Their self-titled album was an underground sensation, particularly with smooth 70s easy listening ruling the airwaves back then. Chrissie Hynde once commented that every punk band ("And I knew them all") had both New York Dolls albums, illustrating the Dolls' influence. Still, the original line-up experienced many problems, particularly with the mainstream record industry that didn't know what to do with the wild group. Upon their break-up, frontman David Johansen had a moderately successful solo career.
In 2004, the three surviving members reunited for some sporadic touring. In 2006, now down to two surviving members, the band released a new album, 'One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This'. Two albums followed after this: 'Cause I Sez So', in 2009, followed up by a revamped lineup for 2011's 'Dancing Backward in High Heels'.
Sylvain Sylvain died on January 13, 2021. He was 69 years old.
Final lineup
* David Johansen - vocals, harmonica (1971-1977, 2004-2011)
* Sylvain Sylvain - guitar, bass, piano (1971-1977, 2004-2011; died 2021)
* Claton Pitcher - guitar (2011)
* Kenny Aaronson - bass (2021)
* Brian Delaney - drums (2005-2011)
Past members
* Johnny Thunders (deceased) - guitar, vocals (1971-1975)
* Rick Rivets - guitar (1971)
* Arthur Kane (deceased) - bass guitar (1971-1975, 2004)
* Billy Murcia (deceased) - drums (1971-1972)
* Jerry Nolan (deceased) - drums (1972-1976)
* Blackie Lawless - guitar (1975)
* Peter Jordan - bass (1975-1977)
* Chris Robison - keyboards (1975-1977)
* Tony Machine - drums (1976-1977)
* Gary Powell - drums (2004)
* Steve Conte - guitar (2004-2010)
* Sami Yaffa - bass (2005-2010)
* Frank Infante - guitar (2010-2011)
* Brian Koonin - keyboards (2005-2006)
* Earl Slick – guitar (2011)
* Jason Hill – bass (2010–2011)
Stranded in the Jungle
New York Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my little girl who was back in the States
I was stranded in the jungle, afraid, alone
Trying to figure a way to get a message back home
But how was I to know that the wreckage of my plane
Had been picked up and spotted and my girl in Lover's Lane
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance
You know your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle, sad as he can be
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
The boys in the jungle had me on the run
When something heavy hit me like an atomic bomb
When I woke up and my head started to clear
I had a strange feeling I was cooking gear
I smelled something cooking and I looked to see
That's when I found out they was cookin' me
Ooga booga, lemme outta here!
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance
You know your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle sad as he can be
So come on pretty baby just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
I jumped out of the pot, I finally got away
I was frantic, worried about what my baby would say
So I jumped in the ocean and started to swim
My chance of surviving was gettin' slim
So I thumbed down a whale that was headed my way
And I reached the States in about half a day
When I got to Lover's Lane I was almost dead
Heard him talkin' to my baby, and this is what he said
Baby, baby, the man's no good
Baby, baby, should have understood
You can trust me just as long as you please
So come back pretty baby where you used to be
Cause I love you (I love you, I love you, you're fine baby)
Cause I love you (So damn fine)
Cause I love you (I got a job; I have money too)
Cause I love you (Did I show you my vehicle)
Cause I love you (I'll take you for a ride)
Cause I love you
"Stranded in the Jungle" by New York Dolls is an imaginative story of a man who crashes in a jungle while trying to keep a date with his girlfriend. He is stranded and alone, and he cannot figure out a way to get a message back home to his girlfriend. Eventually, he discovers that the wreckage of his plane has been found, and his girlfriend back in the States is spotted with another man in Lover's Lane. Meanwhile, back in the jungle, the man encounters some boys who chase him, and something heavy hits him, rendering him unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds that he is being cooked, and he must escape to ensure that his chance of survival is not lost. He jumps into the ocean and swims until he reaches the States, almost dead. When he finally gets to Lover's Lane, he discovers that his girlfriend is with another man who has been lying to her.
This song is full of plot twists and turns, and it highlights the impact of distance on relationships. The man tries to make it back to his girlfriend, but he is unsuccessful. While he is gone, his girlfriend moves on with another man, and he discovers that she has been replacing him with another man. The song highlights the importance of communication in relationships, and how distance can create gaps that can ruin a relationship. It is a cautionary tale that reminds the listener of the need for clear communication and the impact of distance on relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I crashed in the jungle while trying to keep a date
I had a plane crash in the jungle while trying to keep a date with my girl in the States
With my little girl who was back in the States
I had a little girl waiting for me back home in America
I was stranded in the jungle, afraid, alone
I was stranded in the jungle, feeling scared and alone
Trying to figure a way to get a message back home
I was trying to figure out how to send a message back to the States
But how was I to know that the wreckage of my plane
Little did I know that the wreckage of my plane
Had been picked up and spotted and my girl in Lover's Lane
Had been found and my girl was spotted with another man back home
Baby, baby, let's make romance
Let's make love, baby
You know your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
Your old lover has no chance compared to me
He's stranded in the jungle, sad as he can be
He's stuck in the jungle and really upset
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
So come with me, pretty baby
The boys in the jungle had me on the run
The boys in the jungle were chasing after me
When something heavy hit me like an atomic bomb
I got hit with a big, heavy object like an atomic bomb
When I woke up and my head started to clear
When I woke up and my mind started to clear
I had a strange feeling I was cooking gear
I felt like I was cooking like a piece of gear
I smelled something cooking and I looked to see
I smelled something cooking and I looked around to see what it was
That's when I found out they was cookin' me
That's when I realized they were cooking me
Ooga booga, lemme outta here!
I was really scared and wanted to get out of there
I jumped out of the pot, I finally got away
I managed to jump out of the cooking pot and escape
I was frantic, worried about what my baby would say
I was really scared and worried about what my girl would think
So I jumped in the ocean and started to swim
So I swam in the ocean to make it back to the States
My chance of surviving was gettin' slim
It was unlikely that I would survive
So I thumbed down a whale that was headed my way
I signaled to a friendly whale that came to my rescue
And I reached the States in about half a day
I finally made it back to the States in a short amount of time
When I got to Lover's Lane I was almost dead
When I got back home and visited my girl, I was almost dead
Heard him talkin' to my baby, and this is what he said
I overheard him speaking to my girl and this is what he said
Baby, baby, the man's no good
That man is not a good guy for you
Baby, baby, should have understood
You should have understood that he's not a good guy
You can trust me just as long as you please
You can trust me for as long as you want
So come back pretty baby where you used to be
So come back to me, pretty baby, where you used to be
Cause I love you (I love you, I love you, you're fine baby)
Because I love you so much
Cause I love you (So damn fine)
Because you're so damn fine
Cause I love you (I got a job; I have money too)
Because I have a job and money too
Cause I love you (Did I show you my vehicle)
Because I love you and I like to show off my car
Cause I love you (I'll take you for a ride)
Because I love you and I want to take you for a ride
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Ernestine Smith, James Escar Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind