Song: “Kickstart My Heart”
A hot young band — even younger in this — covers a Mötley Crüe classic
On December 23, 1987, Mötley Crüe bass player Nikki Sixx’s heart stopped after he overdosed on heroin. Paramedics arrived and injected adrenaline into his heart muscle as a last ditch effort to save him. It worked, in effect “kickstarting” his heart.
The drummer for Guns N’ Roses disputed the story, claiming he’d revived Sixx before the paramedics arrived, but he allows for the better version of the story since it is about “entertainment.”
The resulting song tells about the band’s subsequent sobriety and how they were getting a rush in other, more natural ways.
Ironically or appropriately depending on how you interpret things, the song was released on their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood.
Despite only reaching #27 on the charts, the song has remained a staple on rock radio, even leading to some infractions as other adrenaline junkies sought natural thrills.
For instance, in 2019, a driver in Manitoba, Canada, tried to excuse his driving at 145 km/h (90 mph) by telling police officers that he’d been listening to this song and it had gotten him over-excited. Unfortunately, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer who pulled him over had been tuned into the same radio station while driving at a much slower speed. The driver was fined $639 (£377) for the offense.
In this video, the Warning — my current favorite band — covers the song in their basement in 2017, when they were in their teens. As usual, they crush it. The level of physical coordination they generate from being so “in the pocket” is remarkable to observe.
If this doesn’t kickstart your heart on a Friday, I don’t know what to say . . .
Enjoy!