Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sounds of their 80s hair metal and glam rock contemporaries. Yet it was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their t-shirt and jeans image, a 'street' look reminiscent of the Ramones (and other 70s punk groups) that was in strong contrast of the leather, spandex, and flashy-make type look of the time.
The band's early lifespan as City Kidd brought them considerable frustration, with them failing to break into the musical mainstream while also competing with another band with the same name. Their mutation into Tesla provided a clear shot at success. 'Mechanical Resonance', their debut that the boys released in 1986, became a commercial smash while also receiving significant critical praise. That album was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 5, 1989.
In total, the group has released six studio albums with original music, the latest of them being 2008's 'Forever More'. They have also created a a double-disc covers album, titled 'Real To Reel', as well as a number of compilations and live albums. Their sound has focused on a particularly melodic and accessible kind of hard rock with strong shades of classic heavy metal as well.
Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison's Medicine and Love Song.
The band derived their name, certain album and song names (e.g. The Great Radio Controversy, Mechanical Resonance, etc), and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary, modern day Croatia.
I Wanna Live
Tesla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is everything that I'm supposed to be
I have my hopes, I've got my dreams
I had to fight for what is right for me
And other things that I expect
I take them all and I have no regrets
Life's too short, there's no rain check
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
You tell me this, you tell me that
They wrote the rules but that ain't where it's at
They only dare to tell me lies
And do I listen? I don't even try
And life's an act, the worlds a stage
I'm like an animal outta my cage
I'm runnin' wild, I'm runnin' free
Just one shot at it is all we need
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
There's so much more I wanna try
I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
I can't wait around, I just can't waste my time
I don't care if you think that I'm outta my mind
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
There's so much more I wanna try
I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live, I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
The lyrics to Tesla's song "I Wanna Live" are about living life to the fullest and not letting the world pass you by. The singer of the song wants to be everything he's supposed to be, have his hopes and dreams fulfilled, and fight for what is right for him. He doesn't want to live with any regrets and believes that life is too short to miss out on opportunities. He wants to live life on his own terms and not be confined by the rules that society has imposed on him. He believes that life is an act, and the world is a stage, and he wants to run wild and free.
The singer of the song knows that he can't wait around and waste his time. He wants to take risks, try new things, and make the most of every moment. He doesn't care what others think of him and is willing to be seen as out of his mind to live his life as he wants. The lyrics are a call to action to live a life that is fulfilling, exciting, and true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
What I want and what I need
Is everything that I'm supposed to be
I have my hopes, I've got my dreams
I had to fight for what is right for me
I have fought for everything that I believe in and everything that I want for myself, which align perfectly with my destiny.
And other things that I expect
I take them all and I have no regrets
Life's too short, there's no rain check
Just one shot at it is all you get
I take all the opportunities that come my way because life is too short and there are no second chances to live it fully.
You tell me this, you tell me that
They wrote the rules but that ain't where it's at
They only dare to tell me lies
And do I listen? I don't even try
People try to control me and tell me what to do, but their rules and lies are not relevant to me.
And life's an act, the worlds a stage
I'm like an animal outta my cage
I'm runnin' wild, I'm runnin' free
Just one shot at it is all we need
Life is a performance, and I am living it like an animal out of the cage – free and full of spirit. We only have one chance to live, so we should live it to the fullest.
I can't wait around, I just can't waste my time
I don't care if you think that I'm outta my mind
I don't want to waste a single moment waiting for something to happen – I want to make my own life happen. I don't care what others think of me or my choices.
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
There's so much more I wanna try
I wanna live
I want to live life to the fullest and not let it pass me by, because there is so much more I want to experience and achieve in my lifetime.
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live
I am determined to live my life fully and not let it pass me by, no matter what others might think or say. I want to live before I die!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID THOMAS, DON BLACK, SIMON PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@From_The_Shadow_I_Come
What I want and what I need
Is everything that I'm supposed to be
I have my hopes, I've got my dreams
I had to fight for what is right for me
And other things that I expect
I take them all and I have no regrets
Life's too short, there's no rain check
Just one shot at it is all you get
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
You tell me this, you tell me that
They wrote the rules but that ain't where it's at
They only dare to tell me lies
And do I listen? I don't even try
And life's an act, the worlds a stage
I'm like an animal outta my cage
I'm runnin' wild, I'm runnin' free
Just one shot at it is all we need
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
There's so much more I wanna try
I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
I can't wait around, I just can't waste my time
I don't care if you think that I'm outta my mind
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
There's so much more I wanna try
I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live, I wanna live
I wanna live before I die
Don't want the world to pass me by
I wanna live, I wanna live before I die
@sharoncarter6081
We Love you Tesla...Thanks for being there!!!!!✌❤🎸👍☮
@Heatmi5er
Tesla is one of the most underrated rock bands ever. Great song. I can't wait for the album to be released. PS - Frank Hannon is an AMAZING guitarist who, like the band, is vastly underrated.
@raymurphyjr5830
Tesla is that timeless band that always makes me feel young no matter what song I listen to if it's from 30 35 years ago or something off the newest album or anywhere in between I love the way that music makes me feel in that band absolutely love each and every one of the members of Tesla keep on rocking and keep on kicking ass
@kathysmith3977
Love this song and video. You guys will always be my ultimate fav band....
@roadkillofficialaustralia
Great band and this song, terrific and we LOVE 'Forevermore' - a GREAT album! \m/
@pannibal93
My mom grew up with Tesla, and so did I. They are one of the best bands from Sacramento, and will always be.
@faithbowen9433
Music that hits your rock bone!
@IIIIILizIIIII
These guys never cease to amaze me - SO unbelievably good. Truly amazing. Hands down, one of THE best rock bands of all time. (And one of the most under-rated bands of all time, too.)
@MustangCrzy
All time favorite band!!!! Still have the concert shirt from the first Tesla concert I saw in Dallas Texas! Lots of holes in it but I will never give it up....or any of the rest of them! See them every chance I get! Most under-rated band ever!!!!! Love you guys!!!!
@aibobull
Esta cancion esta buenisima, me alegra mucho que tesla este de regreso, pues todavia quedamos fans del viejo metal, el original yeah !!!! saludos desde México