This song is known for and recognizable by its central theme, a four-note "blues scale" melody harmonized in parallel fourths. The riff, played on a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar by Ritchie Blackmore, is later joined by hi-hat and distorted organ, then drums, then electric bass parts before the start of Ian Gillan's vocal.
“ We all came out to Montreux, on the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile, we didn't have much time
”
Jon Lord doubles the guitar part on a Hammond B3 organ played through a distorted Marshall amp, creating a tone very similar to that of the guitar. Blackmore uses two fingers to pluck[2] so the pairs of notes can be played exactly simultaneously, to match the organ's timing more closely.
The song order is intro(riff)-verse-chorus-riff-verse-chorus-riff-solo-riff-verse-chorus-riff-solo. The first solo is performed on guitar by Ritchie Blackmore, and the second and final solo is performed on an organ by Jon Lord until the song fades out.
The lyrics of the song tell a true story: on 4 December 1971 Deep Purple had set up camp in Montreux, Switzerland to record an album using a mobile recording studio (rented from the Rolling Stones and known as the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio - referred to as the "Rolling truck Stones thing" and "the mobile" in the song lyrics) at the entertainment complex that was part of the Montreux Casino (referred to as "the gambling house" in the song lyric). On the eve of the recording session a Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention concert was held in the casino's theater. In the middle of Don Preston's synthesizer solo on "King Kong", the place suddenly caught fire when somebody in the audience fired a flare gun into the rattan covered ceiling, as mentioned in the "some stupid with a flare gun" line. The resulting fire destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all the Mothers' equipment. The "smoke on the water" that became the title of the song (credited to bass guitarist Roger Glover, who related how the title occurred to him when he suddenly woke from a dream a few days later) referred to the smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva from the burning casino as the members of Deep Purple watched the fire from their hotel across the lake. The "Funky Claude" running in and out is referring to Claude Nobs, the director of the Montreux Jazz Festival who helped some of the audience escape the fire.
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
But Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
They burned down the gambling house
It died with an awful sound
Funky Claude was running in and out
Pulling kids out the ground
When it all was over
We had to find another place
But Swiss time was running out
It seemed that we would lose the race
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
It was empty cold and bare
But with the Rolling-truck-Stones-thing just outside, ha
Making our music there
With a few red lights, a few old beds, huh
We made a place to sweat
No matter what we get out of this, ha
I know, I know we'll never forget
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke on the water
The opening verse of "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple is a true story of the events that took place in Montreux, Switzerland in 1971. The band had gone there to record their album, "Machine Head," in the Montreux Casino complex, which had a mobile recording studio. They had been inspired to record in this location after watching a Frank Zappa concert in the casino on December 4th, 1971. However, during the concert, a spectator fired a flare gun into the ceiling, which set the building on fire.
The lyrics describe the chaos and destruction that ensued after the fire broke out. The first verse tells of how they had come to Montreux to record on the Lake Geneva shoreline, but their plans were thwarted by the fire. They had hoped to record in the casino, which was the best place around, but the fire destroyed it. The chorus of "Smoke on the Water" refers to the smoke from the fire and the fire itself, which created a fire in the sky with its bright flames.
The second verse tells of how the gambling house was burned down and how Funky Claude, who was in charge of security, helped evacuate people from the building. The band had to find somewhere else to record their album, so they ended up at the Grand Hotel. The band went on to make music, but they would never forget the events that occurred that night in Montreux.
Line by Line Meaning
We all came out to Montreux
We travelled to Montreux, a town in Switzerland, to make music.
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
Our location was next to Lake Geneva.
To make records with a mobile
We aimed to record using a mobile studio.
We didn't have much time
We were constrained with time for recording.
But Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Frank Zappa and his band were nearby.
Were at the best place around
They were situated at the perfect location for performance.
But some stupid with a flare gun
Someone foolish used a flare gun and caused trouble.
Burned the place to the ground
As a consequence, the location was burnt down.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
Smoke and flames were clearly visible.
They burned down the gambling house
The incident resulted in the collapse of the gambling establishment.
It died with an awful sound
The collapse made a terrible noise.
Funky Claude was running in and out
Funky Claude was trying to help people escape.
Pulling kids out the ground
He was rescuing children buried under the rubble.
When it all was over
Once the incident had finished.
We had to find another place
We needed to move elsewhere to continue recording.
But Swiss time was running out
We were running out of time in Switzerland.
It seemed that we would lose the race
It felt like we were in danger of failing the objective.
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
We relocated to the Grand Hotel.
It was empty cold and bare
The provisions there were basic and sparse.
But with the Rolling-truck-Stones-thing just outside, ha
However, there was excitement due to the Rolling Stones' mobile truck being nearby.
Making our music there
We continued to record our music at the Grand Hotel.
With a few red lights, a few old beds, huh
Our setup was nothing fancy, with only a few lights and places to sleep.
We made a place to sweat
We worked hard and diligently in the recording room.
No matter what we get out of this, ha
Regardless of the outcome, we were going to put in all our effort.
I know, I know we'll never forget
We knew that this experience would always remain in our memories.
Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky
The incident and atmosphere left an impression.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger D Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dazhdbog1
When I listen to the "Machine Head" in my apartment, I make it loud. Neighbors call the police. The police come and arrest the neighbors.
@GilbertoRamos-ou8hw
Hahahahahahahahahhaa
@allthingsmusic-
My neighbors listen to good music whether they want to or not. And I'm usually playing along!
@djbt2718
the power of rock protects you
@ariyohidayat3091
Goddamn man hahaha
@valeriet1345
0:18 0: 0:25
@ozzraven
Finally a Classic Rock Band that delivers an awesome animated video with a killer mix. !!!! Deep Purple Lives On
@ELEKTROSKANSEN
Yea, 'cause they too old to show in live action xD
@peeemm2032
@@ELEKTROSKANSEN yeah - some of them are dead, and some of them aren't in the band anymore....
@HenrikRClausen
Including the iconid "Break a leg, Frank!" at the end!