Lick It Up - KISS

Artist: KISS
Song: Lick It Up
Year: 1983
Album: Lick It Up

More really deep lyrics from KISS.

Lyrics:
Yeah, yeah

Don't wanna wait 'til you know me better
Let's just be glad for the time together
Life's such a treat and it's time you taste it
There ain't a reason on earth to waste it
It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) it's only right now
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) whoo yeah
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) come on, come on
Lick it up, lick it up (o-o-oooh)

Ooh!

Don't need to wait for an invitation
You gotta live like you're on vacation
There's something sweet you can't buy with money - lick it up (whoa), lick it up
It's all you need, so believe me honey
It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) it's only right now
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) ooh yeah
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) come on, come on
Lick it up, lick it up (o-o-oooh)

Come on - it's only right now (it's only right now)
Ooh yeah (ooh yeah) ooh yeah (ooh yeah)
Yeah, yeah!

Whoa.........................

Whoa!

Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) it's only right now
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) come on, come on
Lick it up, lick it up (o-o-oooh) whoa
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Lick it up, lick it up, (o-o-oooh) come on, come on

This Charming Man - The Smiths

Artist: The Smiths
Song: This Charming Man
Year: 1983
Album: This Charming Man (single)

An early MTV staple with a jangling guitar.

Lyrics:
A punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate
Will nature make a man of me yet ?

When in this charming car
This charming man


Why pamper life's complexity
When the leather runs smooth
On the passenger seat ?


I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"


A jumped up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things


I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, this charming man ...
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, this charming man ...


A jumped up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things

Rock Of Ages - Def Leppard

Artist: Def Leppard
Song: Rock Of Ages
Year: 1983
Album: Pyromania

I spent a good deal of my youth trying to figure out what was said at the beginning of this song. It turns out that the phrase is utter nonsense and is actually said in place of a 1, 2, 3, 4 count. So much for the mysteries of the ages.

This was my first real exposure to Def Leppard. And it was a good one. It was because of this song that I sought out more music from Def Leppard. I was able to follow the band through their meteoric rise in the late eighties. It was a real treat to be there from somewhere near the beginning.

When I think of this song, I can still picture the Druid imagery embedded throughout the video. It was one of the staples of early MTV and I must have had this song on at least a dozen videotapes that I made in the eighties of overnight MTV programming. You know, when they used to make their living running videos instead of reality shows.

Somewhere I have a tape of the top 100 videos on MTV for that year. It has been a long time since it or any other MTV tape has been viewed. Somewhere, in that year end countdown, is "Rock Of Ages".

Lyrics:
Gunter glieben glauten globen
All right
I got something to say
Yeah, it's better to burn out
Yeah, than fade away
All right
Ow Gonna start a fire
C'mon!
Rise up! gather round
Rock this place to the ground
Burn it up let's go for broke
Watch the night go up in smoke

Rock on! Rock on!

Drive me crazier, no serenade
No fire brigade, just Pyromania

What do you want? What do you want?
I want rock'n'roll, yes I do
Long live rock'n'roll

Oh let's go, let's strike a light
We're gonna blow like dynamite
I don't care if it takes all night
Gonna set this town alight

What do you want? What do you want?
I want rock'n'roll, Allright!
Long live rock'n'roll

Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', keep a-rollin'
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', rock'n'rollin'

We got the power, got the glory
Just say you need it and if you need it
Say yeah!

Heh heh heh heh
Now listen to me
I'm Burnin', Burnin', I got the fever
I know for sure, there ain't no cure
So feel it, don't fight it, go with the flow
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme one more for the road

What do you want? What do you want?
I want rock'n'roll, You betcha
Long live rock'n'roll

Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', keep a-rollin'
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', rock'n'rollin'

We're gonna burn this damn place down
Down to the ground

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh

Green Hell - The Misfits

Artist: The Misfits
Song: Green Hell
Year: 1983
Album: Earth A.D.

