louie" adds a sense of urgency, and the sailor's longing for his girl is relatable to many. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is far from home but still holds onto hope for the future. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody make it a classic rock and roll tune that stands the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go
We need to leave, baby

Aye-aye-aye-aye-aye-aye
Agreement and readiness to leave

Y'know, my little girl, she's waiting for me
My girlfriend is waiting for me

Sail a ship across the sea
Traveling by ship

On the ship you know I'm all alone
Feeling alone and isolated on the ship

I wonder if I'll ever make it home
Doubting the possibility of returning home

Louie Louie, oh no, we gotta go
We need to leave immediately

Three nights and days I sailed the sea
Spending three days and nights traveling by sea

I think of girls, oh constantly
Constantly thinking about girls, including girlfriend

On the ship, you know I dream that she's there
Dreaming about girlfriend's presence on the ship

I smell the roses in her hair
Recalling a specific memory with his girlfriend