Hey there, friends..
So, today's song is Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel.
Brilliant song. The video is also great, especially for that time.
First off: I don't really know exactly what this song is about, but I have came out with some theorys (after making some research)...
1 - Most of the interpretations I saw defended that this song was about (drum rolls) sex. Yes, about sex. That's it. According to this point of view the arguments are the following: he's saying he'll use his sledgehammer (penis) to nail down her tracks (he wants to 'nail' her). But there's more sexual double-entendre allusion in the song: You could have a steam train/If you'd just lay down your tracks - ooooh, okay..
You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends/You could have a bumper car, bumping/This amusement never ends - well, guess it really does sound like it!)
Show me round your fruitcage/'Cause I will be your honey bee/Open up your fruitcage/Where the fruit is as sweet as can be - no comments needed, LOL
You've been coming through/Going to build that powerr/Build, build up that power, hey I've been feeding the rhythm/I've been feeding the rhythm/Going to feel that power, build in you/Come on, come on, help me do/Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you/I've been feeding the rhythm/I've been feeding the rhythm/It's what we're doing, doing/All day and night - ok I think I've made my point!
2 - One common interpretation can be that this song is about heroin addiction. Or dropping a bad habit (wether it is drugs or smoking, for instance) and the celebration of the power that comes from taking control of your life.
You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends/You could have a bumper car, bumping/This amusement never ends - A big dipper as a reference to a spoon and bumper cars bumping. The sledgehammer is the needle. And heroin is taking on a personality here.
I've kicked the habit/Shed my skin/This is the new stuff/I go dancing in, we go dancing in - More drug references.
I guess this one is harder to visualize. Forced, maybe. But possible.
3 - One other possible meaning could be that this song meant that he would become the driving force to totally change some girl's life. Like a sledgehammer, he would break up and shake up her personality and view on life. A more profound to look at it, I think.
As for me, well, call me naïve, but, I thought this song was about him wanting someone back, or wanting them in the first place. He's promising her anything, if she's just 'call my name' and he'd change for her. Though, the sexual innuendo meaning (that I somewhow missed) is a good one, it kinda makes sense, I suppose, it's whatever it means to you...
First off: I don't really know exactly what this song is about, but I have came out with some theorys (after making some research)...
1 - Most of the interpretations I saw defended that this song was about (drum rolls) sex. Yes, about sex. That's it. According to this point of view the arguments are the following: he's saying he'll use his sledgehammer (penis) to nail down her tracks (he wants to 'nail' her). But there's more sexual double-entendre allusion in the song: You could have a steam train/If you'd just lay down your tracks - ooooh, okay..
You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends/You could have a bumper car, bumping/This amusement never ends - well, guess it really does sound like it!)
Show me round your fruitcage/'Cause I will be your honey bee/Open up your fruitcage/Where the fruit is as sweet as can be - no comments needed, LOL
You've been coming through/Going to build that powerr/Build, build up that power, hey I've been feeding the rhythm/I've been feeding the rhythm/Going to feel that power, build in you/Come on, come on, help me do/Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you/I've been feeding the rhythm/I've been feeding the rhythm/It's what we're doing, doing/All day and night - ok I think I've made my point!
2 - One common interpretation can be that this song is about heroin addiction. Or dropping a bad habit (wether it is drugs or smoking, for instance) and the celebration of the power that comes from taking control of your life.
You could have a big dipper/Going up and down, all around the bends/You could have a bumper car, bumping/This amusement never ends - A big dipper as a reference to a spoon and bumper cars bumping. The sledgehammer is the needle. And heroin is taking on a personality here.
I've kicked the habit/Shed my skin/This is the new stuff/I go dancing in, we go dancing in - More drug references.
I guess this one is harder to visualize. Forced, maybe. But possible.
3 - One other possible meaning could be that this song meant that he would become the driving force to totally change some girl's life. Like a sledgehammer, he would break up and shake up her personality and view on life. A more profound to look at it, I think.
As for me, well, call me naïve, but, I thought this song was about him wanting someone back, or wanting them in the first place. He's promising her anything, if she's just 'call my name' and he'd change for her. Though, the sexual innuendo meaning (that I somewhow missed) is a good one, it kinda makes sense, I suppose, it's whatever it means to you...
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
You could have a steam train
If you'd just lay down your tracks
You could have an aeroplane flying
If you bring your blue sky back
All you do is call me
I'll be anything you need
You could have a big dipper
Going up and down, all around the bends
You could have a bumper car, bumping
This amusement never ends
I want to be your sledgehammer
Why don't you call my name
Oh let me be your sledgehammer
This will be my testimony
Show me round your fruitcage
'Cause I will be your honey bee
Open up your fruitcage
Where the fruit is as sweet as can be
I want to be your sledgehammer
Why don't you call my name
You'd better call the sledgehammer
Put your mind at rest
I'm gonna be - the sledgehammer
This can be my testimony
I'm your sledgehammer
Let there be no doubt about it
Sledge sledge sledgehammer
I've kicked the habit
Shed my skin
This is the new stuff
I go dancing in, we go dancing in
Oh won't you show for me
And I will show for you
Show for me, I will show for you
Yea, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do mean you
Only you
You've been coming through
Going to build that powerr
Build, build up that power, hey
I've been feeding the rhythm
I've been feeding the rhythm
Going to feel that power, build in you
Come on, come on, help me do
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you
I've been feeding the rhythm
I've been feeding the rhythm
It's what we're doing, doing
All day and night
xoxo, Lucy and Lovely Rita