Pure Punk Picks
You’re Pretty Face Is Going To Hell – Iggy & The Stooges
I’ve seen a lot of talking in other music genres about what song “was the first?” Like the first rock’n’roll song is purported to be “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brentson (with Ike Turner).
I really haven’t seen that question put forth that much concerning punk music. I guess some would could say, it’s some garage song from the sixties like “Louie Louie” or some wild, fifties rock’n’roll song by Little Richard- either would be fine by me.
But, personally, my pick for first punk song goes to this song by Iggy & The Stooges.
Hey! You can’t go wrong there, as he is The King of Punk Rock. Or, at least, the most important and most potent of all the proto-punks as far as I can see or hear.
It’s not so much the music, though that is great- it’s still built upon a chuggin’, rock’n’roll, guitar riff not unlike, “Saturday’s All Right For Fightin'” by Elton John. (And that’s not a bad song, either!)
But this song, originally titled, “Hard To Beat,” taking the last three words of the verse, somehow along the way was changed to the repeated chorus, namely “You’re Pretty Face Is Going To Hell.”
And, at that point, I feel punk music was born.
Yeah, my choice is only based on the title, but I can assure you- Lou Reed, David Bowie, The New York Dolls, The Modern Lovers, The Mc5 or even Elton John never had a song title so real, so aggressive, so- in your face!
To me this was the turning point, the tipping point. And it was off a great album, “Raw Power,” that still worked within the rock world rules of guitar solos and three or four minute songs while structured in conventional arrangements. But that album put so much realness in the lyrics, and so much guts and passion in the music and songs. That it showed that the rebellion of bands like The Rolling Stones and The Who were suddenly passe’, were not as relevant as before.
No, this song is not called “Hard To Beat.” It’s when we leave the world of rock and enter into the new world of punk. When polite, suggestive innuendos are done with and our lyrical content is now more afront, more honest. Soon, Richard Hell & The Voidoids will have a song called “Love Comes In Spurts,” soon after a band called Bad Brains will have a song called “Pay To Cum.”
I remember that in the late seventies, just having lyrics that were more straight forward and realistic than before could get you lumped in with the punk scene. The band Television is a perfect example, Johnny Thunders, too.
The music charges out like an eighteen-wheeler, at first stalled, but then jacked into overdrive and carrening into oncoming rush hour traffic with an out of control trucker at the wheel. Iggy’s yelling stuff like “All right!” and “Wooh” in order do divert us from the cutting, swirling knives that James Williamson’s licks are throwing at us. The vocals comes in fast and low and growling, like blues legend John Lee Hooker, shot up on amphetamine.
“A pretty face and a dirty look. Knew right away that I had to get my hooks in you.” How romantic! It implies he’s hooking a fish but we know what he means by “hook.” Quite unlike the soppy, seventies ballards at the time.
While the rhythm grooves along forcefully and the vocals growl, menancingly in your face, the lead guitar shoots off shards off broken glass that somehow break off into your membranes.
“I need it all, baby, that’s no lie. I need a lover with an alibi.” So debauched and decadent and immoral a line is this- and I love it!
After the second verse we get into the meat of the song with the song title, spat out many times- “You’re pretty face is going to hell! Honey, honey I can tell. You’re Pretty Face Is Going To Hell”
Elton John was not a big star yet. Iggy & The Stooges were struggling, and though known nationally would never really get beyond that in that era. One time, in the early seventies, Iggy and his band were playing a small nightclub, I believe it was in Atlanta, Georgia.
Elton was at the club and I guess, someone suggested he put on a gorilla suit and during one of Iggy’s songs, jump on stage wearing it and pick him up in his arms as a prank!
Elton agreed to this and Iggy had consumed either angel dust or some other heavy, mind alternating drug (Iggy recalled he was seeing double at the time,) and when Elton came on stage and picked him up, Iggy just assumed he was hallucinating and that it really wasn’t happening.
It was reported that Iggy just kept on singing like it was natural, or that it was planned.
I don’t believe Iggy planned on being the founder of a new music. He created a lot of great music but most of it fell in with traditional rock or metal.
But when he spouted off the title of this song- I feel, in some way, he was putting a curse on all the pretty boys and girls of pop culture to come. Not denying or banning them to commercial failure. But when people looked for substance in their music listening, they would never, ever, looks towards the pretty faces again.
And do you know where I think all those pretty faces are going? I think their souls and going to meet their justful fate.
And do you know how I feel about this?
Fuck ’em.
(Slimedog)