From the Book - First Touchstone hardcover edition.
They say if you hear the bang, you're still alive
London. I let out my first rebel yell ; England swings like a pendulum do ; Rock 'n' roll high school: long hair, flares, and hash tobacco cigarettes ; Sucking in the '70s ; And then there was punk ; In a revolution, one year equals five ; Generation X marks the spot: William Broad becomes Billy Idol ; A night at the Roxy ; Punk comes of age when two sevens clash ; Youth youth youth: break on through to the other side ; White light, white heat, white riots ; Not selling out, but buying in ; Bands across the ocean ; Ready steady go ; And I guess that I just don't know ; You better hang on to yourself
New York City. A rock 'n' roll conquistador invades America and burns his boats upon arrival ; Making mony mony: a left-coast fusion of punk and disco ; If you can make it here ; Hot in the city: the making of solo Billy Idol ; Hollywood daze and tequila nights ; I want my MTV: video thrills the radio star ; Rebel yell with a cause ; A change in pace of fantasy and taste ; Everybody must get rolling stoned ; The roar of the lion and a nonstop global orgy ; Just a perfect day ; King death: an aborted film project signals the end of an Idol maker ; Top of the world, ma ; Return to splendour ; The luck of the Irish
Los Angeles. We need a miracle joy, we need a rock and roll boy ; La vie enchanté ; City of night ; Trouble with the sweet stuff ; Drunken, stupid, & naked ; I bear a charmed life, which must not yield ; Hollywood promises ; Have a fuck on me ; The madam and the preacher ; Mind fire ; Bitter pill ; My road is long, it lingers on.
