November 2015 saw th… Read Full Bio ↴New album TOON TOWN LULLABY released July 2020.
November 2015 saw the release of ALL THE HITS LIVE, an album recorded earlier that year at Perth's Astor Theatre. James released a brand new album THIRTEEN in March 2012, containing the singles English Girls, Capsize and Whatcha Gonna Do About It?
James Reyne came to recognition to the Australian public as lead singer of classic Australian band Australian Crawl in the 1970's. They had a number of hits including "Reckless", "Boys Light Up", "Beautiful People", "Shutdown", "Errol", "Oh No Not You Again" and "Downhearted"
After the band split in 1986, James spent some time in the United States and Europe, returning to Australia in 1987.
His first solo album, "JAMES REYNE" (1987) went triple platinum and included three top 10 singles: "Fall Of Rome", "Hammerhead" and "Motors Too Fast". Other singles from this album included "Always The Way" and "Ript It Up".
In the following years James released more solo albums, "HARD REYNE" (1989) which contaimed the Top 40 singles "House Of Cards", "One More River" and "Trouble In Paradise".
In 1991 James returned with his most successful Australian album "ELECTRIC DIGGER DANDY"(1991), which effortlessly mirrored the success of the first. This album contained the smash hits "Slave", "Any Day Above Ground" and "Some People'", plus a reworking of the Aussie Crawl song "Reckless".
James joined country music star James Blundell and recorded the classic Dingoes song "WAY OUT WEST" which exploded into the number 1 position on the Australian charts in 1992.
He next joined Daryl Braithwaite, Jef Scott and Simon Hussey on the very successful album "THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS" in 1993 which included the top 40 hits "Motor City", "Sweet Love" and "Daddy's Gonna Make You A Star".
James then returned to Los Angeles to record with renowned producer Stewart Levine, arriving back in 1994 with the critically acclaimed CD "THE WHIFF OF BEDLAM". The album was a departure in sound for James and featured a more organic sound, complete with brass section. The album spawned the hits "Red Light Avenue", "Day In The Sun" and the final single "It's Only Natural" in 1995.
While touring the album in Australia and overseas during this period, James released the energetic and profilic double Live album titled LIVE IN RIO, recorded in Brazil. A single "Oh No Not You Again" was featured from this CD.
Throughout his career James has appeared in several and varied theatrical, film and television productions and concert events, the more visible of these including "Return To Eden", "Tina; What's Love Got To Do With It?", television drama "State Coroner" and "The Little Shop Of Horrors" (1996)
While signing to Roadshow Music in 1997, James headed into the studio with famed producer and produced a single "Brand New Emperor's Clothes", to be featured on a forthcoming album.
In 1999 James recorded and released the CD "DESIGN FOR LIVING" with friends and brothers Scott and Brett Kingman. Arguably the most critically applauded album of his career, it further cemented his position as a unique, witty, thoughtful and challenging songwriter and singer. This album featured the singles "Wonderful Today", "Not Waving, Drowning" and the classic live favourite "Reno".
2004 saw the completion of "SPEEDBOATS FOR BREAKFAST", released on Liberation Records. It was a self funded project and saw James break free of the record company restrictions and allowed to him to be in control creatively. Radio-only singles "Bug" and "Rainbows Dead End" were featured on this CD.
Rainbows Dead End Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFaXnfZbBAs
As part of the Liberation Blue Accoustic series, James released two highly successgful accoustic albums in recent times. …"AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON"" which allowed James to revisit many of the above titles with little more than a lone acoustic guitar underpinning the most distinctive voice of his generation.
More reworkings of his solo and Australian Crawl material were sounded on "GHOST SHIP" released in 2007.
2007 saw the release of James 8th Studio album. "EVERY MAN A KING" closing a 30-year circle since James first led Australian Crawl into the front line of the Oz rock boom. His eye and pen grew sharper through a platinum-lined solo career, but never have his wit and poignancy been on more consistently solid musical ground than they are here. Stand-out tracks include "Little Man You've Had a Busy Day", "Light In The Tunnel" and "The Postman".
Following a live DVD release in late 2007, titled "One Night In Melbourne", a CD/DVD of the show was available in 2009. The show was filmed and recorded at Melbourne's Palais Theatre and saw James perform 30 songs from his vast catalogue.
One project, titled JAMES REYNE SINGS THE KING has James performing and re-interpreting 14 classic Elvis Presley songs. The album TCB was released in April 2010. A dedicated website has been set up to support the project. http://www.jamesreyneTCB.com
A new album, Thirteen was released in March 2012.
