Stranglehold
Nugent Ted Lyrics


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Here I come again now, baby
Like a dog in heat
You tell it's me by the clamor now, baby
I like to tear up the streets

Now I've been smoking for so long
You know I'm here to stay
Got you in a stranglehold, baby
You best get out of the way

The road I cruise is a bitch now, baby
You know you can't turn me 'round
And if a house gets in my way, baby
You know I'll burn it down

You ran that night that you left me
You put me in my place
I got you in a stranglehold, baby
And then I crushed your face

Yeah, sometimes you gonna get higher
And sometimes you gotta start low
Some people think they gonna die someday
I got news, you never got to go

Come on, come on up
Come on, come on up
Come on, come on up
Come on, come on up
Come on, come on, come on, come on, baby
Come on, come on, come on, come on up
Come on, come on, come on, come on, baby
Come on, come on, come on

Road I cruise is a bitch now
You know you can't turn me 'round
and if a house gets in my way
You know I'll burn it down

You ran that night that you left me
You put me in my place




I got you in a stranglehold, baby
And then I crushed your face

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ted Nugent's song Stranglehold paint a picture of a person who is wild, untamable, and unstoppable. The opening lines set the tone for the song as Nugent sings, "Here I come again now, baby, like a dog in heat." This establishes the singer as a primal, animalistic figure who is driven to satisfy his desires. The line "You know it's me by the clamor now, baby" suggests that his arrival is not subtle and that everyone in the vicinity can hear him coming.


The second verse continues to build on this theme of reckless abandon, with the line "The road I cruise is a bitch now, baby, you know you can't turn me 'round." This idea of being incapable of being stopped seems to energize the singer, and he goes on to sing about how he would even "burn down" a house if it got in his way.


The third verse takes a dark turn, as the singer sings about crushing someone's face. This depicts the singer as someone who is not just reckless but also violent and dangerous. The song concludes with a message of defiance and self-assurance, as Nugent sings, "Some people think they're gonna die someday, I got news, you never got to go." This line suggests that the singer is confident in his ability to live life on his own terms, no matter what obstacles may come his way.


Line by Line Meaning

Here I come again now, baby
I am coming back to your life again.


Like a dog in heat
I am attracted to you and seeking satisfaction without caring about consequences.


You tell it's me by the clamor now, baby
You can recognize my presence by the noise I make.


I like to tear up the streets
I love to create chaos and destruction.


Now I've been smoking for so long
I have been indulging in vices for a considerable amount of time.


You know I'm here to stay
I am not leaving anytime soon.


Got you in a stranglehold, baby
I have a tight grip on you and control over you.


You best get out of the way
You should leave me alone as it can be dangerous to mess with me.


The road I cruise is a bitch now, baby
The path I am taking is difficult and challenging.


You know you can't turn me 'round
You cannot change my ways or make me do something I don't want to do.


And if a house gets in my way, baby
I will not hesitate to destroy anything that obstructs my path.


You ran that night that you left me
You left me in fear and ran away that night.


You put me in my place
You showed me my limits and made me powerless.


I got you in a stranglehold, baby
I have regained control over you and have you in my grip.


And then I crushed your face
I punished you for daring to leave me by hurting you physically.


Sometimes you gonna get higher
At times you will achieve success and happiness.


And sometimes you gotta start low
Other times, you may have to start from scratch and rebuild your life.


Some people think they gonna die someday
Some individuals might worry about their mortality.


I got news, you never got to go
I have good news for you - you will never die.


Come on, come on up
I want to take you to a higher level.


Come on, come on, come on, come on, baby
I urge you to follow me and do what I say.


Road I cruise is a bitch now
The path I am taking is still difficult and challenging.


And if a house gets in my way
Once again, I will not hesitate to destroy anything that stands in my path.


You ran that night that you left me
Once again, I bring up the memory of you leaving me in fear.


You put me in my place
You made me feel inferior and powerless.


I got you in a stranglehold, baby
I have regained control over you, and you are once again under my grip.


And then I crushed your face
I punished you physically for daring to leave me and showing me my limits.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ted Nugent

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rburrows7786

After I got back from Vietnam, I landed a job playing security at concert venues. We’d escort acts from the plane to the stage etc etc. I met a lot of groups. Ted was the only one that treated us like his equal, very cool. He talked to us. Invited us to his trailer pre show. Food. No drinking as he never drank. What a great guy. Took pics with us, autographs. Can’t say enough good things about him. 99% of the other acts I covered were complete assholes. One guy we were told don’t look at him or talk to him or he’ll get upset. People can say what they want about Nugent, but he was a very nice genuine guy

@Music2Desire

Thank you for serving (volunteer or not) back when so many were against people that wore the uniforms. My sweetie is retired USAF (Vietnam era) and also a big Ted Nugent fan. I love to hear that guys like Nugent can still remember how to be a real person, not just a 'rock star'.

@jimreynolds8160

Smart dude, too. I've heard him take on liberal political pundits and bury them. He is rarely asked to do interviews because he tears 'em apart.

@lakerat1980

He is....not was😂😊

@darqman82

This used to be one of the hard rock songs in the rotation at our barracks parties in Germany. Beer, 🍺 booze 🥃 along with a few of smokable items. 😈 Great memories!

@mikepawntee2425

"was" is the correct tense.

50 More Replies...

@russellnickman8231

I don't always listen to Ted, but when I do, so do the neighbors.

@jefferyparchman1392

They probably show their appreciation of good music by inviting the cops over

@peterherard8207

I don't always learn my lesson , but when I do , you can bet your ass it was the hard way

@markreaves8086

Uncle Ted is BAD to the bone!!!!!

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