Lust for Life (Iggy Pop song)

Composition and performance

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, which Pop and Bowie picked up on while waiting for a broadcast of Starsky & Hutch. 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, and "I'm Ready for Love", released in October 1966 by Martha and the Vandellas; both songs were penned by Motown's Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team.

In October 1977, the song was released as a single in The Netherlands and Belgium, reaching 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.

''Trainspotting''

"Lust for Life" gained renewed popularity in the late 1990s after being featured in the 1996 British film Trainspotting. The song was heavily featured in the film's marketing campaign and subsequent soundtrack album, resulting in a new UK chart peak of No. 26 on the singles chart after being reissued as a single. It also reached No. 39 on the US Radio & Records Alternative chart, No. 44 in Canada, and No. 2 in Iceland. The single's success inspired Pop's then-label Virgin Records to issue a greatest hits compilation titled Nude & Rude. Pop's biographer Joe Ambrose wrote that the song gained the same level of resurgence as The Doors' "The End" after that song's inclusion in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film Apocalypse Now. In 1999, Pop reflected on the song's renewed popularity:

A remix by the Prodigy was included in *Trainspotting'''s 2017 sequel, *T2 Trainspotting''.

Lyrics

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".

Track listing

1977 Netherlands single

1. "Lust for Life" – 5:11
2. "Success" – 4:23

1996 UK single

1. "Lust for Life" – 5:11
2. "(Get Up I Feel Like A) Sex Machine" – 4:05
3. "Lust for Life (Live at the Feile Festival, 1993)" – 5:35
4. "I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at the Rock for Choice Benefit concert)" – 4:55

Personnel

According to biographer Chris O'Leary:

• Iggy Pop – lead vocals
• David Bowie – piano
• Ricky Gardiner – lead guitar
• Tony Sales – bass, backing vocals
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• Hunt Sales – drums, tambourine, shaker, backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

Bibliography

References

1. "Iggy Pop singles".
2. Smith, Murray. (March 29, 2002). "Trainspotting". [[British Film Institute]].
3. Schiller, Rebecca. (June 4, 2018). "100 Best Songs of the 1970s".
4. Swanson, Dave. (February 7, 2013). "Top 10 Iggy Pop Songs".
5. Pareles, Jon. (January 13, 2016). "Iggy Pop on David Bowie: "He Resurrected Me"". [[The New York Times]].
6. Boilen, Bob. (January 15, 2008). "Old Music Tuesdays: The Lust for Life Beat". NPR.
7. Uitti, Jacob. (November 14, 2022). "Behind the Spirit-Lifting History and Meaning of "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop".
8. Bessemer, Ronald. (August 4, 2009). "Rev. of Iggy Pop, ''Lust for Life''". Platomania.
9. (April 22, 2007). "TopPop". School voor Journalistiek.
10. (November 1, 1996). "Alternative Top 50".
11. "Various Artists: T2 Trainspotting: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack".
12. "Iggy Pop ARIA chart history (1988 to 2024)". ARIA.
13. (October 25, 1996). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (24.10. – 30.10. '96)". [[DV (newspaper).
14. (December 7, 1996). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
15. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1977". [[Dutch Top 40]].
16. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1977". [[MegaCharts]].
17. "Jaaroverzichten 1978". [[Ultratop]].
18. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1978". [[MegaCharts]].
19. (January 2, 1997). "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir.