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)
Ridin' With the Driver
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Red steel in the driving wheel, hear the pistons clash
Dragon breathin' big black smoke, howlin' up the tracks
[Chorus:]
I'm ridin' on the Thunderchief, spit in the devil's eye
No force on earth can stop me now
Like to see 'em try
Juggernaut comin' down the line, hear the banshee cry
Engineer like to lose his mind. glory in his eye
Too fast to live this way, too young to die
[Chorus]
Hold tight, feel the drivers bite, hear the whistle moan
Engine rockin' to the left and right, vibratin' in my bones
Once the locomotive steals your soul, you got a Casey Jones
[Chorus]
I'm ridin' on the Thunderchief, spit in the devil's eye
No force on earth can hurt me now, kiss your ass goodbye
My my, ridin' with the driver
The lyrics to Motörhead's song "Ridin' With the Driver" describe a powerful and exhilarating ride on a locomotive train. The song's opening line refers to an "iron child out of Vulcan's forge," referencing the strength and durability of the train which has been forged in the same manner as the weapons of the Roman god of fire and forge, Vulcan. The "metal scream and thrash" mentioned in the second line conveys the intense power and speed of the train, which is further emphasized by the sound of the "pistons clash." The train is personified as a dragon, which exhales "big black smoke" and "howls up the tracks."
The chorus of the song celebrates the experience of "ridin' on the Thunderchief," a name given to the train, as well as the feeling of invincibility that comes with such a ride. The lyrics suggest that no earthly force can stop the rider, saying "spit in the devil's eye" and "no force on earth can hurt me now, kiss your ass goodbye."
The third verse of the song describes the physical sensations of the ride, with the train rocking and vibrating as it moves along the tracks. The final line of the verse mentions Casey Jones, an American locomotive engineer who famously died while trying to prevent a collision with another train.
Overall, the lyrics of "Ridin' With the Driver" create an image of a thrilling and unstoppable ride on a powerful locomotive, with the rider feeling both exhilaration and a sense of invincibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Iron child out of Vulcan's forge, metal scream and thrash
The locomotive was built with great care and strength to withstand any challenge it might face.
Red steel in the driving wheel, hear the pistons clash
The train's drive is powered by the red steel of the locomotive and supported by the force and contribution of its piston components.
Dragon breathin' big black smoke, howlin' up the tracks
The train is like a dragon, emitting steam and smoke as it speeds along the tracks to its destination.
I'm ridin' on the Thunderchief, spit in the devil's eye
The artist is riding on the unstoppable train, with complete confidence and readiness to face and challenge anything that comes their way.
No force on earth can stop me now, like to see 'em try
The artist feels unbreakable and unconquerable, believing that nothing on this earth can stop their journey now.
Juggernaut comin' down the line, hear the banshee cry
The train is a powerful and unstoppable force, with a cry that foretells its arrival and signals the impending doom of anything in its way.
Engineer like to lose his mind. glory in his eye
The train's engineer is fearless and determined, taking pleasure in the thrill and challenge of driving the unstoppable train.
Too fast to live this way, too young to die
The train moves so quickly that it seems like the passengers are risking their lives, but they feel too young to die and are willing to take that risk.
Hold tight, feel the drivers bite, hear the whistle moan
The passengers need to hold on tight and feel the vibrations of the train as it reaches top speed, while the whistle sounds in the background.
Engine rockin' to the left and right, vibratin' in my bones
The strength of the train causes the passenger's whole body to shake and feel the force as they ride along.
Once the locomotive steals your soul, you got a Casey Jones
The passengers who ride on this train give themselves entirely to the experience, risking everything as though they were a legendary figure like Casey Jones.
My my, ridin' with the driver
The artist is thrilled to be on this journey, feeling almost as if they are a part of the train rather than just a passenger being transported.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL BURSTON, PHILIP CAMPBELL, PETER GILL, IAN KILMISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind