After hiring C.C. DeVille, they changed their name to the more edgy ''Poison'' and started working their way up the L.A. Club scene. In 1986 they recorded their debut album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In'', which was made successful by their massive hit ''Talk Dirty to Me'', whose video was played on a constant rotation on MTV. Poison's next album, the fan favorite ''Open Up and Say... Ahh!'' was carried on the shoulders of the chart topping ballad ''Every Rose Has Its Thorn'', written by Bret Michaels about his girlfriend cheating on him with Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow. Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood, showed Poison's more mainstream side. After Flesh & Blood came out, Poison started going downhill. C.C. DeVille was in a constant drug binge and couldn't be found. When Poison was slated to play Unskinny Bop for the MTV Movie Awards, C.C. forgot what song to play and ripped into Talk Dirty To Me on live television. He was fired on the spot.
Guitarist Ritchie Kotzen was brought in to record the album Native Tongue, which showed a new creative turn for the band. Ritchie was a good guitarist, but was thrown out of the band for sleeping with drummer Rikki Rocketts fiance. Poison then brought in Blues Saraceno as guitarist, with whom they recorded ''Crack A Smile...And More!'', one of Poison's lost gems.
After years of disconnection, C.C. DeVille came back to Poison for a full reunion. They have since toured with many acts, including KISS. They are currently planning a summer tour with fellow hair metal elite Cinderella and have just released a new 20th anniversary greatest hits cd.
In the 2007 game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the track "Talk Dirty to Me" is featured.
There are other artists with the same name:
2) Poison is a German Death/Thrash Metal band, formed in 1982.
Named "Poison (ger)" on Last FM
3) Poison was a Japanese hardcore punk band formed in 1982. Their sound is a mix of traditional Japanese hardcore and metal. The band later changed their name to Poison Arts.
4) Poison is an American Heavy/Speed Metal band, formed in 1983.
5) Poison is an American funk group formed in the '70s
6) Poison was a Finnish band formed by Albert Järvinen
7) For the Garage punk/blues rock band formed in 1984 in Austin, Texas. Originally active from 1984 to 1987, the band played a reunion show in 2000. See Poison 13
Wasteland
Poison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The engine echoes in the night
Through a concrete jungle a wasteland i call home
No fears and no regrets
No apologies for the things I've said
And believe me child it's the life I've known
I will ride on through the night
It's all I've done, it's who I am
Just know this
I've done the best I can
I see fallen angels and broken dreams
I'm still surviving on these streets
Like forgotten soldiers left here to die
All your pain I understand
Give me your love, you take my hand
And from this wasteland we will ride
We will ride on through the night
From this hell we will survive
Give me your faith give me your hand
All I know we've done the best we can
I will ride on through the night
From this hell I will survive
It's all I've done, it's who I am
Just know this
I've done the best I can
We will ride on through the night
From this hell we will survive
Give me your faith give me your hand
All I know we've done the best we can
The lyrics of Poison's song Wasteland paint a picture of a gritty, tough world that the singer has embraced as his own. The opening lines set the stage, with the singer alone on his steel horse, the engine echoing through the concrete jungle that he calls home. He explains that he has no fears or regrets, but also no apologies for the things he's said, suggesting that he's lived a life of tough honesty. The chorus reinforces his resilience, as he vows to ride through the night and survive, explaining that it's all he's done and all he knows.
The second verse paints a picture of a world that's filled with fallen angels and broken dreams, where the singer has survived due to his toughness and resilience. He asks for his lover's love and tries to comfort her pain while promising to ride with her from the wasteland that they find themselves trapped in. The chorus repeats, this time with the two of them riding together and reminding each other that they've both done the best they can.
Overall, the song is a portrait of people living in a brutal, tough world that many would find unbearable. The singer has found meaning in his life by embracing that world and refusing to give up or give in to the pain and difficulty around him. Instead, he's chosen to ride through the night with his lover, hoping to survive from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone on my steel horse I ride
I am riding my motorcycle alone.
The engine echoes in the night
The sound of my motorcycle's engine echoes through the night.
Through a concrete jungle a wasteland I call home
The urban environment I live in feels like a desolate wasteland.
No fears and no regrets
I do not feel fear or regret for my actions.
No apologies for the things I've said
I do not regret anything that I have said to others.
And believe me child it's the life I've known
This is the only life I have known and experienced.
I will ride on through the night
I will continue to ride my motorcycle through the night.
From this hell I will survive
I will overcome the hardships of my environment.
It's all I've done, it's who I am
Riding through this wasteland is all I have done and defines who I am.
Just know this, I've done the best I can
I have tried my hardest in this difficult life.
I see fallen angels and broken dreams
There are people with lost hope and failed aspirations around me.
I'm still surviving on these streets
I am still alive and surviving in this tough environment.
Like forgotten soldiers left here to die
I, and others like me, feel neglected and abandoned by society.
All your pain I understand
I understand the pain that you are feeling.
Give me your love, you take my hand
Let us offer each other support and love.
And from this wasteland we will ride
Together, let us ride out from this desolate place.
Give me your faith give me your hand
Have faith in me and let me guide you through this hardship.
All I know we've done the best we can
We have both tried our hardest and done the best we can.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul John Weller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind