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)
You Ain't Gonna Live Forever
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen to your mother
Don't talk to strangers
Stay away from danger
Do whatever you like
Just be good to yourself
You can't be safe
Mixed up with the human race
You must be a good boy
Don't you be a true boy
You take me clean
And don't you be a rude boy
If you don't do it right
You make a fool of yourself
You gotta show them fools
What you think of their rules
You ain't gonna live forever
You ain't gonna live forever
So live right now
Stay outta jail
Don't tamper with the mail
Don't be a loser
Don't you be a goozer
Do whatever you like
Don't get ahead of yourself
You can be clean
If you know what I mean
You ain't gonna live forever
You ain't gonna live forever
So live right now
Go for it
The lyrics of "You Ain't Gonna Live Forever" by Motörhead are a warning against reckless behavior and living in danger, while also encouraging listeners to live life to the fullest. The opening lines urge listeners to stay out of trouble, listen to their mothers, and avoid talking to strangers. This is followed by the message to do whatever you like, but always be good to yourself and avoid mixed up with dangerous people.
The lyrics continue by cautioning the listener to be a good boy, stay clean, and not be rude or foolish. The lyrics advocate for living life by one's own rules and not succumbing to societal pressures or expectations. The chorus drives home the message that life is fleeting, and it is important to live in the present moment and not waste time on risky or unfulfilling pursuits.
Overall, the song is a reminder to live life with intention and purpose, while also remaining aware of potential dangers and pitfalls that could jeopardize one's well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay out of trouble
Avoid any problematic situation or event
Listen to your mother
Obey parental advice and guidance
Don't talk to strangers
Refrain from communicating with unknown people
Stay away from danger
Avoid any circumstances that cause harm or put at risk
Do whatever you like
Pursue personal freedom and desires
Just be good to yourself
Take care of one's health, well-being, and happiness
You can't be safe
No one can guarantee complete protection from harm or danger
Mixed up with the human race
Subjected to the complex, unpredictable nature of human society
You must be a good boy
One should behave ethically and morally
Don't you be a true boy
Avoid being honest, genuine or sincere
You take me clean
Interact with others with honesty and integrity
And don't you be a rude boy
Avoid acting offensively, arrogantly or disrespectfully
If you don't do it right
Failing to perform an action correctly
You make a fool of yourself
Embarrass yourself or lose respect from others
You gotta show them fools
Display disapproval or defiance towards ignorant or foolish people
What you think of their rules
Critique or defy societal norms or regulations
You ain't gonna live forever
Life is finite and should be lived to its fullest.
So live right now
Experience and enjoy the present moment
Stay outta jail
Avoid illegal or criminal actions
Don't tamper with the mail
Avoid interfering with the mail or postal service
Don't be a loser
Don't give up or become defeated
Don't you be a goozer
Avoid being foolish or naive
Don't get ahead of yourself
Avoid becoming too confident, conceited or overzealous
You can be clean
One can behave decently, pleasingly or morally
If you know what I mean
Understand the implications or nuances of a message or situation
Go for it
Act boldly, courageously and without hesitation
Contributed by Mason D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.