Well, I am long, long overdue for a post here at Becky's World. I took a bit of a hiatus over the holidays and will try to get back into the swing of daily posts. Meanwhile, since we all made it to 2013, I thought it would be the perfect chance to talk about one of my favorite Def Leppard tunes, "Armageddon It." Yes, it is a play on words (Are you gettin' it? Yes, Armageddon it). Pretty cool, and with this awesomely guitar-saturated rock anthem, "Armageddon It" is the perfect phrase to have fun with in this tune. In fact, it seems pretty clear as to what the song references (in terms of "gettin' it), so why not take charge of the opportunity to play around with words? If you read the lyrics, it seems to be an overture to someone who seems all fired up and ready but then hesitates to "trigger the gun." So, nothing left to do at this point but cut to the chase:
Gimme all of your lovin', ev'ry little bit Gimme all that you got, ev'ry bit of it Ev'ry bit of your lovin', oh, c'mon live a bit Never want it to stop
Pretty '80s looking jacks here
Makes perfect sense to me! And you just have to love a song that uses the term "lovin'." Yeah, only in rock lyrics can one be so creative. I mean, I don't think that would be realistic in casual conversation... So, it's great to hear it in this tune. I must admit that I never realized that "jumpin' jack" was part of the lyrics, though. Kind of reminds me of playing jacks back in the '80s. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this tune and video as much as I do. Gotta love the big bear slippers on Joe Elliott at the end of the video, too. I think I may have bought those for my dad or brother back in the day. I'm definitely gettin' every bit of the nostalgia from this video... Thank you, Def Leppard -- rock on!
Somehow time has escaped me again, and it has been two weeks since my last post. Yikes. Well, at least I can say that this evening I have found a timeless '80s rock anthem to remedy my bad sense of time as of late. "Rock of Ages"was released by Def Leppard in 1983 and has always been one of my favorites. "I'm burnin', burnin', I got the fever -- I know for sure, there ain't no cure." Indeed! Rock on, Def Leppard! I have to say that that is my favorite line from the whole song. The video for this is also pretty interesting and is full of all kinds of religious and mythological symbols. Yup, we've got monks, a reverse time-lapse broken chalice of wine, a sword in a stone, and well, I think Joan of Ark (I can't really tell). It's all cool and very fun, although Joe Elliott wrote retrospectively that he found the video to be rather silly. I disagree. Well, maybe it is kind of silly, but it still rocks.
OWWW -- or owl?
The video ads quite a bit to the song, too, especially when you watch the whole band chanting the chorus. I'm also completely jealous of the lead guitarist's ability to lip sync along with his guitar solo. Now, that is something that is just not possible with wind instruments. Anyway, I really do enjoy this video, and there's a whole lot of hub-ub out there about the introductory four words. I think the words really are gibberish, so I won't debate, dissect, or split hairs about what is going on with that intro. Sometimes, you just need some nonsensical line to keep people guessing. But, I do wonder it Joe Elliott is really singing "owwwww" in the beginning or "owl" -- especially since the image of an owl appears right before this exclamation. Hmm.... Now that is something I will ponder...
There are so many terrific Def Leppard songs out there that it's hard to choose a favorite. Seems like some people have chosen lists of favorites by the group, which I can completely understand. The top of my list would be "Photograph" without question. But, there are a couple of others that are just fun, intriguing, and always full of rock magic. "Animal" is a song that I don't think I've heard as many times as some of the others, like "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (which is funny, because that is actually my least favorite). Nevertheless, this one is a hidden gem. I think one thing it has in common with some of their other songs is that there is always a line that I can't quite understand. I always thought they were singing, "and I want...and I need...and I know...animal." But, alas, the mystery has been solved for me. It is actually, "and I want...and I need...and I LUST...animal." Makes perfect sense since the song is about animal-esque lust. Can't believe I missed that all these years. But, if you listen closely, it's really hard to hear the "t" when they sing "lust." I think they should really dig into the word when they sing. Let us all know it!
Anyway, the video is pretty interesting, too. It's a cool concept with the band at the circus. All kinds of interesting characters in there -- like the trapeze artist. I actually wanted to be a trapeze artist when I was little, because I admired the fact that they got to wear sparkly outfits and fly through the air. But, alas, I became a musician. It's kind of the same. I mean, we can fly through the air metaphorically--and sometimes even wear sparkly outfits. But, I digress. I also loved zebras when I was little because I thought they looked so cool with their stripes. Low and behold, there is a zebra in this video. So, I'm having all kinds of childhood flashbacks, which is weird given that the song is about lust. Oh well... Maybe the circus element is what conjures childhood memories. Whatever the case, this song is awesome. It's got sort of subdued, "undercurrent" vocals with the verses, which makes it really mysterious and enticing. Just a bit of complimentary guitar lines and drums add to the mystique. The chorus is full force and very animal. Awesome song. Hope you enjoy it!
So, once again I was listening to "Nights with Alice Cooper," and "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" by Def Leppard came on the show. It's interesting--I've actually grown to enjoy Def Leppard's music more and more as I get older. They were very popular when I was younger, and I knew this one teenaged friend who was completely obsessed with them. Now I can see why. They seem to have had the magic rock n' roll touch. All of their songs were huge hits, and I can't seem to think of any I didn't like (well, except "Pour Some Sugar on Me," probably because it was really overplayed). Anyway, the point is... this group rocks. Plus, their lyrics are amazing. Listen to the lyrics for "Bringin' on the Heartbreak"--they are ultra sensitive and poetic. Really intriguing as well, and so vivid that you can essentially visualize a story line and video in your own mind as you listen. The gentle guitar playing under the verses really brings out the lyrics, too. Makes me want to cry from the very beginning: "Gypsy, sittin' lookin' pretty, a broken rose with laughin' eyes..." If you can make it past there, you will really enjoy this song.
Not a broken rose...just a pretty one
Meanwhile, as I was doing some research on this song, I ran across the title with Mariah Carey's name. I thought, "Oh no... say it ain't so. Please...." But, unfortunately, it is :( No offense to Ms. Carey, but, uh, well...no, not the right song for her to cover. Yikes. She has a lovely voice and a great range, but I think she sings her genre of pop and pop ballads well. Just not right for this heavy rock ballad. So, try to dodge those clips on YouTube and enjoy the one and only Def Leppard. It is THE version to hear. THE original. THE best!
