Regardless of whether KISS has any talent or is the greatest band in the history of rock 'n' roll, I think the name of this Website is: Song Meanings! So I have to say for the record that I believe that this song has no hidden meanings. It actually does refer to the human urge to "rock and roll all nite" (Nite=slang for "night"), and the idea that we should "party all day" suggests to me that we should all have fun, no matter what time of day. In fact, this song, at its heart, delves into the true meaning of rock and roll: FUN. Thus its popularity. Beyond that, however, its meaning should be debated.
Since songwriter Gene Simmons (who wrote the song with Paul Stanley) has often admitted publicly that he does not approve of the ingestion of psychoactive drugs and alcohol, which suggests to me that further examination of the lyrical content should be done by someone on this board. So I suppose it is now up to me. The key question to be answered here is: Were the lyrics written from a true rock and roller, who believed in partying as a part of the rock lifestyle? Or was this a cynical attempt to cash in on a popular, musical trend (i.e. 1970s rock music)?
I think the key lyrics in this song refers to how KISS themselves--as a rock and roll band--are on stage, performing their rock and roll act, and how the KISS audience inspires them to give a very good performance. Give me some room here people, I know this might be a longshot but I think I am onto something.
Further, I think that the second half of the song refers to the band's proclivity for having sex with certain female members of their audience after the show (probably as a form of appreciation for the very show they inspired a few hours earlier--a classic example of "one ahnd washing the other" or what have you). So on the surface, the song "Rock and Roll All Night" refers to the KISS band playing music all night at their concerts, and then having sex with their female fans (sometimes referred to as "groupies").
However (and here is the controversial part of my theory) because the song mentions the "party every day" impulse (which, let's admit it, is a part of the lifestyle of hard drug or alcohol users only), I have to think that here, the songwriters are referring to the ingestion of drugs and alcohol to enhance the enjoyment of their live concerts--even though the band itself (outside of Ace Frehley, whose drug habits became an embarrassment to the other KISS band members). At this point, the arguments that KISS was "only in it for the money" surface, since they are advocating a lifestyle that they themselves did not approve of.
Some of the more jaded and cynical board members might point at KISS's lyrical content in this song as "pandering" to their fan base (teenagers experimenting with sex and drugs), even though they themselves lived a sober lifestyle. Well, it's not up to me to judge the songwriters, who might have encouraged the youth of America to abandon their morals and follow a lifestyle that the band members themselves disapprove of. On the other hand, I think each of us can make our own decisions as to whether they are, in fact, truly devoted to a hedonistic lifestyle or whether they encourage their fans to indulge in immoral conduct only so that the band members can profit from record sales.
I also think this is at the crux of KISS's acceptance as a true rock and roll band, and whether they are merely posing as rock and rollers or not. It's not up to me to judge. It's up to the listener.
Boskoon September 04, 2005 Link
-
No Replies Log in to reply