Motorhead_-_Louie_Louie
Motörhead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hit it!

Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go
Oh my little girl,
She's ready for me
I'd catch a ship, across the sea
Sailing the ship
All alone
I wonder when I'm gonna make it home

Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go

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

Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Louie, Louie, oh baby,
We gotta go

Ok! Let's give it to em! Right now!

Hey!

I see Jamaica
Who'd have thought?
I see the girl I'm, thinkin of
I take her in my arms, and then
Tell her that I'll never leave again

Louie, Louie
Et, et, et, et, et, et
Louie, Lou
Oh no
Louie, Louie, oh baby




We gotta go
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Motörhead's song "Louie Louie" depict a man who is longing for his lover and is determined to find his way back to her. The opening line "Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go" sets the tone of the song, indicating that the singer cannot wait to be reunited with his love. He expresses his desire for her and imagines sailing across the sea to reach her. The lyrics are infused with a sense of urgency, suggesting that the singer cannot wait to be with his lover again.


The song's chorus serves as a rallying cry for the singer, as he repeats the phrase "Louie Louie, oh baby, we gotta go" multiple times. The repetition of this phrase highlights the singer's determination to reach his lover, and the way that he is willing to do whatever it takes to be with her. The final verse of the song reveals that the singer has finally found his way back to his lover, and he is ecstatic to be with her once again.


Overall, "Louie Louie" is a song about the power of love and the lengths that people will go to in order to be with the ones that they love. The song's lyrics are simple but effective, and they convey a powerful message about the importance of love in our lives.


Line by Line Meaning

Louie, Louie, oh baby,
The singer is getting ready to leave somewhere with their partner.


We gotta go
They are on a tight schedule and need to leave soon.


Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
They are expressing excitement or anticipation for what's to come.


Oh my little girl,
The artist is referring to their partner affectionately.


She's ready for me
Their partner is aware of the artist's intentions and is also excited to leave.


I'd catch a ship, across the sea
The singer is leaving on a ship, likely for an extended period of time.


Sailing the ship
They are actively navigating the ship.


All alone
The artist is alone on the ship, possibly feeling lonely or isolated.


I wonder when I'm gonna make it home
They are uncertain about when they will be able to return home.


Three days, and nights
They have been sailing for three full days and nights.


I sailed the sea
The singer is actively steering the ship on the open water.


I think you're good, oh constantly
The artist thinks about their partner often during their travels.


On the ship I know I'll dream she's there
The singer often dreams about their partner being with them on the ship.


The smell of roses in her hair
The singer has a specific memory of their partner's scent.


Ok! Let's give it to em! Right now!
The singer is ready and motivated to continue with their journey.


Hey!
The artist is shouting, possibly to signal to others or to show enthusiasm.


I see Jamaica
The artist has arrived at their destination.


Who'd have thought?
The singer is expressing surprise.


I see the girl I'm, thinkin of
Their partner is present and they are reminded of their love for them.


I take her in my arms, and then
The artist becomes physically affectionate with their partner.


Tell her that I'll never leave again
The artist promises to their partner that they won't have to leave again.


Louie, Louie
The artist is referencing the chorus again, possibly to end the song.


Et, et, et, et, et, et
This line is not easily explained, but could be a shout or exclamation of excitement.


Louie, Lou
The artist changes the chorus slightly, possibly for variation or effect.


Oh no
This line could indicate a sudden shift in mood or realization.


Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
The singer is making more noise, possibly to express triumph or excitement.




Contributed by Lauren L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@divorcedalcoholic

In his autobiography Lemmy says people have told him that this is the only version where they can understand the lyrics. He also says he totally made up the last verse.

@bobthebear1246

Hahaha I love it!!!! #IRONY 🤘🏻

@RennziegeBoppesch

Because ppl won't see and listen. Only what they like and the best for them. Deaf and blind. The reason why our planet is like this now.

@ElPayasoMalo

@@RennziegeBoppesch Uh, no. Most recordings of this song are mumbled into cheap microphones. The FBI spent several years and thousands of dollars investigating the Kingsmen's version for obscenity and concluded that it was unintelligible at any speed. Dozens of FBI agents sat in a room with headphones and turntables trying to find profanity in this song and completely missed the drummer yelling "FUCK!" when he drops his drumstick around a minute and five seconds in. It's not about people not listening, it really is that this song is almost never sang in such a way to make it easy to understand the actual syllables being sung, and the irony is that the most intelligible version is sung by a guy who sometimes requires subtitles in interviews.

@maladat

The lyrics are totally clear if you go back before the Kingsmen’s cover to the original (Richard Berry, rhythmically pretty different) or previous covers (like Rockin’ Robin Roberts and the Wailers, which is pretty similar).

@liverpoolscottish6430

@@ElPayasoMalo 53 seconds in, the drummer dropped a stick and shouted, "Fuck," you can hear it on the original! lol Motorhead absolutely smashed it, best version of all, and the original was superb. Lemmy's voice is perfect along with his bass playing. Outstanding!

7 More Replies...

@tamibain8480

I absolutely love this cover. Motorhead fan forever..

@marcstevens8576

I heard years back that Lemmy's mom hated the music that he was playing with Hawkwind & later with Motorhead. She played an old single of this song to him, telling him it what Real Music should sound like & he redid it for her. Don't know the truth behind it, but, it's still a great song

@paulhaffern4734

RIP Lemmy. The whisky business misses you as do I.

@frankielove31

Lemmy’s not dead. He’s just playing a bigger festival than we can fit on our plane of existence

More Comments

More Versions