KVR Audio

WilliamK · Post by **WilliamK** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:04 pm

Since English is not my "native" language, I dont' get what "SLEDGEHAMMER" means on that Peter Grabriel's song... could someone enlight me on this?

I know the word itself is for the de-construction hammer. To destroy things. A very big HAMMER.

But does that mean the same thing on the song?

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
’cos 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 going to 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 power
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

Wk

whyterabbyt · Post by **whyterabbyt** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:06 pm

Either that or he thinks he has a massive penis.

Stupid American Pig · Post by **Stupid American Pig** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:44 pm

or it could just be nonsense...

Jesse J · Post by **Jesse J** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:56 pm

I think he's referring to the drink 'sledgehammer'

16 cl Vodka
12 pills viagra
4 oz cocaine
Orange Juice
Ice

Shake and serve cold.

bastien · Post by **bastien** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:58 pm

Remember, ALL songs are about shagging!

I think the gist of this one is

"Lay down and spread your legs so I can penetrate you"

Then the second half is about actually, like, doing it.

I think.

Reminds me of a quote I once heard - "Relax was banned because it was about oral sex - nowdays songs don't get made if they're not about oral sex."

Dave Spiers · Post by **Dave Spiers** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:58 pm

It's definitely a song about shagging - basically sledgehammer means "f**ker"

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:59 pm

S_A_P wrote:or it could just be nonsense...

i seem to remember on a southbank show years ago he was asked this and he said i just needed a word that fits
so i guess nonsense is the closest.
its surprising how many songs we think had some deep meaning when in fact theyre just a lucky amalgamation of words

papawillow · Post by **papawillow** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:59 pm

Sledgehammers are used in sideshows to hit a button to ring a bell.

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:00 pm

bastien wrote:Remember, ALL songs are about shagging!

golden brown-stranglers? thought that was about heroin
think children in need may use it this year?

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:02 pm

papawillow wrote:Sledgehammers are used in sideshows to hit a button to ring a bell.

but what button here is he to referring?i see no button reference in the track
unless its the button to start the roller coaster

wrench45us · Post by **wrench45us** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:07 pm

seem to remember on a southbank show years ago he was asked this and he said i just needed a word that fits

that makes so much sense
the man is a drummer he writes a tune that has a particular rhythm, then he looks around for lyrics that fit and needs a strong word that fills like a quarter and two eight notes to end a phrase.

then there was that pulp detective fiction guy Mike Hammer

WilliamK · Post by **WilliamK** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:09 pm

"f**ker" would make sense, as on his show he starts to make some odd "penis-showcase" moves...

My wife looked to and asked: "what the hell is he doing?!" - "duno, maybe has something to do with the song?!"

Wk

bastien · Post by **bastien** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:09 pm

vurt wrote:golden brown-stranglers? thought that was about heroin
think children in need may use it this year?

I thought they were using 'Leader of the Gang'

Stupid American Pig · Post by **Stupid American Pig** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:10 pm

I think its a Gallagher parody. He was really making fun of how everyone got a kick out of gallagher smashing watermelons with a sledgehammer...

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:11 pm

wrench45us wrote:
seem to remember on a southbank show years ago he was asked this and he said i just needed a word that fits

that makes so much sense
the man is a drummer he writes a tune that has a particular rhythm, then he looks around for lyrics that fit and needs a strong word that fills like a quarter and two eight notes to end a phrase.

then there was that pulp detective fiction guy Mike Hammer

it probably does mean f**king but not sure it would have had the same impact in the charts

What "SLEDGEHAMMER" means on PGrabriel's song?