Wiki
-
Length
3:55
"Death By Rock and Roll" is the title track from The Pretty Reckless's 2021 album. This song stands as a testament to the band's dedication to rock and roll, and, simultaneously, it's a reflection on mortality, the cost of a rock and roll lifestyle, and the healing power of music. The track is steeped in raw, hard rock instrumentation, characteristic of The Pretty Reckless's sound. The song kicks off with a bluesy, distorted guitar riff that sets a gritty tone, which then transitions to an intense drumbeat and soaring electric guitars. The progression of the song, from its moody verses to its anthemic chorus, mirrors the oscillation between contemplation and outright rebellion evident in the lyrics. Taylor Momsen's raspy, powerful vocals serve as the driving force, giving life to the song's thematic depth. Central to the song is the theme of finding solace in rock and roll despite its inherent dangers. This is encapsulated in the chorus: "On my tombstone when I go / Just put 'Death By Rock and Roll'." It's an embrace of the very thing that might be one's undoing, but also one's salvation. The lines “I wanna go with a shotgun blast” and “I wanna go with a motorcycle crash” are stark. They hint at a desire for a dramatic exit, reminiscent of the tragic ends of many rock legends. It's not so much a glorification of these tragic exits, but a nod to the high-stakes, high-reward nature of the rock and roll lifestyle. It underscores the unpredictable, often dangerous allure of rock and roll, where the very things that make it exhilarating can also be its pitfalls. The song is laden with references to iconic elements of rock culture. From Janis Joplin's "Freedom" to "taking one last ride" (possibly an allusion to the finality and recklessness often glamorized in rock culture), the lyrics are a tapestry of rock history and ethos.
Of note is the band's personal experiences that add depth to this track. The passing of their close friend and producer, Kato Khandwala, in a motorcycle accident adds a layer of personal pain to the lyrics. When Momsen sings about a "motorcycle crash," it's not just a rock and roll trope; it's a very real, very raw pain she's expressing.
Track descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
![And So It Went [Feat. Tom Morello]](https://lastfm.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/300x300/7d3064c94e814f5d4799eb370adfebb0.jpg)
![Planet Zero [Explicit]](https://lastfm.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/300x300/aea1f2b2ed039eb004cfb6eb5d2e0b51.jpg)
