For My Sunday Song #181, we are going to tackle the song “Live Wire” by Motley Crue. In fact, the next 10 songs will all be Motley Crue songs. I figured we will start with a bang and with very early Crue. “Live Wire” is off the debut album “Too Fast for Love” which came out in 1982 and reached #24 on the BillBoard Hot Rock songs chart. Not bad, but it was MTV that made them blow up, not the radio.
If you’ve seen the Motley Crue movie “The Dirt”, you will see that Nikki’s childhood wasn’t the greatest. This song is about that life and the domestic violence he was surrounded with. The way he was treated and his mom by his stepdads is played out in the song. The verse below spells it out nicely…well not really…
I’ll either break her face
Or take down her legs
Get my ways at will
Go for the throat
Never let loose
Goin’ in for the kill
Take my fist
Break down walls
I’m on top tonight
I have seen people say it is about rape and glamorizing that behavior, but that is far from the truth. The song was a way for Nikki to work through his demons and what he experienced as a child.
Musically, damn!! This song is full throttle, heavy metal music. Mick’s guitar riff at the beginning is so fierce and outright killer and immediately sets the band apart from their counterparts. Mick is such an underrated player. Tommy’s fast pace drumming and Nikki’s bass are the driving rhythm section that keeps that blazing speed. Vince sounds so young and he could hit some crazy notes back then. He was the face that helped put them over the top. This song is pure metal magic and for me one of the best they have ever done. And when you are a kid, you love it as you know your parents won’t!!
Check out the video below and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy and have a Happy Sunday…despite the dark material.
“Live Wire”
I’m alive tonight
Out on the streets again
Turn me on
I’m too hot to stop
Something you’ll never forget
Take my fist
Break down walls
I’m on top tonight
[Pre Chorus]
No, no
You better turn me loose
You better set me free
Cause I’m hot, young, running free
A little bit better than I use to be
[Chorus]
Cause I’m alive
Live Wire
Cause I’m alive
I’m a Live Wire
Cause I’m alive
Live Wire
Cause I’m alive
I’m a Live Wire
I’ll either break her face
Or take down her legs
Get my ways at will
Go for the throat
Never let loose
Goin’ in for the kill
Take my fist
Break down walls
I’m on top tonight
[Pre Chorus]
[Chorus]
Come on baby
Gotta play with me
Well I’m your live wire
You better lock your doors
I’m on the prowl tonight
Well be mine tonight
[Chorus]
Come on be may baby
Come on tonight
Come on be may baby
Come on tonight
I’ll give you everything
You want inside
Plug me in, plug me in
I want you
Come on tonight
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
Their best song. All downhill from here!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Well, I just stop then and move on to the next artist. Thanks for saving me 9 more weeks. 🙂 Ok, since I already have most of them written…I will finish it, but I think you are right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha well they did manage to do more good songs on their way down! You going to be doing the next ones in chronological order?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope. I jump around and tried to save another great song for last that is from an earlier album.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good choice of artist for the next Sünday series, John!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks!! And I love the Sünday !!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great pick John. Love the sound of this album and the cowbell use on basically half the record is awesome. Like I always say some of the best bands from albums are before they strike it rich and are flat ass broke.
This album proves that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I would agree that for the most part that is true. The early Crue stuff was amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Take my fists and break down the walls in deed.
“Smokin In The Boys Room” clip was first for me and I went in reverse with Motley. This track is pure youth aggression. And we played before we hit the streets along with “Seek And Destroy”.. lol those were the days
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Yes, to be young again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll refrain from commenting during this run…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where’s the fun in that?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I practically worshiped Motley Crue as a tween and young teen back in the 80s. Used to read every rock magazine and every interview available back then. Then, we’d cut out the pictures and plaster them to our bedroom walls. Anyways, I can remember several interviews where the interviewer brought up the song Live wire and Nikki would flatly concede it was about rape. He made no bones about it. It was not a secret and he was not ambiguous about it in the least. I wish I had an archive of the old Hit Parader and Circus magazines.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had heard he only said that for the image. I thought he later came out with the real reason. They aren’t the most honest band in the world so not sure what to believe.
LikeLike