Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) Lyrics
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my
[Verse 2]
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 4]
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture than meets the eye
About
See the slightly different version nicely annotated as well here -
“Out of the blue and into the black” was a term used by Vietnam “tunnel rats” – those soldiers who fought the war in the Vietcong tunnels. – used to call going down the tunnels “out of the blue and into the black”. Another term they used was “lost light” – to the light that seemed to be present even in the blackest tunnels.
Mentioned in Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels …
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
The rock'n'roll spirit is not survival. Of course, the people who play rock'n'roll should survive. But the essence of the rock'n'roll spirit to me, is that it’s better to burn out really bright than to sort of decay off into infinity. Even though if you look at it in a mature way, you’ll think, ‘well, yes… you should decay off into infinity, and keep going along.’ Rock'n'roll doesn’t look that far ahead. Rock'n'roll is right now. What’s happening right this second. Is it bright? Or is it dim because it’s waiting for tomorrow—that’s what people want to know. And that’s why I say that.
- 2.Thrasher
- 4.Pocahontas
- 5.Sail Away
- 6.Powderfinger
- 9.Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
