In the course of his career Bators was involved with a variety of bands beyond those for which he was best known. These short-term bands included Hormones, with Dennis Comeau and Andre Siva, Frankenstein, The Wanderers and The Whores of Babylon (with Dee Dee Ramone and Johnny Thunders). He also recorded as a solo artist with Bomp! Records.
It was as the lead singer and driving force of the Cleveland, Ohio based Dead Boys, however, that Bators helped pioneer the punk rock sound, look and attitude. The band quickly became a popular staple at CBGB's, the music club in New York City's East Village. The Dead Boys were featured in the independent punk rock film Punking Out (1978), Live at CBGB's (1977) and Crash 'n' Burn (1977).
Following the demise of the Dead Boys in 1979, Bators began a tumultuous relationship with Bomp! Records and its president, Greg Shaw. According to Shaw: "[W]hat he craved most was to escape the fetters of his Dead Boy image and win respect as a singer of contemporary pop rock. . . . in other words, he wanted to be 'the thinking punk's Eric Carmen.'"[1] To this end, and usually with first-wave punk rock veterans in tow, he recorded several singles, many of which were unreleased, and an LP, Disconnected, which was released in 1980. A retrospective album released in 1994, L.A. L.A. documented Bators' efforts as a pop-punk singer.
After England's Sham 69 disbanded, Bators, now located in London, formed the Wanderers with Dave Tregunna, the Sham 69 ex-bass-player. The band came up with a concept album, called Only Lovers Left Alive (released in May 1981), along with two singles.
Bators formed The Lords of the New Church later in 1981 with Brian James of The Damned and Dave Tregunna of Sham 69. (Bators and Tregunna had also been in the Wanderers together). The Lords became notorious for their live shows. A devotee of Iggy Pop, Bators had developed a fearless reputation in his Dead Boys days and continued such antics with The Lords, the most famous being the time he reportedly hanged himself during a show. Bator's stunt went awry and he was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes. Nonetheless, Bator survived and The Lords recorded two more successful albums.
Later, the punk vocalist gained additional exposure through more mainstream film. In 1981, Bators co-starred in the satirical John Waters film, Polyester. Seven years later, Bators made a memorable cameo appearance as "Dick Slammer", lead singer of "The Blender Children", in the offbeat comedy, Tapeheads, starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins.
In December 1985 Bators flew to New York with his best friend Michael Monroe to work Artists United Against Apartheid music video.
The Lords of the New Church broke up in 1989, when Bators injured his back and guitarist Brian James secretly began advertising for a replacement singer.
In 1990, Bators was struck by a taxi while crossing a street in Paris. He was taken to a hospital but reportedly left before seeing a doctor because he had already been waiting several hours, was told to keep waiting, and he did not feel well and wanted to go home. Reports indicate that he died in his sleep as the result of a concussion. Unsubstantiated reports claim that Bators, a fan of rock legend Jim Morrison, had earlier requested that his ashes be spread over Morrison's Paris grave and that his girlfriend complied.
Ready Any Time
Stiv Bators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me such a great big thrill
Achieving airlocks the only way to think
Hollywood high school yards
Makes my bag of candy hard
Got a ball point pecker loaded with inedible ink
And I'm ready anytime
Call me day or night
Cause I'm ready anytime
Sitting in my hotel room
With ecstatic elastic tickle your womb
It's a corduroy condom
A groovy kind of love
Now I'm not afraid to die
Cause I know there's sex after death
Everyone gets laid in coffin
Am I right? right!!
I'm ready at the sperm of the moment
Thanks for mammaries
The lyrics of Stiv Bators's song Ready Any Time are provocative and absurd. The song seems to be about sexual obsessions and fantasies of a young man who is aroused by the uniforms of Catholic girls and the Hollywood High School yards. He talks about achieving airlocks which could be interpreted as a metaphor for sexual intercourse and how it is the only way to think. He then mentions how he gets hard just by thinking about the high school yards and has a penile erection that is loaded with inedible ink. It's a bizarre and graphic description of his arousal.
Later in the song, he talks about sitting in his hotel room with ecstatic elastic tickle your womb, which could be his way of describing masturbation. He then talks about a corduroy condom which is an obscure reference to a type of condom sold in the 70s. The line "Now I'm not afraid to die cause I know there's sex after death" could be interpreted as him saying that he is not afraid to die because he believes there is an afterlife where he can continue to have sex. The song ends with the line "thanks for mammaries" which is a play on words of the phrase "thanks for memories."
Overall, the lyrics of Ready Any Time are nonsensical and obscene. They seem to be a representation of the sexual desires and fantasies of a young man in the 70s. The song is a reflection of the punk rock movement that was popular at the time, which was all about rebellion, anti-establishment, and breaking social norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Uniforms of catholic girls
I find joy and pleasure in the sight of catholic schoolgirl uniforms.
Give me such a great big thrill
Seeing these uniforms excites me.
Achieving airlocks the only way to think
In order to be successful, one must think strategically and be willing to take risks.
Hollywood high school yards
I am reminded of high school when I see the yards of Hollywood High School.
Makes my bag of candy hard
The sight of these yards arouses me.
Got a ball point pecker loaded with inedible ink
I have a penile prosthesis filled with indelible ink.
And I'm ready anytime
I'm ready for sexual activity at any time.
Call me day or night
Feel free to contact me any time of the day or night for sexual activities.
Waiting over here for you
I am waiting to engage in sexual activity with you.
Cause I'm ready anytime
I am always ready for sex.
Sitting in my hotel room
I am currently in a hotel room.
With ecstatic elastic tickle your womb
I have a flexible and durable condom to provide pleasure.
It's a corduroy condom
The condom I have is made of corduroy material.
A groovy kind of love
Sex is a fun and enjoyable experience.
Now I'm not afraid to die
I am not afraid to die because I believe in life after death.
Cause I know there's sex after death
I believe in the possibility of sexual activity after one's death.
Everyone gets laid in coffin
Sexual activity can occur even in a coffin.
Am I right? right!!
This is something to laugh at.
I'm ready at the sperm of the moment
I am always ready for sex, even at the last minute.
Thanks for mammaries
Thank you for the breasts.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BATORS SECICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind