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
Down on the Street
The Stooges Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aah
Ooh
Down on the street where the faces shine
Floatin' around, I'm a real low mind
See a pretty thing
Ain't no wall
See a pretty thing
No wall
No wall
No wall
Ooh
Yeah deep in the night, I'm lost in love
Yeah deep in the night, I'm lost in love
A thousand lighs
Look at you
A thousand lights
Look at you
I'm lost
I'm lost
I'm lost, yeah
I'm lost
Lost, lost, lost
Ooh
Yeah
Yeah
Ooh, low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low
Low, low, low
Faces shine, real low mind
Real low mind
I'm a real low mind
Real low mind
The Stooges song Down On The Street portrays the life of a person lost in lust for somebody, living in streets where pretty things do not have any physical and emotional barriers. As seen through the lyrics, the person is floating around with literally no path in life, finding pleasure in a physical connection with someone. The line "Faces shine, real low mind" refers to the plasticity of people one may meet on the streets. The rest of the lines ooze of the primal desires that the person wants to fulfill.
The lyrics' repetitive nature shows the person's lost, hopeless and trapped state of mind, wandering around the streets without any sense of direction. The song's overall tone indicates a sense of hopelessness, loneliness or desperation as Iggy Pop sings about being "lost in love" with nothing to hold on to. The song's simplicity underscores the sense of isolation and confusion that the person feels, and the monotony of the lyrics further suggests the bleakness of their existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh
The song begins with an indescribable sound.
Aah
The song continues with another indescribable sound.
Ooh
The song yet continues with yet another indescribable sound.
Down on the street where the faces shine
The song describes a location where the faces of people are brightly lit.
Floatin' around, I'm a real low mind
The singer feels like they're aimlessly wandering around, in a low mental state.
See a pretty thing
The singer sees something attractive.
Ain't no wall
There is nothing blocking their vision of the pretty thing they see.
See a pretty thing
The singer sees something else that is attractive.
It ain't no wall
There is nothing blocking their vision of the second pretty thing they see.
No wall
The singer emphasizes that there is no barrier preventing them from seeing the pretty things.
Yeah deep in the night, I'm lost in love
The singer feels like they're completely enamored with something, deep into the night.
A thousand lighs
The singer notices many bright lights around them.
Look at you
The singer is telling someone to look at themselves.
A thousand lights
The singer now emphasizes the many bright lights once again.
Look at you
The singer repeats their earlier statement to look at yourself.
I'm lost
The singer feels lost or disoriented.
I'm lost
The singer repeats the sentiment of being lost.
I'm lost, yeah
The singer reiterates their feeling of being lost.
I'm lost
The singer repeats once again that they are lost.
Lost, lost, lost
The singer concludes the section by repeating the word 'lost' three times.
Ooh
This is yet another indescribable sound in the song.
Yeah
The singer says 'yeah' to signal the start of a new section.
Ooh, low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low
The section begins with more indescribable sounds, followed by a repetition of the word 'low.'
Low, low, low
The singer repeats the word 'low' three times.
Faces shine, real low mind
The singer repeats the earlier description of faces shining on the street, followed by a repetition of feeling in a low mental state.
Real low mind
The singer concludes the song by once again saying they're in a low state of mind.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID ALEXANDER, JAMES OSTERBERG, RONALD ASHETON, SCOTT ASHETON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind