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This thread is a continuation of the "Question for David Nichols" discussion under the "General Go-betweens chat" group. | ||
| Matt Ellis |
I think after 6 months of reading this board with only 2 contributions its high time I posted: In response to Jeff and Mark here are the lyrics to "Hammer The Hammer": You can say what you like your all alone Knock down the wall, swallow the phone You're all alone it won't change he says what he wants, he stands up She says what she thinks, she gives up Her times up it won't change (Chorus: Hammer The Hammer x5) The heads of the nails go further in The heads of the nails silde deeper in You won't win. It wont change its held in the hand the hand is strong x2 Then you come along, it won't change (Chorus:Hammer The Hammer x4) I wave goodbye, eyes closed, high sky, goodbye it won't change. To me the last line is key - it is suggested that the first person is heading off into a different state - "waving goodbye" to a normal conciousness. I can see where Grant could be referring to herion in this song - the needle-like act of the "heads of the nails sliding deeper in". And the reference to enforced isolation from the outside world in readyness for taking a hit in the line "swallow the phone" The most interesting line for me is "You Won't win. It won't change" does McLennan relate this to the act of taking a drug or does he resign himself to a negative outcome of something else in his personal life (regardless of taking a drug)? I'm probably trying to read to much into the song! - I loved seeing them perform it on "That Way" Its a shame it was never included on BH. Thank you David Nichols for an excellent book. | ||
| Mark |
Thanks Matt, it's better than writing from memory. I think you raised the pertinate question, when you asked: "does McLennan relate this to the act of taking a drug or does he resign himself to a negative outcome of something else in his personal life" ..except that I would have phrased it as SOMEONE else. It is most definately a someone, not a "something". And it is most definately a "she". What isn't entirely clear to me is if this 'other person' is in the grips of her own heroin use, OR is SHE trying to persuade the 'first person' in the lyric from using it? The whole meaning of the lyrics hinges on this pedantic grammatical point! The second interpretation gives a much better explaination of the entire lyric: "She says what she thinks, she gives up. Her time's up, it won't change" ie: SHE is trying to persuade HIM to stop using it, and he (the 'first person') isn't taking any notice: "You can say what you like, you're all alone. Knock down the wall, swallow the phone" is the context of his response. "You're all alone, it won't change. He says what he wants, he stands up." to give her his refusal. He reiterates "You won't win. It wont change" and again "Then you come along, it won't change". Under this interpretation, he's singing about another person's ("she") attempts to stop the 'first person' ("he") from using H and their subsiquent refusal. The other explanation is that the 'first person' in the lyric is expressing disappointment with the 'other person' who is killing HERself with heroin use. However it is more difficult to assign meanings to ALL of the lyrics under this interpretation. | ||
| John |
In his note on "Hammer the Hammer" for the 1978-1990 compilation, Grant says something like it is "often mistakenly thought to be about heroin". Although I don't remember him saying what the song was actually about. | ||
| Alan |
I assumed for years that "Right Here" was a message of support for someone struggling with drugs, then I read that it was about a friend of Grant's who had become addicted to the chemicals he handled in his job at a mortuary or something, so I suppose I was right in a way.... | ||
| david nichols |
It never occurred to me for a moment that Hammer the Hammer was about heroin. Probably because I bought the record when it came out and heroin barely factored into my world view then - I don't remember it being referred to in the general parlance as 'hammer' till much later, but that's probably just me. Obviously there's scope for reading it that way. Grant and others of his ilk used to make jokes about drug use back then, but who knows if they were just jokes - certainly it was a good way to challenge people's idea of tweeness. The other side to Mark's (and others') view on heroin use, is my own experience which tallies with a comment made by Debbie Dinosaur, who used to work in Missing Link records in the early 80s and has long been a big part of the 'scene' who says in I think Clinton Walker's book Stranded that not only has she never tried heroin she has never even seen it. That's me too - I've never even seen it (or at least no-one's ever waved something under my nose and said 'that's heroin'). I know many people who are hooked on it though. I find that very disturbing actually. RE: not liking the band anymore if you know too much about them - I am of the school that believes there's no such thing as too much information; and when I am interested in someone or something I need to know ALL about it. By the way, the GOBs book is not a sordid tell-all. | ||
| Mark |
'Hammer' is one of the better known pseudonyms for heroin and Melbourne is one of 'the' heroin capitals of the world (it still is, btw). When 'Hammer the Hammer' was released, it caused a bit of a stir in *Melbourne. The commonly held belief was that it was about heroin use. Doing 'H' was(is) considered synonymous with being a criminal or being associated with the ciminal classes. The media image of the 'heroin addict' was dangerous and hard core. Grant has always denyied that this was what the song was about and has had to do so right from the moment of its release and in the face of assertions to the contrary. That stance would have been the wise one for him to take, even if it was about what he had to deny it to be. So what are the alternate explainations? It must be 'about' something, all Grant's other songs are ballads, aren't they! *I can't speak for Brisbane, perhaps the nuance went unnoticed. At the time, Brisbane society was in the grips of the most rabid conservatism ever known to mankind. Probably many Queenslanders would have assumed that 'Hammer the Hammer' was a call to christian evangelism. | ||
