Nikki Sixx was dead. For two minutes, anyway.
That’s not some PR hyperbole cooked up by a record label to sell vinyl. It’s the literal, terrifying foundation of Kickstart My Heart. Imagine waking up in an ambulance after a heroin overdose, seeing the paramedics' faces, and realizing you just cheated the reaper because some guy with a syringe of adrenaline decided you weren't finished yet. Most people would go to therapy. Nikki Sixx went home and wrote a riff that sounds like a revving engine.
It’s been decades since Dr. Feelgood dropped in 1989, but the song hasn't aged a day. While other hair metal anthems feel like dusty relics of a time when men wore more hairspray than their girlfriends, this track still hits like a freight train. It’s the quintessential Mötley Crüe experience: dangerous, loud, slightly unhinged, and miraculously catchy.
The Night Everything Almost Ended
Let's get the history straight. December 1987. Los Angeles. Nikki Sixx is at the height of his addiction, living a life that would make Keith Richards look like a librarian. He overdoses at Slash’s hotel room—or at least, that’s where the chaos started—and is declared clinically dead.
The story goes that a paramedic, who happened to be a Crüe fan, wasn't ready to let the backbone of the band go. Two shots of adrenaline straight to the heart later, Nikki is back. He didn't stay in the hospital, obviously. He escaped, hitched a ride home, and allegedly shot up again. It’s a miracle any of these guys survived the eighties.
When the band finally cleaned up to record Dr. Feelgood with Bob Rock in Vancouver, the energy changed. They were sober, or at least "sober for Mötley Crüe," and they were focused. Nikki started scribbling down those lyrics about his brush with death. He wasn't trying to be deep. He was trying to capture that visceral, terrifying "thump" of a heart restarting. Honestly, it’s one of the few times a near-death experience resulted in a worldwide stadium anthem rather than a somber acoustic ballad.
The Riff That Defines an Era
Mick Mars is the unsung hero here.
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While everyone talks about Nikki’s lyrics or Tommy Lee’s thunderous drumming, Mick created a sound that literally mimics a car shifting gears. He used a Floyd Rose tremolo system to dive-bomb the notes, creating that iconic "vroom-vroom" intro. It’s simple. It’s brilliant. It’s the kind of guitar work that makes you want to break the speed limit immediately.
Bob Rock’s production can’t be ignored either. He pushed the band to be precise. He made the drums sound like cannons. If you listen to the isolated tracks, you can hear how tight the interplay is between Tommy and Nikki. It’s a rhythmic machine. Most people think of the Crüe as a sloppy party band, but Kickstart My Heart proves they could be surgical when they wanted to be.
Why It Still Works (and Why It Doesn't Sound Like "Hair Metal")
A lot of 80s rock feels thin now. The snares are too gated, the guitars are too processed. But this track has a thick, muscular low end. It feels more like punk rock played by guys with better gear.
The lyrics are basically a list of things that give you a rush. Skydiving? Check. Reaching the speed of sound? Check. It’s an ode to the "high" that comes from living, rather than the high that comes from a needle. That’s the pivot. The song took a dark, personal tragedy and turned it into a universal celebration of excess.
Think about the structure. It doesn't meander. It starts at 100 mph and ends at 110. Vince Neil’s vocals are at their peak here—sneering, high-pitched, and filled with a sort of bratty defiance that defined the sunset strip.
- The Tempo: It’s roughly 173 BPM. That’s fast for a radio hit.
- The Video: It’s all grainy tour footage and pyrotechnics. It captured the "theatre of pain" aesthetic without the campiness of their earlier work.
- The Legacy: It has been used in everything from The Lego Movie to Super Bowl commercials.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
People often think the song was written right after the overdose. It actually took some time. The band had to go through a massive internal shift first. They had to fire their management (briefly), get through rehab, and deal with the pressure of following up Girls, Girls, Girls.
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Another myth? That the "adrenaline shots to the heart" bit is just a legend. While some details have likely been polished by decades of rock-and-roll storytelling, the medical record and the testimonies from the people there—including Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses—confirm it was a very real, very close call.
Also, don't let the "glam" label fool you. By the time Dr. Feelgood arrived, the band was moving toward a heavier, more polished hard rock sound. They were competing with Guns N' Roses and the burgeoning grunge scene. They had to be tougher. Kickstart My Heart was their way of saying they weren't going anywhere.
The Gear and the Sound
If you’re a guitar nerd, you know Mick Mars wasn't using standard setups. He liked big, loud Marshalls and B.C. Rich or Kramer guitars. The "sliding" sound in the chorus isn't just a slide; it's a combination of his technique and the way the gain was dialed in.
Tommy Lee’s kit for this record was massive. He was using those huge, deep shells that gave the kick drum that "thud" you feel in your chest. It’s a physical song. You don't just hear it; you feel it. That’s the secret sauce of Kickstart My Heart. It targets the central nervous system.
The Impact on Modern Culture
It’s weirdly wholesome how this song has transitioned from a drug-fueled autobiography to a family-friendly anthem for sporting events. You’ll hear it at Every. Single. Hockey. Game.
Why? Because adrenaline is universal. You don't need to know about Nikki Sixx’s heart stopping to feel the surge of the chorus. It’s the ultimate "get hyped" song. It’s also one of the few Crüe songs that hasn't been "canceled" by changing tastes because it’s not about sleaze—it’s about survival.
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Real Talk: The Risks of the Lifestyle
We shouldn't gloss over the fact that the song exists because of a nearly fatal addiction. The band has been open about this in The Dirt. The "kickstart" wasn't just a metaphor; it was a desperate medical intervention. While the song is a blast, it serves as a reminder of the edge the band lived on. They weren't playing characters. They were living it.
The complexity of the song lies in its joy. It’s a happy song about a miserable moment. That’s the rock and roll paradox. You take the worst thing that ever happened to you, add a distorted guitar, and suddenly 50,000 people are screaming it back at you in an arena.
How to Appreciate the Track Today
To really get the most out of Kickstart My Heart, you have to stop listening to it through crappy phone speakers. It was built for volume.
- Listen for the Bass: Nikki’s bass line isn't complicated, but it’s the heartbeat. It drives the whole engine.
- Check Out the Live Versions: Specifically from the "final" tour (before they decided to come back again). The pyrotechnics usually sync up with the "vroom" sounds, and it’s a masterclass in arena rock spectacle.
- Watch the Documentary: If you haven't seen The Dirt on Netflix, the scene depicting the overdose and the subsequent writing of the song gives it a much grittier context.
The next step is simple: put on a pair of high-quality headphones, find a remastered version of Dr. Feelgood, and turn it up until your ears ring just a little bit. Pay attention to the way the backing vocals (which featured guys like Bryan Adams and members of Skid Row) fill out the sound. It’s a wall of noise that somehow stays perfectly organized. That is the magic of Mötley Crüe at their absolute peak.
No more excuses. Go find the loudest speakers you own. Hit play. Feel your pulse jump. That’s exactly what Nikki felt in that ambulance.