Iggy Pop – Candy

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  Song Meaning:the song isint about weed or heroin its about a girl named candace bacon and she is at the moment 45 turning 46 in july her boy friend knew iggy pop and wrote a song about there relashinship and called it candy. and your asking me how the hell do i know that its because im her son!!!!!!!!!!!

  Flag thefinderon July 12, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I think the lass in the song is a prossie named Candy and she is singing about her addiction to candy (heroin) while Iggy is singing about his love of her. Iggy can't have her because she can't give up the street walking because she can't give up the heroin. They both sing the same lyrics at the end of the song yet logically she can't be singing about missing herself.

  Flag DarkenRahlon June 22, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I don't think this song is solely about heroin, but it certainly plays on heroin as a motif. "I had a dream that no one else could see" and "you gave me love for free" both could be taken as references to an addiction, and specifically to a junk habit in the second line. Kate's verse is a less nostalgic, more tangible in its acceptance. She was "hurt" by withdrawal, and although she's happy she's got the drug "out" of her system, she can't seem to completely quell her cravings. Of course, the song still maintains a human focus, and is primarily centred around a relationship (or relationships).
  
  chrisb1 mentioned a movie called Candy starring Abbie Cornish and Heath Ledger, which is not only a good example of the slang term for heroin, but also a good example of what I am trying to articulate. In a similar pattern to the Sid & Nancy tragedy, the lead characters become addicted to each other and heroin simultaneously. I won't spoil the ending, but watch it and you'll see what I mean.
  
  I'm afraid that people - including myself - often draw junk-related conclusions out of songs with no real basis of comparison, and I'm not generally one to perpetuate the myths. Still, it is perhaps humankind's own ability to love obsessively and impulsively that results in words so easily misconstrued. In any case, art is something that must be misconstrued up to a certain extent. That is wherein its beauty lies.
  
  

  Flag NellieWhiskeyon May 24, 2010   Link

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    The movie Candy is a laugh a minute laugh-a-thon, a great movie to raise the spirits.
    
    I also think the simple interpretation is the best with Iggy as he is always pretty straight forward with his lyrics, think songs like 5 foot 1 and Bored. Pretty straight forward messages. *grin*

    Flag DarkenRahlon July 13, 2010  
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  General Comment:I always thought this song was about past good times with heroin.

  Flag DarkenRahlon March 26, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:this song definitely seems like a nostalgic one, and not a reuniting one, considering that when iggy refers to 'candy', it's in the past tense, except for "i can't let you go", which could mean that he is still thinking about her.
  
  i'm seeing iggy return to a place after twenty years, only to find that 'candy' is gone/dead/whatever. "life is crazy" suggests that they never had the time to meet again or catch up. "i'm glad you got out" suggests that they were in a small town together, and 'candy' was glad that iggy was able to get out and do whatever, but at the same time she is sad that he left her etc.
  
  whatever. i don't think it's about heroin, unless 1990 and 20 years away from a big city are obscure references to something?

  Flag UPTHEPUNXon September 21, 2008   Link

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    yea I'm pretty sure its not about heroin because in the beginning he says "beautiful beautiful girl from the north".

    Flag ADEDon March 16, 2009  
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  General Comment:OK, here's one from left field....... Candy is another name for heroin (refer to the Heath Ledger movie of the same name).
  Iggy did have a heroin problem that he kicked. Iggy's mixed emotions in the song could be as much about heroin as about a woman/trannie.

  Flag chrisb1on May 03, 2008   Link

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    the hell it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Flag thefinderon July 12, 2012  
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  General Comment:this song is about Candy Darling. She was a tranny from upstate new york that was around until the 70's when she died at the age of 29. She had developed leukemia from the atrocious amounts of untested hormones she was taking to develop female attributes. I believe Kate is playing Candy's lyrics, and when she refers to "out" i think she means, Dead.
  
  The lyrics make total sense, and Candy was truly, Darling.

  Flag charsometimeson October 15, 2007   Link

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    that is not the meaning

    Flag thefinderon July 12, 2012  
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  General Comment:Good posts by Duhaast and Saxmaan. I really love this song. Iggy Pop and Kate have those tough voices which sound great together.
  
  I like the way Iggy goes " Life is crazy, candy babyyy"

  Flag PimpinAintEasyon October 01, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Gotta agree with everyone here - great vocals, awesome chemistry.... I love it. But, I have a somewhat different take on it's meaning than Duhaast.
  
  IMHO, of course, I don't think they've been reunited. Sadly, Iggy is reminiscing one rainy day, about Candy, a street-walker he encountered 20 years ago. The lyrics suggest he fell in love with her following a business transaction. His dream that no one else could see was that his love was reciprocated and she loved him for real, and not just for $$$. He's likely never seen Candy again, but he's never forgotton her.
  
  The female vocals aren't meant to be Candy. Instead, I believe this is one of Candy's former co-workers who either had a relationship, or wanted one, with Candy. She was hurt when she found Candy had left the streets but was happy that Candy had apparently gotten out of "the life". She describes faking her way through the days with male clients, all the while pining for Candy and cracing the real love she had, or believes she could have with her.
  
  Kinda sad. But again, it's just my humble opinion.
  
  We have no idea where Candy is. However, she touched the lives of at least two people of opposite sexes, who have kept her in their hearts ever since.

  Flag Saxmanon September 16, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Two people from the seedier side of life have found each other after 20 years. For them, their earlier relationship was passionate and intense. Notice that much of the words are in the past tense.
  
  IMHO, Candy was/is a prostitute.
  (I've learned to take it and
  Just smile along
  Down on the street
  Those men are all the same
  I need a love
  Not games...) However, she had feelings for Iggy from the start, and never considered him a trick or charged him. (You gave me love for free.)
  
  Why has Iggy been gone for 20 years? I think he's been in prison for those years and just got out. (Yeah, well it hurt me real bad when you left,
  I'm glad you got out...)
  
  I don't know if at this point they are ships passing in the night, or if they will renew their relationship, but they seem to be confessing their continuing love for each other.
  
  I would hope that at this point in their lives (they'd probably be 40-50), they could have the strenght and wisdom to really try to make something good happen in their lives. Candy says "I need (present tense) a love, not games...", and Iggy says "I can't (present tense) let you go"
  
  I think they make it.

  Flag duhaaston October 11, 2006   Link

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