Highway Song
Pop (Iggy) Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I been walkin' down the road
What it means I dunno
I been walkin' down the highway
With the bad food flyin by me
I' m an ordinary man
With a time bomb in my hand
It keeps tickin' an I keep runnin
Tryin to find out where I come from

And there ain' t nothin' gonna take this road away
Nothin' gonna take this road away
Nothin' gonna take this road outta my heart
Nothin' gonna take this pain outta my heart

I wake up sweatin in the night
Every town is only lights
I 'm addicted to the highway
'cause I just can' t do things their way
And there ain' t nothin gonna take this road away
Nothin gonna take that road away
Nothin gonna take that road outta my heart

highway I'm doin fine
You help me draw the line
No use in bein alive
If I'm just rentin
I undersand the circus well
I've played the clown when down he fell
But bein' down ain' t bein' loser
So just look out here comes a bruiser
And there ain 't nothin gonna take my road away

Nothin' gonna take my road away
Nothin' gonna take my road outta my heart

Overall Meaning

In "Highway Song," Pop (Iggy) sings about being a driftless wanderer on the open road, unsure about where he is headed. He starts the song by saying he is walking down the highway with no particular destination in mind and is puzzled about what his journey means. He continues to do that because he feels ordinary and has an internal pressure that keeps ticking like a time bomb, urging him to keep running to find out where he truly came from.

Later on, Pop (Iggy) admits that he has become addicted to life on the road, and he cannot abide by the rules society imposes on him. He is conditioned to take the highway because he finds it hard to exist when subject to expectations that detain him. He says that the highway helps him draw the line and prevent him from merely existing while renting his life, which has no value or meaning to him. He also understands the world better and that he has the choice to either play the clown or be a bruiser, neither of which makes him a loser.

In general, "Highway Song" connotes a sense of freedom, a possibility of reinvention, and the potential to chart one's destiny. Pop (Iggy) sings about embracing his wild side and accepting uncertainty to discover himself. The road acts as a metaphor for life, where one has to take the journey without knowing where it will end.

Line by Line Meaning

I been walkin' down the road
I have been traveling on this path

What it means I dunno
I am unsure of the purpose of this journey

I been walkin' down the highway
I am traveling down the main road

With the bad food flyin by me
I see unhealthy temptations pass me by

I'm an ordinary man
I am a regular person

With a time bomb in my hand
I carry a danger within me

It keeps tickin' an I keep runnin
I cannot stop moving, despite the threat

Tryin to find out where I come from
I am seeking my origin

And there ain' t nothin' gonna take this road away
Nothing can take this path from me

Nothin' gonna take this road away
I will always have this journey in me

Nothin' gonna take this road outta my heart
This path is a part of me