McDonald learned to play the blues on his father's guitar from the age of 8, although by the time he was 12 years old he had opted to perform doo-wop. Having completed his high school education, he left Dayton with a band called the Ohio Hustlers, which broke up not long after relocating to New York City. His first professional work as a musician began when he formed the Entertainers who toured the east coast through to the mid-70s.
He moved on to Hartford, Connecticut, and there's when he met Doug Wimbish, who played in a band called Wood, Brass & Steel. Wood, Brass & Steel recorded a selftitled album for All Platinum Records, the label of Sylvia and Joe Robinson, in 1976. Skip and Doug played a lot of music together, in clubs and colleges around New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
In 1979, three years after the Wood, Brass & Steel album, Skip and Doug teamed up with drummer Keith LeBlanc and they became the house band for Sugarhill Records, the Robinson's new label. The trio played on some of the earliest rap hits such as The Message and White Lines (Don't Do It) with Grandmaster Flash.
While they worked at Sugar Hill, LeBlanc also freelanced at Tommy Boy Records where he first met Adrian Sherwood. LeBlanc introduced his colleagues to Sherwood and the trio were persuaded to relocate in London. Upon their entry into the On-U Sound fold, the group formed a production team and, again, a house band, this time for On-U. The three participated in dozens of records on Sherwood's label.
The partnership developed and metamorphosed into a fully-fledged band, Tackhead. Though good working relationships remain to this day, the dispersion of Tackhead in the early 1990s saw Keith and Doug pursue more of their own projects and play less often togther.
For Skip the time since has seen him work ever more closely with Sherwood, both on his own projects and as a musician or guest vocalist on many other of Adrian's On-U Sound productions - such as by Junior Delgado, Bim Sherman, Dub Syndicate and African Head Charge, sometimes along side Keith and /or Doug.
Skip has been the prime mover behind Little Axe since around 1992. Under a name inspired by Bob Marley's Small Axe and gospel singer Willmer 'Little Ax' Broadnax, the debut album Wolf That House Built was a personal take on blues and dub, and was released to critical acclaim in 1994. This had followed a partial release in Japan compiled in a slightly different form and with a different title (Never Turn Back) the previous year. The second Little Axe album, Slow Fuse, was also well received. Both albums featured tabla player Talvin Singh, for Slow Fuse the gifted voices of Kevin Gibbs and Sas Bell were added.
Then it remained silent for far too long. In 2002 Skip's third Little Axe album Hard Grind became the first release for four years on Sherwood's revived and re-launched On-U Sound label with a mixture of raw blues and reggae. While Hard Grind no doubt will also draw comparisons to Moby's Play, it was Skip who pioneered the fusion of blues and electronic music with Little Axe.
In 2006 Skip McDonald finished the fifth Little Axe album, Stone Cold Ohio, after Champagne and Grits (2004), the second record released on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records. Skip still has got the blues but this time the emphasis is on the gospel, another of Skip's old loves. The production and mixing was done Adrian Sherwood; 'gospel dub' like you never heard before.
Finger On The Trigger
Little Axe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They feed on confusion,
All mirrors and smoking guns,
Corrupt to the very bone,
Modern-day Babylon.
Chorus:
And he ran his hammer way back (no, no, no)
And the trigger went a-click-clack (no, no, no)
And the trigger went a-click-clack (no, no, no)
(X2)
Why are we governed by those
Who worship vanity and gold?
If you′re not busy buying,
You're busy being sold.
(Modern-day Babylon.)
Chorus x2
Just an illusion,
They feed on confusion,
All mirrors and smoking guns,
Corrupt to the very bone,
Modern-day Babylon.
Chorus
The lyrics of Little Axe's song "Finger On The Trigger" paint a picture of a corrupt and disillusioned society, referred to as "modern-day Babylon." The first verse talks about the deceptive nature of those in power, who feed on confusion and use smoke and mirrors to keep the public in the dark about their true intentions. The phrase "smoking guns" suggests that these people are not only deceptive, but also dangerous.
In the chorus, the imagery turns violent as a hammer is cocked back and the trigger is pulled with a click-clack sound. This could represent a violent uprising against those in power, or perhaps the realization that the only way for change to occur is through force. The repetition of "no, no, no" could be interpreted as a rejection of the status quo and a call for action.
The second verse is a call to question why we allow ourselves to be governed by those who prioritize material possessions and personal gain. The line "If you're not busy buying, you're busy being sold" highlights the idea that we are constantly bombarded with messages to consume and that this ultimately benefits those in power.
Overall, "Finger On The Trigger" is a commentary on the corrupt nature of those in power and the need for change, even if it means resorting to violence. It encourages the listener to question the status quo and to not be fooled by those who use deception and smoke and mirrors to maintain their power.
Line by Line Meaning
Just an illusion,
The government puts on a facade to deceive people.
They feed on confusion,
The government manipulates people by causing uncertainty.
All mirrors and smoking guns,
The government creates false narratives to obscure the truth and makes it difficult to determine the facts.
Corrupt to the very bone,
The government is fundamentally corrupt beyond repair.
Modern-day Babylon.
The world is reminiscent of the corrupt and oppressive city of Babylon in biblical times.
And he ran his hammer way back (no, no, no)
Someone prepares to take action to overthrow corrupt leadership.
And the trigger went a-click-clack (no, no, no)
Vengeance is imminent, and someone is about to take drastic measures.
Why are we governed by those
People wonder how they ended up being ruled by corrupt leaders.
Who worship vanity and gold?
Leaders are only interested in their own wealth and self-image.
If you?re not busy buying,
If you're not preoccupied with consumerism,
You're busy being sold.
Then you're being manipulated and sold out by the government.
Chorus x2
Reiterates the message that people need to rise up against corrupt leadership.
Writer(s): Adrian Maxwell Sherwood, Mark Stewart, Bernard Alexander
Contributed by Benjamin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@francescaj7
This song is AMAZING!!!
@martinhaughey5745
wonder when he's gonna do another album. saw Little Axe in Bristol about 20 yrs ago. Heavy shit. Fantastic. They had two bassists for a seriously heavy groove. Not to mention psychedelic blues/ dub guitar !!
@hughdonders3121
I love that baseline .
@lumberjack462
LURVE this album!!!!!! ;)
@artreyoo
awsomeness! Modern day babylon...Unique combo of Blues and Dub
@lichinka
great song. thanks for the upload.
@BENSTER489
genius!
@melaniemargetanski4866
Best of THE blues
@mackofallshades
favorite song ever...just sayin. fits for the comming collapse its speaks volumes for our generation of decline
@hobostubs
cool jam