| jeff |
If the song isn't about heroin, as Grant seems to maintain, to me it just sounds like he's describing a dead relationship. It could be a couple who are at an impasse, they are both too stubborn to change so that they can work things out. The nails would be nails in the coffin, symbolizing the death of the relationship. The chorus of "Hammer the Hammer" could then just be repeated to show the inevitability of the whole thing. Nothing will change, so watch the hammer do its work and seal the fate of the doomed couple. At the very least, as obvious as this interpretation may seem, it would be more consistent with Grant's usual themes of love and loss. However, looking at the lyrics, I can definitely see why it's easy to read the Heroin interpretation into it. RE: the book not being a sordid tell-all; it *is* rather revealing of some very private details, but I'm sure it could've gone much deeper into that. I think Nichols managed to pull it off tastefully. | ||
| fsh |
Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh put it well imho "Through a chink too wide there comes no wonder." | ||
| John |
I checked the note on "Hammer The Hammer" in the 1978-1990 compilation last night. Grant describes the song as "an incomplete meditation on loneliness and violence". | ||
| Michelle |
Grant’s songs are intentionally ambiguous. Writers delight in finding that something they have written takes on a number of meanings. It shows that they are clever and downright gifted. There are various interpretations for this song. I agree with Jeff. It appears to be about two people who aren’t communicating very well. For those with the knowledge of drugs it probably screams out “Heroin!!” But then for a 4 year old child it is definitely a song about Bob the Builder. E.g. of being “clever” from 23.4.03 interview mentioned on this website: I also love the song "Crooked Lines" as it has such lovely harmonies and the wonderful imagery. The line about "You can say we're fighting, Athens or Sparta" fascinates me. Without wanting to force you to explain the lyric can you tell me more about this one? "Well, it can just be about geography, if you want," says Grant, a little cagily. "It's really a reference to two ways of seeing things, though, " he continues. "In Greek Philosophy there are two opposing bodies of thought and it relates to that. The Appollonian way is more physical, more theoretical, while the opposing Dionysian relates to Sparta and the embodiment of a more emotional, passionate way of thinking. In the song the two people are connected, but on a different path and there's conflict. It's open-ended, though, so you can draw your own conclusion." See! Downright gifted. | ||
| Mark |
The lyrics witness a heated dispute between a man and a woman, through the eyes of the man. About that I think we all can agree. What are they arguing about? The key word here is "change". The phrase "it won't change" is repeated five times, providing the context. In the context of the relationships between men and women, I think that it is resonable of me to assume that what she is trying to change is something about him (his personality, beliefs, habits, ..whatever) particularly as it is clear to me that the lyrics have been written through the eyes of a man. So, it is "change" that they argue about and it is "she" trying to change something about "he". Now, what is 'it' that she wishes to change about him? We know that 'it' is "held in the hand" and that "the hand is strong". We also know that it appears to have something to do with the use of "The Hammer", but not 'a hammer'. "The" denotes a specific thing as opposed to a class of things. Also, we have the use of the *proper noun indicating that it is the unique name for a thing. If Grant is writing about the carpenter's tool, then he has bestowed this hammer a special stature when he gives it the proper name "Hammer". Perhaps it is his 'pet' hammer he sings about? Perhaps "she" is jealous of this hammer and thinks that he spends just to much time with it. Perhaps she just doesn't like the way he uses it. Perhaps he makes way to much noise using it all over the place, day in, day out, ..endlessly hammering. ..um, yeah. I can see that. | ||
| jerry |
i think from this topic it show's you could take a song's lyrics and make whatever you want from them. if charles manson ever gets into go-b's back catologue he would probably find a few references to jesus and impending armageddon. by the way bachelor kisses is a euphemism for multiple acid trips. | ||
| fsh |
Gerry wrote: "by the way bachelor kisses is a euphemism for multiple acid trips." Not so sure about that Gerry, but it's one hell of a better song than the that turgid "hammer the hammer" and hammer and hammer and hammer and hammer and ham and more ham. What was Grant on at this time? In another song of the same era 'A peaceful wreak' he starts going on about 'boiled eggs' of all things, what's that all about? I mean really ..... Mr. Turner, it's about time you updated the website, last news item was October '03. | ||
| Mark |
Ham and eggs, apparently. Yeah, I'd say that Grant is an old ham. Dispite what the lyrics mean to me, I've never lost sight of the fact that they are, after all, just lyrics. | ||
| beck |
Hello. Do you have any idea when the Go-betweens are playing again in Aust? I've tried to get some info off the net but keep getting sent to strange European sex sites | ||
| catfigs |
sounds like he's kinda playing with words, verb and noun, hammer the hammer, writing a song around that idea which is an interesting one. | ||
| michael |
I will just add a little here. I think Hammer the.. should have been on Before Hollywood. It needs to go after Ask musically and lyrically and would be good before cattle and cane. Otherwise after By Chance. And the carpenter goes bang bang, comes from One Divine Hammer by Kim Deal and that's a more positive drug song. Grant's drug song is very good as well. |