Motörhead released 23 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band. The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. As of 2016, they have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said that they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the latter theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".
Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The day after his death, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motörhead
Discography
Motörhead (1977)
Overkill (1979)
Bomber (1979)
On Parole (1979)
Ace of Spades (1980)
Iron Fist (1982)
Another Perfect Day (1983)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
1916 (1991)
March ör Die (1992)
Bastards (1993)
Sacrifice (1995)
Overnight Sensation (1996)
Snake Bite Love (1998)
We Are Motörhead (2000)
Hammered (2002)
Inferno (2004)
Kiss of Death (2006)
Motörizer (2008)
The Wörld Is Yours (2010)
Aftershock (2013)
Bad Magic (2015)
Nothing Up My Sleeve
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your magic circle ain't where's its at
One moment you were here, and then you disappeared
This ain't the first time that I've caught your act
[Chorus:]
Nothing up my sleeve, babe
Watch out, watch out
Just like that.
You know your slight of hand is messing up my life
Maybe this time babe you're gonna get it right
One moment I was there, now just an empty chair
This ain't the first time you've shout out my lights
[Chorus]
Saw me in half babe, and that's quite a trick
You make me laugh babe, you make me sick
I'm gone but now you lack the spell to bring me back
This ain't the first time I've seen your magic slip
[Chorus]
Motörhead's song "Nothing Up My Sleeve" is a song that talks about a woman who constantly plays tricks and uses her illusions to deceive her partner. The song's lyrics describe her as a magician who is always performing tricks and illusions, but in reality, she is just playing mind games. The lyrics also suggest that this is not a new thing and the singer has already caught onto her act before. Overall, the song is about being cautious and not to be fooled by the illusion of love.
The song's chorus emphasizes the idea that if you want to find magic, then you need to be vigilant and cautious. There is nothing up the singer's sleeve, meaning that he is not going to be fooled by her tricks. The chorus also implies that the woman needs magic to keep the façade going.
The song's lyrics contain numerous metaphors and figurative language. The use of phrases such as "saw me in half" and "slight of hand" suggests the woman is a magician. However, these phrases also imply that she has the power to manipulate and deceive the singer. The metaphorical use of "nothing up my sleeve" also implies that the singer is confident and not easily fooled.
Line by Line Meaning
You're playing tricks babe, and that's a fact
You are deceiving me, and it's a known truth
Your magic circle ain't where's its at
Your tricks are ineffective and flawed
One moment you were here, and then you disappeared
You appear and disappear suddenly, without explanation
This ain't the first time that I've caught your act
I have previously discovered your deception
[Chorus:]
Refrain
Nothing up my sleeve, babe
I have no tricks or illusions to deceive you
Watch out, watch out
Be cautious of my honesty and sincerity
Magic's what you need, babe
You rely on trickery and illusions to deceive others
Just like that.
Without putting genuine effort or skills
You know your slight of hand is messing up my life
Your deceitful tricks are ruining my life
Maybe this time babe you're gonna get it right
You might finally achieve success with your deception
One moment I was there, now just an empty chair
You make things appear and disappear to manipulate people
This ain't the first time you've shout out my lights
You have previously disrupted my life with your deceit
[Chorus]
Refrain
Saw me in half babe, and that's quite a trick
You use dangerous and remarkable tricks to deceive people
You make me laugh babe, you make me sick
You amuse and disgust me with your deceitful acts
I'm gone but now you lack the spell to bring me back
Your tricks are no longer effective, and I cannot be fooled anymore
This ain't the first time I've seen your magic slip
I have previously observed your tricks fail
[Chorus]
Refrain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN FRASER KILMINSTER, MICHAEL BURSTON, PETER GILL, PHILIP CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind