Motörhead



Motörhead were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.

Song lyrics


All lyrics written by Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, unless noted.

Motörhead (1977)

 * Motörhead, remember me now Motörhead, alright
 * Motorhead


 * One day one day, they'll go for the sun, Together they'll slide, on the eternal run, Wasted forever, on speed bikes and booze, Yeah tramp and the brothers, all born to lose, On Iron Horse he flies, on Iron Horse he gladly dies, Iron Horse his wife, Iron Horse his life
 * Iron Horse/Born to Lose, written by Phil Taylor, Mick Brown and Guy "Tramp" Lawrence


 * World in prison screams in pain, There are no leaders you can blame, Human greed destroys your sphere, And there's no room for you out here, You're on your own now.
 * The Watcher

Overkill (1979)



 * Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud, So good you can't believe it's screaming with the crowd, Don't sweat it, get it back to you, Overkill, Overkill
 * Overkill


 * So you see, the only proof, Of what you are is in the way you see the truth, Don't be scared, live to win, Although they're always gonna tell you it's a sin, In the end, you're on your own, And there is no-one that can stop you being alone, Stay Clean.
 * Stay Clean


 * I always knew, the only way, Is never live, beyond today, They proved me right, They proved me wrong, But they could never last this long, My life, my heart, black night, dark star, Capricorn
 * Capricorn

Bomber (1979)



 * My Father, he used to be a Preacher, Never taught me nothing but scorn, If I ever catch him on the street, yeah, I'll make him wish he'd never been born, He was Poison, Guess he poisoned my life He was Poison, I wish my mother wasn't his wife, no!
 * Poison


 * Television screams, your face turning green, Don't listen to the news, Don't know what you hear, they never make it clear, They like to keep your state confused, Propaganda time, the official line, You're hungry, you get fed, Everlasting smile, you must convey their style, But they're just a Talking Head
 * Talking Head

Ace of Spades (1980)



 * If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man, You win some, lose some, all the same to me, The pleasure is to play, makes no difference what you say, I don't share your greed, the only card I need is The Ace Of Spades
 * Ace of Spades


 * I know it's hard, a natural drag, It's a hassle to fight, If you don't wanna be a slag, If you believe you're right, They've got the power now, But soon it's our hour now, We all know where we been, All we do is Live To Win
 * Live to Win


 * Another town another place, Another girl, another face, Another truce, another race, I'm eating junk, feeling bad, Another night, I'm going mad, My woman's leaving, I feel sad, But I just love the life I lead, Another beer is what I need, Another gig my ears bleed, We Are The Road Crew
 * (We Are) The Road Crew

Iron Fist (1982)



 * You know me, evil eye You know me, prepare to die You know me, the snakebite kiss Devil's grip, the Iron Fist
 * Iron Fist


 * I'm a loser I'm a loser, that's what they said That's what they said Now I got their women in my bed You buy me a drink and you wish that I was dead
 * Loser


 * People gonna make ya wonder if you're right Keep ya wide awake and worried late at night Why don't ya tell'em to beat it Why don't ya tell'em to eat it Just a bunch of clowns Don't let'em grind ya down
 * (Don't Let 'em) Grind Ya Down


 * Don't need no time for prayer Don't save no knee-pads for me up there If your head's alright, ya don't need binoculars to see the light Ya don't need no miracle vision Bet your life you don't need religion
 * (Don't Need) Religion

Another Perfect Day (1983)



 * Rock'n'roll music gonna stop the world Can't lose it It'll make your toenails curl Can't defuse it Let me hear it all the time It's the only way Gonna make ya feel alright You can't excuse it
 * Rock It


 * Another battle's over, it's a million soldiers Never rise again, we lost a million friends Don't try to understand, if you weren't there You felt different then, marching off to war
 * Marching Off to War

Orgasmatron (1986)



 * Mother earth, mother earth enfold you in her cold embrace Sinking down, killing ground, worm crawling on your cold white face Win or lose, nought to choose, all men are equal when their memory fades No one knows, friends or foes, if Valhalla lies beyond the grave
 * Deaf Forever


 * Don't you listen to a single word Against rock'n'roll The new religion, the electric church The only way to go I don't give a good goddamn My life's been alright I'm gonna crazy out of my mind Every single night.
 * Built for Speed


 * I am the one, Orgasmatron, the outstretched grasping hand My image is of agony, my servants rape the land Obsequious and arrogant, clandestine and vain Two thousand years of misery, of torture in my name Hypocrisy made paramount, paranoia the law My name is called religion, sadistic, sacred whore.
 * Orgasmatron

Rock 'n' Roll (1987)



 * So that's the story, what you see is what you get, No doubt there's better men than me But I ain't met one yet No doubt the dancer calls the tune, So you can call on me I'm all I've got, and what I am is what I'll be
 * Blackheart


 * Don't ask for why, don't ask for help, Don't ask for anything, that you can't do yourself The wolf is here, he's at your side You better fight him, or it's you that's gonna die, The wolf is at your door, The wolf
 * The Wolf


 * Here we are in the years The blood, the sweat, the tears Have made us bondage slaves In a world that we never made, The politicians lick our bones, The tacticians, hearts of stone They turn us against our brothers Make us fight and kill each other Locked in lust we put our trust in dogs
 * Dogs

1916 (1991)



 * I make love to mountain lions, Sleep on red-hot branding irons, When I walk the roadway shakes, Bed's a mess of rattlesnakes, Voodoo child, black cat bone, Scratch your back, hear you moan, Get me up, you go down, tall building, single bound
 * I'm So Bad (Baby I Don't Care)


 * Politicians kissing babies for good luck T.V. preachers sell salvation for a buck You don't need no golden cross to tell you wrong from right The world's worst murderers were those who saw the light
 * No Voices in the Sky


 * The prince of wounds, the lord of flies Evil within ourselves We need nobody else We tell ourselves the best of lies
 * Nightmare/The Dreamtime


 * I heard my friend cry and he sank to his knees Coughing blood as he screamed for his mother And I fell by his side and that's how we died Clinging like kids to each other And I lay in the mud and the guts and the blood And I wept as his body grew colder And I called for my mother and she never came Though it wasn't my fault and I wasn't to blame
 * 1916

March ör Die (1992)



 * Forget you're blood & bone Stand like you're made of stone
 * Stand


 * Evangelistic Nazis, you cannot frighten me The name you take in vain shall judge you for eternity
 * Bad Religion


 * In all the years you spend between your birth and death You find there's lots of times you should have saved your breath It comes as quite a shock when that trip leads to fall
 * I Ain't No Nice Guy


 * I'm living on an endless road Around the world for rock and roll Sometimes it feels so tough But I still ain't had enough I keep saying that it's getting too much But I know I'm a liar Feeling all right in the noise and the light But that's what lights my fire
 * Hellraiser, written by Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde


 * Hellraiser, In the thunder and heat Hellraiser, Rock you back in your seat Hellraiser, And I'll make it come true Hellraiser, I'll put a spell on you
 * Hellraiser


 * I tell you we are doomed my friends Our time is come, our time is come We live within a charnel house Rotten to the core We glorify lust, greed & pain We drown our hope in poison rain We point the finger, shift the blame Ambition makes us whores
 * March ör Die

Bastards (1993)



 * Shut up, I'm talkin' to you It's on television so it can't be true But I can't believe their lies no more Watch out, I'm coming through Boogey man gonna bite you too I know what the blind man sees On your feet or on your knees
 * On Your Feet or on Your Knees


 * I will be the one you can't be I will see the things that you can't see Demons blind your eyes
 * Burner


 * I am not the only one to walk into the fire I would rather burn than let them make me a liar I cannot be beaten, I cannot be like you I cannot be otherwise, no matter what you do
 * Burner


 * I saw the millions, the naked and the dead I saw the city streets running bloody red I saw a thousand bombers circle in the sky I saw the firestorm fifty stories high I saw a hundred thousand scream and burn I saw the armored wheels grind and turn Universal soldier, doomed to live to tell Fight and die forever, burn in bloody hell
 * Death or Glory


 * Born to raise hell, Born to raise hell We know how to do it and we do it real well
 * Born to Raise Hell


 * And so Daddy lies by his daughter's side And he sleeps deep and well No nightmares come to him tonight Though his daughter lives in hell For his seed is sown where it should not be But the beast in his mind don't care And the only sound are tears that fell Little girl turns her face to the wall
 * Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me


 * Why the world is wicked I know the reason why Why the world is wicked I know that it's allowed I can never leave it the way it was before I can never disobey - the law
 * Liar


 * We are your children grown and strange We are your children unashamed You breed contempt we mock you now We bring the shake to rock you now
 * We Bring the Shake

Sacrifice (1995)



 * Why do they not believe I have not lied, even for this, Now no-one can conceive The lie becomes the loving kiss, But I would not, Fall in love, Like this.
 * Sacrifice


 * Don't look for maturity- don't you even dare! We are our own security, and we don't even care!
 * Sex & Death


 * We know all the rules! We know more than you would like- (cuz) we ain't in your school!
 * Sex & Death


 * The answer to life's mystery is simple and direct: Sex and Death!
 * Sex & Death


 * Ridin fast out of the sunset, Devils and horses advance, Thunder and lightning and honour, The army of saber and lance, Every man somber and focused, Each man looks to the fore, Death is the life we are living, Hungry for battle and war
 * War for War


 * You must be much braver boy, Than you ever dreamed, Or your world will be destroyed, By the small and mean, You must stand, and fight them hard, You must never run, You must be a shining star, Do what must be done, Don't you ask me why and how, You must lift the spell, Life could be much more than this, Unless we've Gone to Hell.
 * All Gone to Hell


 * And so the path is made for us, And so we bring the plague with us, We are the ones you made of us, You'll never understand, We bear your names but not your guilt, We do not like the world you built, Poisoned, ruined to the hilt, In a bastard land.
 * Make 'Em Blind


 * Don't chase after money, you are gonna lose your soul, Same for religion, out of control, Don't fall for money, or heroine again, Needles for your enemies, bullshit for your friends, The way we're going, same as we came, Bought the fucking picture and we're playing for the frame. Everybody asking you when they gonna die, I think that they should be askin' why.
 * Don't Waste Your Time


 * You better find a reason why you should be alive. If you're just a taker, then you might as well check out, that's all.
 * Don't Waste Your Time

Overnight Sensation (1996)



 * Children learn to kill Bet your ass you'll pay the bill Season of the dog The dollar takes the place of God
 * Civil War


 * I have been where none have been In the empty howling rooms I have everything I need I have everything you stand to lose I have seen the diamond worlds I have seen the shape of space I have nothing but the world I have nothing to take its place I don't believe a word
 * I Don't Believe a Word


 * Shake the world, I swear I hate the world I smell its rotten breath Blood and souls and mind control The world desires our death Shake the world, I swear I love the world The world know what I crave More confusion, abuse and disillusion The world defiles the brave
 * Shake the World


 * Listen to your heart, Listen all your life Listen to your heart, and then you'll be alright Don't you see, the truth is always close
 * Listen to Your Heart

Snake Bite Love (1998)



 * The tales they tell, of how we stood this day We few that know the law Will last a thousand years Hear now the dogs of war
 * Dogs of War


 * Politician swine, you make me wanna puke Waste my money, waste my time, going by the book Education fails no need to teach the poor They just get in the way, until we have a war, until we have a war...
 * Take the Blame


 * Out of the night comes a song that I know Twisted and ruined and black I can remember the people they were Nobody knows if they ever come back Lost in the ashes of time they still sing Echoes of romance gone bad
 * Dead and Gone


 * People talkin' but they just don't know Ain't got no pride no more Want to be on TV so bad They give away all the honour they had Ain't no way I can see that people gonna listen to me But I know what I know And I'll see more than you'll ever show
 * Don't Lie to Me

We Are Motörhead (2000)



 * When your name is spoken Then Your soul awakes as well And there is no limit to the power of the spell You can never leave it You can never let it lie You must find the speaker For one of you must die
 * Wake the Dead


 * Both your eyes wide open You see the shape I'm in It wasn't of my choosing It's only bones and skin And I will plead no contest If loving you's a crime So go on and find me guilty Just one more fucking time
 * One More Fucking Time


 * Hey, what the hell Get out of your shell Time to get back to when truth was all true Get me some danger Get me a stranger Time to be counted and pay up my dues Stand or fall Get ourselves something that we can believe Fight or crawl Use what you find in yourself to succeed Stand or fall Wearing your heart on your sleeve
 * (Wearing Your) Heart on Your Sleeve


 * We fight authority, we glorify free will We are the ones you heard of, but you never heard We are electric prophets, here to twist the world We are the flame at night, the fire in the trash We are Motörhead, we are Motörhead
 * We Are Motörhead

Hammered (2002)



 * The government is coming and it wants to be your friend, It wants to show you how to be a snitch Inform upon your children, the inevitable end, Is everyone's a victim but the filthy fucking rich, And religion, like the monster that it is Keeps telling you to turn the other cheek God is on your side, but I don't think that you're on his, If Jesus showed up now he'd be in jail by next week
 * Brave New World


 * And so you unearth a sense of futility in your miserable life, And after all why are you surprised, You know nothing nor care to know anything, And so the world is going to fuck with you. Dead heroes who fell in countless wars, Who gave their tomorrows for your today mean nothing to you, And I am certain that they are truly sorry for their sacrifice. So if you feel that the world is treating you badly just remember, They're probably coming back from the dead to haunt you, For the rest of your putrid, fucking life. Ha ha ha ha ha...!
 * Voices from the War


 * Repent ye fool, God will hear, Christmas carol, midnight clear Otherwise, pits of fire Punishment for base desire, Satan waits, goatee beard, Long old tail, nasty spear, If you believe these tales they tell Then you deserve to burn in Hell.
 * No Remorse


 * I am the black dead nightmare. I bring a light so bright; To illuminate the path we take; I show the way that all hearts break, And I will see the old world's back be broken As we descend into the awful  Howling,  Night.
 * Serial Killer

Inferno (2004)



 * The red queen is sleeping, lost in a dream She wakes and she sleeps all alone All of her fears are crowded in here Laughing they pick at her bones All roads lead here, none lead away Are we quite certain we're here anyway Have we been wise or are we despised Have we the time for our final demise
 * Terminal Show


 * Truly our days are darker now, We lie and cheat, to our own selves, If we do this, I ask you how, Can we speak truth to someone else, There is no way, no road at all, We are destroyed, by our own plan, The air we breathe will kill us all, And no one left to give a damn
 * Suicide


 * King of frustration, Vampire de Luxe, Keys To The Kingdom, God hates your guts, Out of the heavens a blessing might fall, But the Keys To The Kingdom mean nothing at all
 * Keys to the Kingdom

Kiss of Death (2006)



 * Let the voice of reason shine, Let the pious vanish for all times, God's face is, hidden, all unseen, You can't ask him what it all means He was never on your side, God was never on your side Let right or wrong, alone decide, God was never on your side.
 * God Was Never on Your Side


 * See the ten thousand ministries, See the holy righteous dogs, They claim to heal but all they do is steal, Abuse your faith, cheat & rob. If god is wise, why is he still, When these false prophets call him friend, Why is he silent, is he blind, Are we abandoned in the end?
 * God Was Never on Your Side


 * If you can't see what bloody fools we were, Then you were also born a bloody fool, Listen to the hundred million dead, They didn't know it, but they died for you, All you know is that you're young & tough, Don't you think those millions thought the same, If you don't know where it all went wrong, You'll just make the same mistake again & again & again.
 * Sword of Glory


 * Read the books, learn to save your life, How can you find the knowledge if you don't, All the brave men died before their time, You'll either be a hero, or you won't
 * Sword of Glory

Motörizer (2008)



 * Go up on the mountain, Speak to gods and men, See if they can tell you why they died, Ask them when we stop the greed, Ask them why we have to bleed, They will tell you "brother, when the eagle screams we die."
 * When the Eagle Screams


 * Hear the music coming, loud as you can stand, You will never be the same again, Let the beat into you, let it turn you 'round, Let it be your best friend, You are the future, it's your time, You and you and you, Stay together this is yours and mine, What we're gonna do.
 * Rock Out


 * You are the people, now you shine, You and you and you, Stay together, let me speak the line, What you gonna do?
 * Rock Out


 * Now even though I'm old and weird, I remember what she said, I always knew she was right, So I kept it in my head, I never tried to hurt the world, Never was drove by greed, Believe I mostly did my best, What more do you want from me?
 * One Short Life


 * Nobody ever wants to hear the truth, Too much like taking blame, The way we are we are the living proof, Bad news boogie and sunk in shame.
 * The Thousand Names of God

The Wörld Is Yours (2010)



 * We are trapped in luxury, starving on parole, No one told us who to love, we have sold our souls. Why do we vote for faceless dogs? We always take the bait. All things come to he who waits, but all things come too late.
 * Get Back in Line


 * I know where the black flags fly, I know where immortals die, I have heard the mountain giants tread, I have seen the death of worlds, I know the wizards words, I hear the devils in my head.
 * Devils in My Head


 * Rock n Roll music is the true religion. Never let you down you can dance to the rhythm. Stay home and watch it on your television, walk out across the sky. Rock N Roll even gonna set you free. Make the lame walk and the blind to see. Gonna take you back to where you wanna be, Do it till the day I die.
 * Rock 'n' Roll Music


 * We are worse than animals, we hunger for the kill. We put our faith in maniacs the triumph of the will, We kill for money, wealth and lust, for this we should be damned. We are disease upon the world, brotherhood of man.
 * Brotherhood of Man

Aftershock (2013)



 * Politics, religion Rotten to the core Nobody saw The holy concubine Dancing with the devil At the end of time
 * End of Time


 * You must do what you desire You must save your soul entire You must figure out what works And don't you be a liar Can't be a liar
 * Keep Your Powder Dry


 * You really have no choice You have to make a noise Silence ain't an option now We have to hear your voice We got to hear your voice
 * Keep Your Powder Dry

Other

 * If you squeeze my lizard I'll put my snake on you I'm a romantic adventure And I'm a reptile too
 * Killed By Death, from the 1984 compilation album No Remorse.

Quotes about Motörhead

 * Years ago I was making a transition to becoming this bad guy, and they wanted me to change my music. We had our music guy Jim Johnston working on it, and it wasn’t the sound I wanted, I kept saying, ‘I want it more raw, more gritty,’ and I kept saying, ‘Think Motörhead, think Motörhead.’ So finally Jim was like, ‘Why don’t we just get Motörhead to do it?’ They were into it, and they did the song for me, and they came to one of the shows, and Lem and I just hit it off. They’ve played me to the ring a few times.
 * Triple H, Triple H Recalls The Beginning Of His Friendship With Motörhead’s Lemmy, 2011.