Sledgehammer

Peter Gabriel, P.P. Arnold

About Sledgehammer

"Sledgehammer" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, So (1986), on 25 April 1986. It was produced by Gabriel and Daniel Lanois. It hit No. 1 in Canada on 21 July 1986, where it spent four weeks; No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, thanks in part to its music video. It was his biggest hit in North America and ties with "Games Without Frontiers" as his biggest hit in the United Kingdom. The song's music video won a record nine MTV Video Music Award at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. The song also saw Gabriel nominated for three Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In a 2005 poll conducted by Channel 4 the music video was ranked second on their list of the 100 Greatest Pop Videos. 


Year:
2003
4:52
#1

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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 fruit cakes
'Cause I will be your honey bee
Open up your fruit cakes
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 kicked the habit (I kicked the habit)
Shed my skin (Shed my skin)
This is the new stuff (This is the new stuff)
I go dancing in, (We could go dancing in)
Oh won't you show for me (Show for me)
I will show for you (Show for you)
Show for me (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, come on and help me do, come on and help me do

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Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. His 1986 album, So, is his most commercially successful, and the album's biggest hit, "Sledgehammer", won a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and the song is the most played music video in the history of the station. more »

11 fans

Written by: PETER GABRIEL

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Release Date
"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel was released on April 21, 1986.
Chart Performance
The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, making it Gabriel's only number one single in the country.
Allegory
The song is said to symbolize Gabriel's feelings on sexual desire, with heavy allegory used throughout.
Musical Style
"Sledgehammer" is widely recognized for its blue-eyed soul influences. The song is acknowledged for its horn section, inspired by the soul music of Memphis, Tennessee.
Awards
The song won nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987, a record only broken by Lady Gaga in 2010.
Innovative Music Video
The innovative claymation, pixelation, and strata-cut animation techniques used in its music video were produced by Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay.
Long-Lasting Impact
The "Sledgehammer" video has been ranked as one of the best music videos of all time by various publications and viewers' polls.
Multicultural Influences
The song prominently incorporates the use of a shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute, reflecting his interest in world music.
Other Performances
Gabriel performed "Sledgehammer" during his sets at the Secret Policeman's Third Ball charity concert in 1987.
Cover Versions
A cover of "Sledgehammer" was recorded by American rock band Pearl Jam in 2016.
Commercial Use
The song has frequently been used in TV series, commercials, films, and trailers, such as "Miami Vice," "Big Daddy," "Frankie and Johnny," and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."
Wider Influence
Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" has had a greater influence on the approach of other musicians toward the production and composition of popular music, particularly in regard to its influential music video.

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    Sledgehammer

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1986

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