At age 18 Brian moved to Middlesex and replaced singer Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath fame) in a band called Wainwright's Gentlemen which included drummer Mick Tucker. Wainwright's Gentlemen split up in 1968 without releasing any recordings.
Connolly and Tucker remained together and then recruited guitarist Frank Torpey and bassist Steve Priest, they named the new band Sweetshop. The group recorded several singles and eventually shortened their name to Sweet. Over the next 13 years Brian recorded albums with Sweet until his drinking problem caused him to leave the band in 1979.
After leaving Sweet Brian launched a solo career that had little success. In 1981 he survived multiple heart attacks in a single night but his health was permanently affected. Despite this Connolly toured with his backing bands New Sweet and Brian Connolly's Sweet. In 1988 Connolly reunited with former bandmates Andy Scott, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker to rework studio versions of "Action" and "Ballroom Blitz". The four reunited again in 1990 for the promotion of a video music documentary. By the late 1990s Brian's previous drinking problem had taken a toll on his body and he died of liver failure on February 9, 1997.
Wig Wam Bam
Brian Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Bout Minnie Ha-Ha and her tender touch
Till she took him to the silver stream
Then she whispered words like he had never heard
That made him all shudder inside when she said
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
Wam bam bam, gonna get you if I can
Try a little touch, try a little too much
Just try a little wig-wam bam
Running Bear never cared enough
About Little White Dove and her tender love
Till she took him to the silver stream
She told him all about what he couldn't live without
And made him all weak inside when she said
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
Wam bam bam, gonna get you if I can
Wig-wam bam, want to make you understand
Try a little touch, try a little too much
Just try a little Wig-wam bam
Wig-wam bam sham-a-lam
Wam bam bam sham-a-lam
Wig-wam bam sham-a-lam
Wam bam bam sham-a-lam
Hiawatha didn't bother too much
About Minnie Ha-Ha and her tender touch
Till she took him to the silver stream
Then she whispered words like he'd never heard
That made him all shudder inside when she said
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
Wam bam bam, gonna get you if I can
Wig-wam bam, want to make you understand
Try a little touch, try a little too much
Just try a little wig-wam bam, and she said
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
The song "Wig Wam Bam" by Brian Connolly is a playful and seductive song about two Indigenous American legends, Hiawatha and Running Bear, who have fallen under the spell of two women, Minnie Ha-Ha and Little White Dove, respectively. The women take the men to a silver stream and whisper words that make them weak and shudder inside. The lyrics use a lot of onomatopoeic sounds, such as "Wam bam bam" and "sham-a-lam," which add to the playful and flirtatious tone of the song.
The chorus of the song, "Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man," has a double meaning. The "wig-wam" is a reference to the traditional homes of Indigenous American tribes, but it is also a euphemism for sex. The women are using their sexual prowess to seduce the men, and the men are powerless to resist. The lyrics are a celebration of the power of sexuality, and the joy that comes from being swept away by passion.
Interestingly, the song was written and originally recorded by the British rock band The Sweet, but their version was never released. Brian Connolly, the lead singer of The Sweet, left the band in 1979 and began recording and performing as a solo artist. "Wig Wam Bam" was one of his biggest hits, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 1975.
Line by Line Meaning
Hiawatha didn't bother too much
Hiawatha wasn't particularly interested in Minnie Ha-Ha
'Bout Minnie Ha-Ha and her tender touch
He didn't care about her loving, gentle nature
Till she took him to the silver stream
Until she brought him to a place of beauty
Then she whispered words like he had never heard
She said things to him that he had never heard before
That made him all shudder inside when she said
What she said caused him to tremble with excitement
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
I'm going to make you mine
Wam bam bam, gonna get you if I can
I'm going to get you if I can
Wig-wam bam, want to make you understand
I want you to understand
Try a little touch, try a little too much
Let's see where this can go
Just try a little wig-wam bam
Let's try a little bit of everything
Running Bear never cared enough
Running Bear didn't pay enough attention
About Little White Dove and her tender love
Little White Dove's love didn't mean much to him
She told him all about what he couldn't live without
She explained what he was missing in his life
And made him all weak inside when she said
He felt weak inside when she told him this
Wig-wam bam sham-a-lam
Let's get together
Wam bam bam sham-a-lam
Let's join forces
Hiawatha didn't bother too much
Hiawatha wasn't particularly interested in Minnie Ha-Ha
About Minnie Ha-Ha and her tender touch
He didn't care about her loving, gentle nature
Till she took him to the silver stream
Until she brought him to a place of beauty
Then she whispered words like he'd never heard
She said things to him that he had never heard before
That made him all shudder inside when she said
What she said caused him to tremble with excitement
Wig-wam bam, gonna make you my man
I'm going to make you mine
Wam bam bam, gonna get you if I can
I'm going to get you if I can
Wig-wam bam, want to make you understand
I want you to understand
Try a little touch, try a little too much
Let's see where this can go
Just try a little Wig-wam bam, and she said
Let's try a little bit of everything
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL DONALD CHAPMAN, NICHOLAS BARRY CHINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angela Vendramini
Great!!! Brian Francis Connolly forever 💕💕🇧🇷
Helen B
Yes very fast but they did it the same way in 1973 live as if to get it over quick as if they didn't really like to play it despite it being popular with the audience. Brian doesn't look bad for a man of 40 thru the blur.
Martina Wagner
Wenn mich mein Gefühl nicht trügt, wird der gesamte Song viel zu schnell gesungen. So kenn ich es vom Original nicht. Ausserdem scheppern die Instrumente so laut, dass man Brian's Gesang kaum versteht. Armer Brian, was hast Du Dir nur angetan?
Du bist und bleibst für mich der Größte, egal was passiert ist. 💕💕💕💕
Rosanna G.
@Martina Wagner
Das wünsche ich dir auch
🎶🌞🎤🎸🎸🥁🎶🍀🌻🙋♀️
Martina Wagner
@Rosanna G. Aber sicher doch, er ist und bleibt unser geliebter Brian💓💓💓💓 Ich finde es nur schade, dass Brian sich verständlich hat machen müssen, gab alles was in seiner Macht stand, und trotzdem wurde er übertönt☹️
Schönen Donnerstag in die Schweiz 🙋♀️🎶🎶🥁🎸🥰
Rosanna G.
Wir lieben ihn trotzdem ♥️
Rosanna G.
Du hast vollkommen recht, Martina.
Der Song wird zu schnell gespielt, leider 😟