Singer Iggy Pop and his wild onstage antics were often the focus of attention. The band had a shambling, energetic sound deliberately reminiscent of past garage rock groups. They sold very few records in their original incarnation and often performed to indifferent or hostile audiences. Nevertheless, the Stooges are often regarded as hugely influential both on then-nascent heavy metal movement and also on punk rock. As has been said about The Velvet Underground, the handful of people who did actually buy the Stooges' early records at the time ended up forming bands of their own and thus changed history. In fact, Velvet Underground member John Cale produced the original incarnation of their self-titled album. The 1969 album 'The Stooges' has received since its release critical acclaim from many reviewers over the years.
The Stooges drew their sound from a variety of influences. Examples include the often transgressive rock and roll artists The Doors, The MC5, The Rolling Stones, The Troggs, and The Who. As well, the band members enjoyed the work of jazz and soul artists such as Booker T and the MGs, James Brown, and Miles Davis (particularly 'Bitches Brew').
In 2003, Iggy, Scott, and Ron reformed The Stooges with Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt filling in. The 2000s lineup played festivals around the world, and in 2006 recorded a new album with Steve Albini.
Founding member and guitarist Ron Asheton was found dead at his home in Ann Arbor, MI on January 6, 2009. Iggy Pop posted a message on his website stating "I am in shock. He was my best friend."
On June 22, 2016, Williamson made an official statement for the band saying that the Stooges are no more.
"The Stooges is over. Basically, everybody's dead except Iggy and I. So it would be sort-of ludicrous to try and tour as Iggy and the Stooges when there's only one Stooge in the band and then you have side guys. That doesn't make any sense to me."
Website: www.iggyandthestoogesmusic.com
1970
The Stooges Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ninteen-seventy rollin' in sight
Radio burnin' up above
Beautiful baby, feed my love all night
Till I blow away
All night
Till I blow away
Whoo
Baby oh baby, burn my heart
Baby oh baby, burn my heart
Fall apart baby, fall apart
Baby oh baby, burn my heart all night
Till I blow away
All night
Till I blow away
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Whoo
Out of my mind on Saturday night
Ninteen-seventy rollin' in sight
Radio burnin' up above
Beautiful baby, feed my love all night
Till I blow away
All night
Till I blow away
I feel alright, I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright, I feel alright
I feel alright, feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
Well, I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel
Feel
Blow
Blow
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Blow
Blow
I feel alright
Ooh
Feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel alright
I feel alright
I feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
Feel alright
So
The Stooges' song "1970" is a high-energy rock and roll anthem about the party scene of the titular year. The opening lines, "Out of my mind on Saturday night / Nineteen-seventy rollin' in sight," set the tone for the rest of the song as a wild, hedonistic celebration of youth, excess, and rebellion. The singer of the song is taken over by the music and the crowd, losing himself in the moment and giving in to his primal desires. He sings about "Beautiful baby, feed my love all night," suggesting a sexual encounter with someone he meets at the party. The music itself is a frenzied, distorted guitar riff, played with relentless intensity, that drives the song forward and mirrors the singer's wild abandon.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more consumed by the party atmosphere, singing, "Till I blow away / All night / Till I blow away." He feels alive, exhilarated, and invincible, riding the wave of excitement until it finally peters out and he's left feeling "alright." The repeated "feel alright" at the end of the song is both a declaration of triumph and a reassurance to himself that it's all worth it. The final lines, "Feel alright / Blow / Blow / I feel alright / Ooh / Feel alright," capture the reckless, ecstatic spirit of the song and the time period it represents.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of my mind on Saturday night
I am losing my mind on a night of wild partying on a weekend
Ninteen-seventy rollin' in sight
It's the year 1970 and things are happening
Radio burnin' up above
The radio is playing loudly and adding to the party atmosphere
Beautiful baby, feed my love all night
There is a beautiful woman who is fulfilling my sexual desires all night long
Till I blow away
I will continue partying until I pass out or die
All night
The partying will continue throughout the night
I feel alright, I feel alright
I am high on drugs and feeling good in the moment
Whoo
An expression of excitement and enjoyment
Baby oh baby, burn my heart
The woman is causing intense passion and emotions within me
Fall apart baby, fall apart
I want the woman to lose herself completely in the moment with me
Baby oh baby, burn my heart all night
The passion and intensity will continue all night long
Feel alright
I am still feeling good and high
Blow
An expression of excitement and wild abandon
Ooh
An expression of pleasure or delight
So
The song ends with a final expression of excitement and enjoyment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID ALEXANDER, JAMES OSTERBERG, RONALD ASHETON, SCOTT ASHETON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind