Iggy Pop – Lust For Life

This song is a pure joy to listen to although the song is about Iggy Pop’s life as a heroin addict. He was trying to get clean around this time and was somewhat sober.

David Bowie co-wrote this song with Pop, with Bowie composing the music on a ukulele. It was inspired by the opening to the American Forces Network News, which they listened to in Berlin.

The song was released in 1977 but didn’t chart. The song was re-released as a single in 1996, featured on the soundtrack for the British film Trainspotting.

While the song didn’t chart when it was first released, this reissue peaked at #26 in the UK in 1996.

Iggy Pop: “Once a week the Armed Forces Network would play Starsky & Hutch and that was our little ritual. AFN would broadcast an ID when they came on the air, a representation of a radio tower, and it made a signal sound, ‘beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-ba-beep.’ And we went, ‘Aha we’ll take that!’. David grabbed his ukulele, worked out the chords, and away we went.”

Lust For Life

Here comes johnny yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
He’s gonna do another strip tease.
Hey man, where’d ya get that lotion?

I’ve been hurting since I’ve bought the gimmick
About something called love
Yeah, something called love.
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens.

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before.
I have a lust for life
‘Cause of a lust for life.

I’m worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a g.t.o
Wear a uniform

All on a government loan.
I’m worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I’m through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains

No more beating my brains
With liquor and drugs
With liquor and drugs.

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before
Well, I’ve a lust for life (lust for life)
‘Cause of a lust for life (lust for life, oooo)

I got a lust for life (oooo)
Got a lust for life (oooo)
Oh, a lust for life (oooo)
Oh, a lust for life (oooo)

A lust for life (oooo)
I got a lust for life (oooo)
Got a lust for life.

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in my ear before
Well, I’ve a lust for life
’cause I’ve a lust for life.

Here comes johnny yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
He’s gonna do another strip tease.

Hey man, where’d ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Love, love, love
Well, that’s like hypnotizing chickens.

Well, I’m just a modern guy
Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before
And I’ve a lust for life (lust for life)
‘Cause I’ve a lust for life (lust for life)

Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
A lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life

Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust_for_Life_(Iggy_Pop_song)

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/iggy-pop/lust-for-life

 

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

33 thoughts on “Iggy Pop – Lust For Life”

  1. a catchy song no doubt, though a bit over-played everywhere. A friend who’s a radio DJ pointed out the absurdity of it being used to sell cruises to retirees in commercials these days… perhaps not what Iggy had in mind. though he probably is OK with the royalties.

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      2. LOL that would have fit like a…I could say shoe but that would be too easy. But at the time I do wish they would have said NO…

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  3. This song has gotten a lot of play through commercials over the years- which is i think a good thing. The old ‘selling out” doesn’t apply anymore- you have to get your music out there and certainly you are not going to hear Iggy Pop for example when you turn your radio on.

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    1. In these times yea you have to. I wouldn’t have said that in the 80s and 90s…but now the business is so fractured…you don’t have a choice.

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      1. Yep sadly times have changed- I just can’t blame the artists anymore for doing what they have to do. The 1960’s are over.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. They sure are with a crashing thud Hans. Now 50s artists I never held that against them back then because most of them got ripped off the first time around…but yea…I was upset over the Revolution and Nike commercial…I wouldn’t be now.

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      3. I agree with you guys, more or less. Through the 90s I was steadfastly against artists letting their music be used in ads, unless they were real struggling unknowns. Now I think it’ s a very good career move to help get heard.

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      4. You almost have to now…it’s one central place that you can get something heard… as hard as that is to say.

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  5. Heard this plenty of times and not on the TV or radio. With my Iggy ex, I heard MUCH. He had a poster of Iggy on the wall. It was a shot of him, in B&W, no shirt on, leaning on his microphone. He told me that Iggy was strung out on heroin and just staring at the crowd, completely out of his mind.

    “I’m only five foot one”
    “And, I’m doin’ the things that a five foot one man can do…”
    LOL!

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    1. That is me…I didn’t know it back then either. it’s such a big song/sound. It sounds like a hit…I’m not sure why it wasn’t pushed.

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  7. I mainly know Iggy Pop for his name and affiliation with David Bowie, much less for his music. Though I had heard that tune, which I agree is catchy. While it didn’t chart in the U.S. at the time, apparently, it climbed to no. 4 and no. 6 in the Dutch and Belgian charts, respectively. I don’t recall hearing the tune on the radio in Germany.

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  11. Pingback: Iggy Pop – Lust For Life – Karen O'Brien Country Music

  12. It’s great and my fave Iggy Pop song. I have another playlist just for dancing (aka ‘exercising’) to and have put it in that. I might put it in one of the others, too. Different tempo, but I also love Gimme Danger.

    Off topic: have you seen/heard the Bowie rehearsal of Waiting for the Man? I think you’ll like it. (I’ll post it to a separate comment.)

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