In 1976, Hell either was kicked out of the Heartbreakers or quit the group, depending on whom you believe, and was replaced by Billy Rath, who, according to legend, was a gigolo. Hell went on to form his own band, The Voidoids.
Arriving for a European tour just as the UK punk scene was building momentum, the Heartbreakers developed a following playing in and around London. The band's members and image were widely associated with drug use, specifically, heroin. The Sex Pistols invited them to open for them on the ill-fated Anarchy Tour. They shortly signed with Track Records. Their debut--and only--studio album, L.A.M.F., featured all the Heartbreakers' popular live songs. The release of the album put a huge strain on the band, because of anger among some band members over the poor quality of the mix. Several of the members of the band left at this point. The band reformed in 1979 for a few farewell shows at Max’s Kansas City with drummer Ty Stix sitting in for Nolan. The resulting live album Live at Max's Kansas City '79 is considered a punk classic. The Heartbreakers' song, London Boys, is a swipe at the Sex Pistols, in response to the Pistols' New York, a put-down of the New York Dolls.
The band re-formed occasionally to play at New York clubs until the death of Johnny Thunders in 1991. Jerry Nolan died a few months later, in 1992. Live shows often consisted of songs performed with the New York Dolls or taken from Johnny Thunders' solo career. Richard Hell rarely plays music live, concentrating instead on writing and spoken-word performances. Billy Rath's whereabouts are currently unknown, leading to various rumors such as that he died or became a priest. Walter Lure still performs about once a month with his band the Waldos, performing mostly Heartbreakers songs
Blank generation
The Heartbreakers Lyrics
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even born--it's such a gamble when you get a face
It's fascinatin to observe what the mirror does
but when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first
The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, "God's consolation prize!"
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
To hold the t.v. to my lips, the air so packed with cash
then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks
and watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the blank generation and
I can take it or leave it each time
I belong to the ______ generation but
I can take it or leave it each time
The lyrics of Blank Generation by The Heartbreakers seem to depict the bizarre, disheartening reality of living in a society obsessed with image and spectacle. The singer begins by saying that they wanted to leave before they were even born, indicating a sense of disillusionment with the world they were brought into. The lyrics also suggest that having a face in this world is a gamble, as it seems to dictate how one is seen and treated. The singer finds it fascinating to observe themselves in the mirror, yet when they dine, it's not for their own sake, but to set a place for the wall, highlighting the emptiness and isolation they feel.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I belong to the blank generation, but I can take it or leave it each time." This could be interpreted as a rejection of the societal norms and expectations placed upon them, and a refusal to conform to the predetermined mold. The second verse adds to the surreal nature of the narrative, with triangles falling at the window as the doctor curses, and the nurse adjusting her garters as the singer takes their first breath. The doctor's aggressive act of grabbing the singer's throat and yelling "God's consolation prize" is a disturbing image that reinforces the idea of feeling like a pawn or an afterthought in a world that values appearances over substance.
The final verse describes a sense of escapism and distraction from the bleak reality, with the singer holding the TV to their lips, carrying it up flights of stairs, and dropping it in a vacant lot. Losing their train of thought and falling into someone's "arms' tracks" while watching passing dots beneath their eyelids suggests a desire for human connection and escape from the superficiality of the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I was sayin let me out of here before I was even born--it's such a gamble when you get a face
I feel like I didn't choose to be here and having a physical body is a risk because people will judge me based on my looks.
It's fascinatin to observe what the mirror does but when I dine it's for the wall that I set a place
Looking at myself in a mirror is interesting, but when I eat dinner, it's not for nourishment or enjoyment, it's just for the sake of routine.
I belong to the blank generation and I can take it or leave it each time
I identify as part of a group of people who feel disconnected and disillusioned with society, but I'm indifferent about it.
Triangles were fallin at the window as the doctor cursed He was a cartoon long forsaken by the public eye
As I was being born, I could see shapes and patterns outside the window while the doctor was frustrated and seemed like a forgotten character from a cartoon.
The nurse adjusted her garters as I breathed my first The doctor grabbed my throat and yelled, 'God's consolation prize!'
The nurse was adjusting her stockings as soon as I took my first breath, but the doctor who helped deliver me seemed angry and yelled at me as if I was a punishment from God.
To hold the t.v. to my lips, the air so packed with cash then carry it up flights of stairs and drop it in the vacant lot
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the materialism and consumerism in our society and it's tempting to destroy things that represent those values.
To lose my train of thought and fall into your arms' tracks and watch beneath the eyelids every passing dot
When I'm with someone I care about, I can get lost in my thoughts and just focus on being close to them, even if it means losing track of what I was thinking about before.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD HELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind