On the Road
Motörhead Lyrics


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We began at the beginning,
Moving high and moving fast
Machine's clean, so sweet and mean
Should have known it wouldn't last
But when I took her clothes off
I thought she would explode
Dropped another handful
Kept us on the road, oh yeah

The black things came from nowhere
But they couldn't beat the shield
They flew across the highway
But we smashed them in the field
when I made the suggestion
I thought she would explode
Dropped another handful
Keep us on the road, oh yeah

It was round about the third day
I remember it so clear
We came across a bad vibe
Naked, blinded with fear
And that was all we left there
Ain't moving, staring, cold
Dropped another handful




Keep us on the road
Oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Motorhead's song Keep Us On The Road capture the life of a touring musician on the road. The song starts with the band high on the excitement of starting a tour. Their equipment is in perfect condition, and the machine is running at full speed. However, they are soon faced with the reality that things don't always go as planned. Despite the difficulties, the band keeps pushing on, and as Lemmy sings, "Dropped another handful, kept us on the road."


The band faces various challenges, including black things flying at them, which they manage to dodge. However, they eventually meet a group of people who are fearful and traumatized, leaving the band with no choice but to leave them behind. Despite the hardships, the band keeps persevering to fulfill their dreams and keep their music alive.


In conclusion, Keep Us On The Road is an ode to the life of a touring musician. The song captures the highs and lows of being a part of a band on the road, the unpredictability of life, and the dedication and hard work required to keep the music going.


Line by Line Meaning

We began at the beginning,
We started our journey with great enthusiasm and energy.


Moving high and moving fast
We were moving smoothly, quickly and with great momentum.


Machine's clean, so sweet and mean
The vehicle we were travelling in was well maintained, smooth and powerful.


Should have known it wouldn't last
We knew that this ride couldn't continue like this forever.


But when I took her clothes off
As we inspected the vehicle to check for any issues, we were surprised by what we found.


I thought she would explode
The condition of the vehicle was so bad that we thought it might fall apart any moment.


Dropped another handful
We made some quick adjustments to the vehicle to keep it going.


Kept us on the road, oh yeah
These adjustments helped us to keep the vehicle running and manage to stay on the road.


The black things came from nowhere
We encountered some unexpected roadblocks on our journey.


But they couldn't beat the shield
Despite these obstacles, we were able to handle them effectively.


They flew across the highway
The obstacles were large and came towards us at great speed.


But we smashed them in the field
We were able to avoid them by changing our path and manoeuvring around them.


when I made the suggestion
One of us came up with an idea to help us through a tricky patch.


I thought she would explode
Some of us weren't quite sure if the strategy would work.


Dropped another handful
Despite this, we went ahead with the plan.


Keep us on the road, oh yeah
Thankfully, our plan worked and we were able to continue our journey.


It was round about the third day
After a few days of travelling, we encountered a difficult situation that challenged us.


I remember it so clear
This moment was etched in our memory and we can recall it clearly.


We came across a bad vibe
We faced a situation that made us all feel uneasy.


Naked, blinded with fear
We were vulnerable and felt helpless in this situation.


And that was all we left there
We had to quickly move on from this place and leave it behind.


Ain't moving, staring, cold
The memory of this situation still gives us chills.


Keep us on the road
We had to keep moving forward despite facing unexpected hurdles.


Oh yeah
We remained determined and resolute during our journey.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD ALAN CLARKE, IAN KILMISTER, MICK FARREN, PHILIP JOHN TAYLOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

cristian Stiven

You know the rules, you all know the game

Try and do whats right

But you know I can't complain

If I die tonight

'Cos you know it wouldn't be so easy

'Cos life ain't that way

And you know I've got unfinished business

Got a word to say

On The Road



Bet your life it ain't no easy livin'

But you won't hear me bitch

Spent as much time taking as giving

I've got the ten year itch

But I wouldn't change the situation

If I could start again

'Cos you know I've got a bad reputation

But I don't feel no shame

On The Road



Don't you listen to a single word

Against rock'n'roll

The new religion, the electric church

The only way to go

There's only one thing that I need

To make my life alright

I just want the one I want

I want her every night

On The Road



All comments from YouTube:

Patrik Józsa

The most underrated Motorhead song ever.

Spooky Tooth

when i first heard this on hear n aid it became one of my favourite motorhead songs!!!!!!!!!!

Gerry Moes

I really love this live version. It appears on the Hear ´n Aid Album. Motorhead rocks forever!!

Robert Myer

Also On The 1996 reissue of Orgasmatron

Spooky Tooth

one of the best Motorhead songs!!

coaytch

Such an awesome song. Lemmy's having a good time.

Ian Thurston

Lemmy and moterhead's music will live for ever

Ben curry

And this ladies and gentlemen is how you kick arse,r.i.p lemmy,been a lifetime ;)

cristian Stiven

You know the rules, you all know the game

Try and do whats right

But you know I can't complain

If I die tonight

'Cos you know it wouldn't be so easy

'Cos life ain't that way

And you know I've got unfinished business

Got a word to say

On The Road



Bet your life it ain't no easy livin'

But you won't hear me bitch

Spent as much time taking as giving

I've got the ten year itch

But I wouldn't change the situation

If I could start again

'Cos you know I've got a bad reputation

But I don't feel no shame

On The Road



Don't you listen to a single word

Against rock'n'roll

The new religion, the electric church

The only way to go

There's only one thing that I need

To make my life alright

I just want the one I want

I want her every night

On The Road

TheMetalWarrior1993

Ohhhhh wow they had two guitarists playing here! First time I’ve ever seen this lineup.

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