Claw (song)
Encyclopedia
Claw is a song by British metal band
Motörhead from their 1986
album Orgasmatron
.
by drummer
Pete Gill
(a common intro to Motörhead songs specifically from Orgasmatron) before the drums are joined by the other instruments and the backing vocals (which are also recorded in the specific heavy metal style of the album). The song carries on as a fairly normal Motörhead song, with two verses and choruses followed by a guitar
solo
by Phil Campbell
, until the end of the last verse. At the end of the last verse, bassist
/vocalist Lemmy starts to repeat the word "the claw" over and over again - just as he does for the first two verses. However, after the first four times he says the words, his vocals (which have been steadily growing intense throughout the song) turn into a high-pitched Rob Halford
-like scream. Such vocals are very rare in Motörhead songs, making the song unique. The only other Motörhead song to feature similar vocals is the song "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch", from the Ace of Spades album
. Lemmy repeats the title several times in the high-pitched vocals, while Würzel
plays backing guitar solo
. After that, the song suddenly quiets down and shifts to the outro. For the last few seconds of the song, the guitars
and bass
are absent, and only the drums and vocals can be heard as Lemmy repeats the words "You know just what the claw is for" several times, each time more quietly. For the last line, he says, "I know just what my claw is for".
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Motörhead from their 1986
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
album Orgasmatron
Orgasmatron (album)
Orgasmatron is the seventh album by the British band Motörhead, released in 1986. It is the only full Motörhead album to feature Pete Gill on the drums, although he also played on the four new tracks recorded for the 1984 No Remorse compilation album....
.
Structure
The song starts out with a mini-drum soloDrum solo
A drum solo is an instrumental solo played on a drum kit. A drum solo may be set or improvised, and of any length, up to being the main performance....
by drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Pete Gill
Pete Gill
Pete Gill is a heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line up Saxon in 1978. He stayed with them until 1981 when he injured his hand...
(a common intro to Motörhead songs specifically from Orgasmatron) before the drums are joined by the other instruments and the backing vocals (which are also recorded in the specific heavy metal style of the album). The song carries on as a fairly normal Motörhead song, with two verses and choruses followed by a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
by Phil Campbell
Phil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
, until the end of the last verse. At the end of the last verse, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
/vocalist Lemmy starts to repeat the word "the claw" over and over again - just as he does for the first two verses. However, after the first four times he says the words, his vocals (which have been steadily growing intense throughout the song) turn into a high-pitched Rob Halford
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
-like scream. Such vocals are very rare in Motörhead songs, making the song unique. The only other Motörhead song to feature similar vocals is the song "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch", from the Ace of Spades album
Ace of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
. Lemmy repeats the title several times in the high-pitched vocals, while Würzel
Würzel
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
plays backing guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
. After that, the song suddenly quiets down and shifts to the outro. For the last few seconds of the song, the guitars
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
are absent, and only the drums and vocals can be heard as Lemmy repeats the words "You know just what the claw is for" several times, each time more quietly. For the last line, he says, "I know just what my claw is for".
Lyrics
The song's lyrics appear to be about the singer finding a woman he knows in a bar (2nd line "I was hoping you'd be here tonight") and then noticing that another man (not particularly an enemy, simply competition for the woman in question) has been eying her and, later in the song, makes a move on her, although this falls through seeing as the singer states "He(the man) thinks you're gonna keep your promise babe". The singer seems to have a reputation of getting casual sex from this woman, and after approaching her (3rd verse 1st line "Me walkin' up to you, and whisper in your eager ear") they go off to do the (as it's called in the song) "Horizontal dance". "The Claw" is likely the singer's favorite organ.Alternate Versions
On the original release of Orgasmatron, only one version of "Claw" appeared. However, when the album was remastered with added bonus tracks, an alternate version was included as well.Personnel
- Phil CampbellPhil Campbell (musician)Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - WürzelWürzelMichael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Lemmy - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Pete GillPete GillPete Gill is a heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line up Saxon in 1978. He stayed with them until 1981 when he injured his hand...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....