Lust For Life

One sign of aging is noticing the use of the songs from your youth in television advertisements. I will never get used to it. I remember my mother complaining about the same thing in the 1960s, but I paid it no mind really. She was my mother which meant she was old and they only use old songs on television commercials. No problem.

I think the first time I was personally blind-sided by this was the use of some Jimi Hendrix song to sell a car. Still, Jimi Hendrix died when I was twelve, so he was really of an earlier generation. As was Janis Joplin, whose little diddy Mercedes Benz was used by that car company in the 1980s.

In the late nineties a car company used Iggy Pop's Lust For Life and I was floored. I rationalized that it was OK because the song had been used in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan and had become part of the general pop consciousness.

Iggy Pop has never been mainstream, so to hear one of his songs used in a television commercial is always disconcerting. Lust For Life was co-written by David Bowie, who brought Iggy as deep into the mainstream as he had ever been; but even Bowie's middle-of-the-roadness can't soften the edge of Iggy's lyrics. Iggy is simply not mainstream or middle-of-the-road.

Last night I noticed Lust For Life being used in an ad for a cruise line. There is nothing more middle-of-the-road than one of those all-inclusive cruises-to-nowhere. So, I am baffled that Iggy’s music would be used.

I wonder if the cruise line's board of directors, its officers, or even its VP of PR have ever heard the lyrics to Lust For Life. Or, did some conglomerated advertising agency only play the infectious music and the lyric edited to say: "Here comes Johnny Yen again, with a lust for life." This edit completely sanitizes the sentiment of the song. Couldn't be further from the spirit of an Iggy song.

If the cruise line's owners heard the actual lyrics, do you think they would have allowed it to be used? I can see it: Lovely image of a white nuclear family swimming in an onboard pool or playing shuffleboard while Iggy sings: "Here comes Johnny Yen again, with the liquor and drugs, and the flesh machine, he's gonna do another strip-tease"?

I find that to be a great lyric and it would make a very appealing advertisement, but for what product? I don't think Joe Boardofdirectors at Happy White Family Cruise Lines would be happy if he learns that his VP of PR is using a song that includes "of course I've had it in the ear before" on the lyric sheet to advertise his fun family all-inclusive cruise to nowhere on the world’s cleanest and funnest ship.

So, for the benefit of all corporate members of the board, I offer you the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, which you keep using to sell cars and cruises and the such:

Lust For Life
(Words by Iggy Pop, Music by David Bowie)

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 you get
That lotion? I been hurting
Since I bought the gimmick
About something called love
Yeah something called love
That's like hypnotizing chickens

Well I am just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life

I'm worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a GTO
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
With the liquor and drugs
With the liquor and drugs

Well I am just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life

I got a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Oh a lust for life
Oh a lust for life
A lust for life
I got a lust for life
I got a lust for life

Well I am just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life

Here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And the flesh machine
He's gonna do another striptease

Hey man where'd you get
That lotion? Your skin starts
Itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Oh love love love
That's like hypnotizing chickens

Well I am just a modern guy
Of course I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life

Got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Oh a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life
A lust for life
Lust for life
Lust for life

From the 1977 Iggy Pop album Lust For Life

It really is a great song!

The only good thing about advertising agencies using this song is that Iggy is making money each time it's used. Between the royalties from Lust For Life and China Girl, he can probably pay the mortgage indefinitely. I would never begrudge Iggy the money.

I wish the corporate types would listen to the lyrics of the songs being to peddle their wares. I think I would feel better if Lust For Life was used to advertise booze or prescription drugs or a rehabilitation center? At least they are products more in line with the sensibility of the song.

Anyway . . . in the end, I am glad Iggy is making money. I should just stop watching television!

Peace.