Hammerhead
James Reyne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be my one desire
Be my light be my pure delight
Be my purifier
You'll never know what you do to me
Five times a day
My self destruction you'll over see
Don't go don't go away
Just a touch of you
Just a taste
Like kissing God is what we do
Let's go to waste
You'll never know what you do to me
So sublime
You're like the Devil in Heaven
Every every time
[Chorus]
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
Take food from my mouth
Take my sex
Take my friends take my lovers
Here take this
You'll never know what you do to me
Maybe I'm wrong
Let's take this journey together
Please come please come along
Please come please come along
[Chorus]
Oohh ooooohhhhh
[Chorus x6]
The lyrics of James Reyne’s “Hammerhead” are all about surrendering oneself to someone completely, akin to making them the center of one's world. He begins by asking the person to take on the role of his “ritual” and “one desire,” asserting that they are his light and pure delight, and his purifier. The person is extremely important to him, as they have some kind of power over him that causes him to completely submit to their will. Even if they leave, the person is still in control of his life, overseeing his self-destruction like a dark benevolent force.
He goes on to describe the person's touch and taste as something akin to kissing God, and how he and the person simply go to waste. The person's effect on him is so sublime that he starts to talk about them as if they are like the devil in heaven, dangerous and alluring. In the chorus, he describes the person as a Hammerhead, who hangs with the nicest people but is actually a silken slip of evil.
The second half saw Reyne offering everything he has to the person, be it food, sex, friends, or lovers, and how that person has the power over him, and he pleads with them to come on this journey with him. The song is about a kind of submission to a lover, where the power dynamic is undoubtedly skewed. The lyrics mix in religious and sexual imagery to convey the extent of the person's influence over Reyne.
Line by Line Meaning
Be my ritual
Let me worship you
Be my one desire
Be the only thing I want
Be my light be my pure delight
Be my source of joy and happiness
Be my purifier
Cleanse me of my sins
You'll never know what you do to me
You have a profound effect on me
Five times a day
Constantly thinking of you
My self destruction you'll over see
You will witness my downfall
Don't go don't go away
Please don't leave me
Just a touch of you
Even a small amount of you is enough
Just a taste
Even a small taste of you is enough
Like kissing God is what we do
Our love is divine
Let's go to waste
Let's get lost in each other
So sublime
Your beauty is unparalleled
You're like the Devil in Heaven
You're too good to be true
You've been hanging with the nicest people
You've been spending time with good people
Hammerhead
But you're still dangerous
Some silken slip of evil
You appear harmless, but you're not
Take food from my mouth
I'll sacrifice for you
Take my sex
I'll give myself to you
Take my friends take my lovers
I'll give up everything for you
Here take this
Take all of me
Maybe I'm wrong
Maybe I shouldn't do this
Let's take this journey together
Let's do this anyway
Please come please come along
Please join me on this path
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SIMON CYRIL HUSSEY, JAMES MICHAEL REYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kennkoala
Lyrics
Be my ritual
Be my one desire
Be my light be my pure delight
Be my purifier
You'll never know what you do to me
Five times a day
My self destruction you'll over see
Don't go don't go away
Just a touch of you
Just a taste
Like kissing God is what we do
Let's go to waste
You'll never know what you do to me
So sublime
You're like the Devil in Heaven
Ever, every time
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
Take food from my mouth
Take my sex
Take my friends take my lovers
Here take this
You'll never know what you do to me
Maybe I'm wrong
Let's take this journey together
Please come please come along
Please come please come along
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
Oohh ooooohhhhh
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
You've been hanging with the nicest people
Hammerhead
Some silken slip of evil
Hammerhead
Songwriters: Simon Cyril Hussey / James Michael Reyne
Hammerhead lyrics © Words & Music A Div Of Big Deal Music LLC
Artist: James Reyne
Album: James Reyne
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
@ManfromJapan12
RIP Olivia Newton-John. Your backing vocals on this track were amazing
@misshel9807
So glad someone else noticed!
@annifridl2820
The day she died I played this song. Her vocals are like the finest crystal on this song, RIP ONJ
@vjacobsen94
Not alot of people know that it was her
@pot1975
Really
@redimade
she really made this song complete, kudos to james for the collab
@fordfalcongt
I'm here because Coles was playing it on their radio station. Most enjoyable grocery shop I've had
@ykook7000
Coles radio is full of gems!
@fordfalcongt
@@ykook7000 totally right. I now have it in my car
@dan197929
Followed by reckless would have made it even better