The classic punk rock band with horror overtones. It's easy to like the Misfits. They wrote many great short bursts of pure punk delight. I had heard of them through reading music magazines. I would always see their iconic skull for sale on shirts in the classified section of those magazines. I would make a list of what music shirts I would eventually obtain, when I had the money.

I had heard the music many times, but I never connected the music with the band. My first exposure to the Misfits was through Metallica, or so I thought. One of my cousins had actually played Misfits albums before I ever heard the Garage Days EP by Metallica.

"Green Hell" has always been a memorable song for me. I can remember thinking that this was real headbanging music, when I heard Metallica's version. I tried to decipher the lyrics, but found that it was next to impossible. It was only when I heard the original version that I first heard the lyrics more clearly.

This was also my first exposure to Glenn Danzig. I would follow him through many other incarnations throughout the years. None were as satisfying and as joyful as the Misfits though. I'm certainly glad that he and Jerry Only settled their legal differences. I finally saw the Misfits on August 8, 1997, when they opened up for Megadeth. Yes, they played "Green Hell".

Lyrics:
Here in this place lies the genie of death,
touch it, see it, whoa!
Here in this place is the means to your end,
touch it, feel it, green hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could in hell

Were gonna burn in
Hell, green hell
Like every hell but kind of green in
hell, green hell
Were gonna face the mess were in in
hell, green hell
Think I'd rather be up here in
hell, green hell
You know, I fuckin' shake apart in
hell, green hell
Gotta find a way that you will stay
green hell
Cannot forget about the heat in
hell, green hell
Hell is green, I need a flame
hell, green hell
Gonna burn in hell
Green Hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could take it

Here in this place is the genie of death
touch it, see it whoa!
Here in this place is a war to your end
touch it, feel it green hell

You did your best as someone could
I bet you never knew you woke it
And don't you run away from me
I bet you thought you really could
You did your best as no one could
I bet you thought you really could
Were gonna burn in hell

Green Hell

The I-95 Asshole Song - August & The Spur Of The Moment Band

Artist: August & The Spur Of The Moment Band
Song: The I-95 Song
Year: 1983
Album: Lost Horizons single

Contrary to popular belief, this is not Jimmy Buffett. This is also not a whole slew of other artists that have been falsely identified with this song. The song was written and released by Fred "August" Campbell.

In the eighties, this was a popular song on the radio. I can remember a few stations playing it back then, usually for kicks. The song was written after someone cut off the singer in traffic. If that would have never happened, we would have been without this classic.

One of my friends has been playing this song to me for the last twenty years. It's got a catchy beat and catchy lyrics. I may not laugh every time, but there's always a smile on my face after hearing this.

I couldn't find much information on the song itself, but I finally found the original release. It was a b side to a single in 1983. If there is an earlier record of this song, I'm not aware of it. The song has seen its share of odd releases, which only adds to the confusion of finding the original release. All I know is that when someone cuts me off in traffic, I smile and think of this song. It works every time.

Lyrics:
Well I was drivin' down I-95 the other night.
Somebody nearly cut me right off the road.
I decided it wasn't gonna do any good to get mad.
So I wrote a song about him instead.
It goes like this...

Were you born an asshole?
Or did you work at it your whole life?
Either way it worked out fine
'cause you're an asshole tonight.

Yes you're an A S S H O L E...
And don't you try to blame it on me.
You deserve all the credit.
You're an asshole tonight.

You were an asshole yesterday.
You're an asshole tonight.
And I've got a feelin'
you'll be an asshole the rest of your life.

And I was talkin' to your mother
just the other night.
I told her I thought you were an asshole.
She said, "Yes. I think you're right."

And all your friends are assholes
'cause you've known them your whole life.
And somebody told me
you've got an asshole for a wife.

Were you born an asshole?
Or did you work at it your whole life?
Either way it worked out fine
'cause you're an aaaass...hole tonight.