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Lust for Life (Iggy Pop song)

"Lust for Life" is a 1977 song performed by American singer Iggy Pop and co-written by David Bowie, featured on the album of the same name. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 149 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", re-ranking it at No. 325 in their 2021 updated list.[5]

"Lust for Life"

"Success"

September 9, 1977 (1977-09-09)

June 1977[1]

Hansa (West Berlin)[2]

5:12

RCA

David Bowie

Composition and performance[edit]

Co-written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie (written on a ukulele), the song is known for its opening drumbeat (played by Hunt Sales). The rhythm was based on the Armed Forces Network call signal,[6] which Pop and Bowie picked up on while waiting for a broadcast of Starsky & Hutch.[6] The drumbeat has since been imitated in numerous songs, including "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet and "Selfish Jean" by Travis; however, Sales's use of the rhythm was not original, as it was itself derived from "You Can't Hurry Love", released in July 1966 by The Supremes,[7] and "I'm Ready for Love", released in October 1966 by Martha and the Vandellas.[8]


In 1977, the song reached No. 3 on the Dutch Top 40. Its success was credited to a performance in the Dutch pop TV show TopPop, where Iggy Pop, shirtless, wrecked part of the stage set (which consisted of a couple of potted plants and some cardboard scenery). Although many viewers and newspapers complained about the apparent damage, the director of TopPop later admitted that they knew beforehand what Iggy was going to do and that the damage was minimal.[9][10]

Lyrics[edit]

The song's lyrics contain a number of references to William S. Burroughs' experimental novel The Ticket That Exploded, most notably mentions of "Johnny Yen" (described by Burroughs as "The Boy-Girl Other Half strip tease God of sexual frustration") and "hypnotizing chickens".


In a 1995 interview, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and manager Danny Sugerman stated that the opening lyrics were about their deceased heroin dealer, nicknamed "Gypsy Johnny", arriving at Wonderland Avenue, with his heroin and his "motorized dildos".[8]

– lead vocals

Iggy Pop

– piano

David Bowie

– lead guitar

Ricky Gardiner

– bass, backing vocals

Tony Sales

– rhythm guitar

Carlos Alomar

– drums, tambourine, shaker, backing vocals

Hunt Sales

According to biographer Chris O'Leary:[1]

Ambrose, Joe (2004). Gimme Danger: The Story of Iggy Pop. London: . ISBN 978-1-84449-328-9.

Omnibus Press

O'Leary, Chris (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. London: Repeater.  978-1912248308.

ISBN

Pegg, Nicholas (2016). (Revised and Updated ed.). London: Titan Books. ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.

The Complete David Bowie

Seabrook, Thomas Jerome (2008). Bowie in Berlin: A New Career in a New Town. London: Jawbone Press.  978-1-90600-208-4.

ISBN

(2007). Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed. New York City: Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-76792-319-4.

Trynka, Paul