OUGD406 Studio Brief 1 | Chosen Song & Lyrics

I've decided to go with Peter Gabirel's 1986 hit, 'Sledgehammer'. I've made this decision because firstly, I really like the song, and did before I even started this brief, and I think liking the song and being even slightly passionate about a topic makes your work better. I quite liked Go by The Maccabees but I just think Sledgehammer is a lot more fun and the meaning behind the lyrics open up a lot of possibilities for a visual interpretation of the song.

This song is basically all about sex. Most of the lyrics are metaphors for the male and female bodies such as 'sledgehammer', 'fruit cage' and 'steam train'.

At first this may go unnoticed but once you realise the meaning of the song all of them become very clear and they're all pretty playful which I think would be fun to work with when it comes to design. 

[Verse 1]
You could have a steam train
If you 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

[Chorus]
I wanna be your sledgehammer
Why don't you call my name?
Oh, let me be your sledgehammer
This will be my testimony

[Verse 2]
Show me 'round your fruit cage
Cause I will be your honey bee
Open up your fruit cage
Where that fruit is as sweet as can be

[Chorus]
I wanna be your sledgehammer
Why don't you call my name?
You'd better call the sledgehammer
This will be my testimony
I'm your sledgehammer
Let there be no doubt about it

[Bridge]
I kick the habit
Shed my skin
This is the new stuff
I go dancing in

Won't you show for me?
I will show for you x2

You been coming through
Gonna feel that power

C'mon, c'mon, help me through x2

This song has many metaphors that represent the bodies of a man and woman. In the first two verses the male is telling the woman 'could' have him' 'if' she was to feel the same way and wanted him. The terms such as 'steam train', 'aeroplane', 'big dipper' and 'bumper car' all refer to the male body, where as the 'tracks', 'blue sky' and 'bends' represent that of a woman's body.

When it comes to the term 'sledgehammer', this is no different - it's the man. Although I think the fact the sledgehammer is a destructive tool, it's like he is destroying the woman's innocence and beauty which is portrayed through language such as 'fruit cage' and 'sweet'.