He got his start around 1965 when, as a teenager living in Chicago inspired by contemporary rock n roll, he formed the first version of The Amboy Dukes. The name harks back to a somewhat infamous exploitation novel of the time. When Nugent went back to his Michigan roots in 1967, he assembled what would be the classic line-up of the Dukes, and they built a reputation as a raucous group. Their 1968 album Journey to the Center of the Mind, the title track blasting into the top 20, brought the band national stardom, but they would become bogged down in inter-group conflicts that left the Nuge the sole constant member.
Going solo, Nugent achieve fame as a solo artist for an arena-ready mix of hard rock with blues and psychedelic influences, particularly getting a reputation for wild stage performances by antics such as playing dressed as Tarzan (with just a loincloth on). In the 80s, the Nuge even tried his hand at acting in a haunting episode of the TV drama Miami Vice. It received both a strong critical and fan response.
In 1989, he joined Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, and drummer legend Michael Cartellone to form the hard rock supergroup Damn Yankees, which produced the 90s chart toppers "Come Again", a Billboard's #1, and "High Enough", an emotional power ballad (backed by a string section no less). The latter track led to the creation of a popular music video, the song reaching #3 on the U.S. Hot 100 and #2 on the AOR charts. After the band's folding, the Nuge continued his solo career and even managed yet another stint in a rock supergroup, this one being the TV series produced Damnocracy
Outside of music, Nugent has gained fame and notoriety, leading to widespread controversy, for his support of hunting and for various conservative political causes. His comments vehemently blasting various public figures from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have brought his name frequently to the headlines. He's also an important member of the NRA (National Rifle Association). He's written four books and numerous articles while also appearing many times in the news media, with his autobiography appropriately titled 'God, Guns, & Rock n' Roll.'
Besides a regular reality type show on cable showcasing Ted's outdoorsman skills, his most recent foray in music was the aformentioned reality television show, titled 'Supergroup', which resulted in the creation of band called Damnocracy. The band's other members were Sebastian Bach (formerly of Skid Row), Scott Ian (Anthrax) Jason Bonham ("Bonham", son of Zeppelin's John Bonham) and Evan Seinfeld (Biohazard). Though coming to an end quickly, it generated a large fan response.
Throughout his career, Nugent has climbed up the Billboard charts with multiple singles and albums. His latest album was titled 'Ultralive Ballisticrock', and he released it in 2013 through Frontiers Records. He continues to tour as of 2014, and plans for yet another album is in the works.
American rocker Ted Nugent has unveiled a lyric video for his new single “Come And Take It” from his upcoming studio album Detroit Muscle, which will be released via Pavement Music on April 29, 2022.
For photographs and more information see Ted Nugent's official website, www.TedNugent.com
Terminus El Dorado
Ted Nugent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well
Cooped up inside the house,
She had no place to go
Runnin' for the weekend
Her daddy done told her no.
All alone with the TV set
Thinkin of things to do
Gonna call up her best girlfriend
'Cause maybe she can do it too
Her daddy had bought a brand new car
Shiny red as can be
A convertible top and a cb too
"or maybe he got it for me"
She got the nerve
She got the keys
Take it for a little ride
Ain't old enough to drive alone
But she just couldn't stay inside
Terminus ha ha ha
Ah ha ha ha
Should have listened to your daddy
Little girl
Ha ha ha
So they cruised downtown to the local run
Show off a new Cadillac
A little high, maybe do or die
She ain't gonna make it back
Its a big red El Dorado
Much too fast for her
Forgot about tomorrow
That much is for sure
Ah oh
She didn't see the tandem gravel truck
Passin on the curve
Too much fun
Too little luck
She didn't have time to swerve
Terminus terminus
Terminus El Dorado
Terminus terminus
Terminus El Dorado
Terminus terminus
Its all over for you baby
No more
Should have listened to your papa
Bitch
The crows be pickin at your flesh
And ya got no control of the sitiation
Ha ha ha ha ha
Ah ha ha ha ha
Good riddance baby
Bye bye
Bye bye baby
Ha ha ha
Nah nah na nah nah naahh naahh
The song "Terminus El Dorado" by Ted Nugent tells the story of a young girl who is stuck inside her house with nothing to do. She desires to venture out on the weekend but her father had prohibited her from doing so. She decides to call her best friend and take her father's brand new Cadillac for a joyride. Unluckily, she hasn't learned how to drive and ends up losing control of the vehicle, leading to a fatal accident with a tandem gravel truck.
The song metaphorically revolvers around the idea that pleasure-seeking without caution- in this case, taking the Cadillac and going for a joyride- leads to terrible consequences. The line "Forgot about tomorrow, that much is for sure" showcases this idea. The phrase "Terminus" is Latin for the final end of something or a boundary. The song uses this ending to demonstrate that the girl's predicament has reached its absolute end, figuratively and literally. The song ends with the singer confirming the girl's death and implying that she deserved it, as she did not listen to her father's advice.
Interesting facts about "Terminus El Dorado" include that it's a cover of an old blues song called "Stop Breakin' Down," which was written by the iconic blues artist Robert Johnson. Nugent changed the lyrics and added his own unique guitar solos to create his unique version, as is frequent with cover songs. Another interesting fact is that, even though the song released in 1981, Nugent wrote and recorded it in 1976, and it just sat on a shelf for five years because it was not considered suitable for release at the time. Also, Ted Nugent's vocals on the track sound eerie, almost as if he's taunting the young girl who passed away in the accident.
Chords: Am, G, F, E, A, B, C, D.
Line by Line Meaning
Cooped up inside the house, She had no place to go
The girl was stuck at home with nowhere to go.
Runnin' for the weekend Her daddy done told her no.
She wanted to go out for the weekend, but her dad said no.
All alone with the TV set Thinkin of things to do
She was bored and trying to come up with ways to entertain herself.
Gonna call up her best girlfriend 'Cause maybe she can do it too
She planned to call her friend to see if she wanted to hang out as well.
Her daddy had bought a brand new car Shiny red as can be A convertible top and a cb too 'or maybe he got it for me'
Her dad had bought a new red car, which she may have thought was for her.
She got the nerve She got the keys Take it for a little ride Ain't old enough to drive alone But she just couldn't stay inside
She gathered the courage to take the car for a drive, even though she wasn't old enough to do so alone.
Terminus ha ha ha
The singer mocks the girl's decision to take the car.
Should have listened to your daddy Little girl Ha ha ha
The artist suggests that the girl should have obeyed her father's instructions.
So they cruised downtown to the local run Show off a new Cadillac A little high, maybe do or die She ain't gonna make it back
She took the car to show off in town, feeling a little reckless and unaware of the danger.
Its a big red El Dorado Much too fast for her Forgot about tomorrow That much is for sure Ah oh
She was driving a big, fast car that she couldn't handle and wasn't thinking about the consequences.
She didn't see the tandem gravel truck Passin on the curve Too much fun Too little luck She didn't have time to swerve
She was having too much fun and didn't notice a truck passing by, leaving her with too little time to react.
Terminus terminus Terminus El Dorado
The crash becomes a terminating point in her life, as symbolized by the car.
No more Should have listened to your papa Bitch The crows be pickin at your flesh And ya got no control of the sitiation Ha ha ha ha ha Ah ha ha ha ha
The singer is gloating over her death, saying she should have followed her father's advice, and that she is now helpless and powerless in her situation.
Good riddance baby Bye bye Bye bye baby Ha ha ha Nah nah na nah nah naahh naahh
The singer says goodbye to the girl, showing a callous attitude towards her death.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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