Say what you want about Mötley Crüe, their collective playing ability, or recent accusations of using pre-recorded tracks on stage, but the band could deliver songs designed for giant arenas.
Much of this was due to band leader Nikki Sixx and his ability to zero in on what his band’s audience needed. “Kickstart My Heart” is one of those anthems. And, while you’ve likely heard it in commercials and at live sporting events, you may be confused about the song’s meaning.
That’s why today, I will examine the lyrics of “Kickstart My Heart” more closely, examining Nikki Sixx’s bold, often-made claims and revealing the meaning of the song.
Journey to Making “Kickstart My Heart”
Mötley Crüe’s legacy has done nothing but increase in recent years. Tell-all books like “The Dirt” and the Netflix movie based on it have done a lot to keep the band in the public eye. Scandals regarding line-up changes and lip-syncing accusations have done little to dampen their recent momentum.
For those unfamiliar with the band’s story, or the one they’ve crafted for marketing purposes, the group was started in 1981 by Frank Ferrara. Within a few months, he had adopted the name Nikki Sixx. He had also recruited drummer Tommy Lee and cover band singer Vince Neil.
Sixx had a clear idea of what the band was supposed to look like and had gotten the right men for that. They were, however, a little light in the musical ability department. However, they then recruited veteran guitarist Mick Mars to round up the line-up.
Providing something of glam-rock experience a la KISS for smaller club venues, Mötley Crüe quickly earned a reputation. Compared to bands like Van Halen or Aerosmith, usually unfavourably, nonetheless, the band achieved mainstream acceptance. This happened with studio albums like “Too Fast for Love” and “Shout at the Devil.”
Nikki Sixx’s Knack for Writing Anthemic Rock Songs
To his credit, Nikki Sixx was a leader with a vision. His ability on the bass guitar never impressed studio musicians. However, Sixx was responsible for the band’s image, stage setup, and songs.
The band image included flirting with bad behaviour. Sixx, Lee and Neil were notorious for their heavy partying and drug use. The band flaunted this, and the on-the-rise music station MTV turned the group members into superstars.
But there were consequences. Sadly, this occasionally went too far. It happened when Razzle Dingley, drummer of the excellent Hanoi Rocks, was killed in a car crash. Vince Neil was responsible.
Also, by the late 1980s, Nikki Sixx, according to “The Dirt” and his autobiography, “The Heroin Diaries,” was a notorious heroin user. This is the starting point for the lyrics to “Kickstart My Heart”.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Kickstart My Heart”
“Kickstart My Heart” may feel like the soundtrack to an exciting amusement ride. But it’s inspired by a literal shot of adrenaline, the one that Nikki Sixx claimed to have received on December 23, 1987, when he overdosed on heroin.
According to Sixx, he had been dabbling with the drug for over six years. The event in question happened one night when the bassist was partying with Guns n’ Roses’ drummer Steven Adler. Coincidentally, Adler would be booted out of his own band a few years later for similar drug-related issues.
Sixx also claims that after paramedics intervened, he was declared legally dead for two minutes. He was revived by another shot of adrenaline. Sixx has gone on record saying that he then walked home in his hospital garments and continued taking the drug.
However, Steven Adler has disputed the story. Adler says that the story may have been embellished over the years, something that Sixx, one-time singer of Motley Crue John Corabi, is prone to doing.
Steven Adler’s Recollection of Nikki Sixx’s Overdose
Adler said in an interview with Triple M Radio: “He wrote it about the paramedics took that syringe and did that Pulp Fiction thing to him. But they didn’t do that; they didn’t do that. I dragged him into the shower with a broken hand and a cast on my hand, I rolled him in, I put the cold water on him in the shower and I started slapping him in the face with my cast. And next thing you know, the purple in his face just disappeared.
And then right then, the paramedics came in, and they grabbed him out of the shower like a rag doll, dropped him in the living room, and they just pumped his chest with their hands. That was it. But he got a hell of a good song out of it. It is entertainment, after all.”
As for the actual writing of the song, Nikki Sixx says he came up with the main idea for the song while playing acoustic guitar. He presented to the band while recording the “Dr. Feelgood” album but assumed the track was a throwaway. Instead, it became one of the band’s most recognisable songs.
The Legacy of “Kickstart My Heart”
“Kickstart My Heart” has become one of Mötley Crüe’s most popular songs over the years. Part of that success may be due to Mick Mars’s guitar riff, the fast-paced rhythm, and the quotable chorus.
Upon its release, “Kickstart My Heart” was a Top 40 hit in the U.S. It helped “Dr. Feelgood” do good numbers. The song maintained Mötley Crüe’s status as an arena-filling band, at least, until the 90s arrival of grunge.
It’s been featured in countless media. It’s been in innumerable commercials for everything from Dodge cars to Planters nuts. And, It’s been featured on shows like “The Office,” “S.W.A.T.”, or “American Dad!” whenever the scene required over-the-top, exciting, hard rock.
And, in 2019, “Kickstart My Heart” made headlines. Then, a driver in Manitoba, Canada blamed the song for making him speed widely over the limit. Police was unimpressed and fined him $639.
