Hot Spot
Phil Manzanera Lyrics


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Manzanera-B. MacCormack-I. MacCormack

I just drove in to town today
To sample the flesh pots
And all the girls I talk to say
"We need help at the hot spot"
I said "Well I think I got the help you seek"
Been deep-fishing all through the week
And I've never been no radio freak
So you can teach me the latest dancing, darling
Come on, let's go where the night sky breaks
We've got the noise at a 1000 watts
Where the bass vibrations make the building shake
And everybody's dancing, dancing at the hot spot
It's a wildfire sensation
You just got to know
The neon radiation
Makes your body glow

My pickup told me I'm a lazy dog
Coz I dig to go cruising
And I was riding high on a hog
Until I saw what she was using
I said hey
Baby what do you need a needle for
She said, it used to be illegal
And now it's the law
We are shooting atropine
To make damn sure
Everyday since they started up a the third world war
Let's go where the night sky breaks
With your flame and your bear-skin rugs
Where the mounting vibes make the building quake
And everybody's burning, burning at the hot spot
It's a hellfire creation
Nobody wants to know
The neutron radiation
Makes your body glow

I said man,
I read about this in a magazine
But I'm not prepared
I can't stand what I'm seeing
There's no fun on the disco scene
And there's no future in America's dream
Oh no, don't go where the night sky breaks
Where the white sun rises at midnight
And there's a heatwave coming makes the building shake
And everybody's dying, dying at the hot spot
It's a wildfire sensation
You don't need to know




The neon radiation
Makes your body glow.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Phil Manzanera's song Hot Spot speak of a man who has just arrived in town, ready to experience the excitement of the city's nightlife. He meets some girls who tell him that they need help at the hot spot, and he offers his assistance, even though he admits that he's "never been no radio freak." The singer then invites the girl to come with him to a place where the night sky breaks, a place where the bass vibrations make the building shake and where everybody is dancing at the hot spot, which is described as a wildfire sensation.


However, the tone of the song changes with the second verse, where the lyrics take on a more ominous meaning. The singer's lazy dog makes a comment about his cruising, and he mentions seeing a girl using a needle. She tells him that it used to be illegal, but now it's the law, and they are shooting atropine every day since they started up a third-world war. The song then turns somewhat political, as the singer admits that there's no future in America's dream, and he warns against going where the night sky breaks, where the white sun rises at midnight, and where there's a heatwave coming that makes the building shake, and everybody is dying at the hot spot.


Overall, the song Hot Spot appears to be a commentary on the excess and danger of the disco scene, as well as a warning against the destructive consequences of war and nuclear radiation. The lyrics use vivid imagery to express both the excitement and the danger of the nightlife, painting a picture of a world that is both thrilling and terrifying.


Line by Line Meaning

I just drove in to town today
I arrived in town today


To sample the flesh pots
To indulge in physical pleasures


And all the girls I talk to say
The women I talk to request


"We need help at the hot spot"
"We require assistance at the popular location"


I said "Well I think I got the help you seek"
"I believe I can provide the aid you require"


Been deep-fishing all through the week
Been working hard all week


And I've never been no radio freak
I'm not a big fan of the radio


So you can teach me the latest dancing, darling
"You can teach me the newest dance moves, my love"


Come on, let's go where the night sky breaks
"Let's go to the place where the sky meets the horizon"


We've got the noise at a 1000 watts
"We have excessively loud music at 1000 watts"


Where the bass vibrations make the building shake
"Where the bass of the music is so strong that it shakes the building"


And everybody's dancing, dancing at the hot spot
"And everyone is dancing at the popular location"


It's a wildfire sensation
"It's an intense and exciting feeling"


You just got to know
"You need to understand"


The neon radiation
"The bright and vibrant atmosphere"


Makes your body glow
"Makes you feel alive and energetic"


My pickup told me I'm a lazy dog
"My vehicle implies that I am a sluggish person"


Coz I dig to go cruising
Because I enjoy cruising around


And I was riding high on a hog
I was feeling confident and successful


Until I saw what she was using
Until I saw what she was consuming


I said hey
"I said hello"


Baby what do you need a needle for
"Why do you require a needle, dear?"


She said, it used to be illegal
"She responded that it used to be against the law"


And now it's the law
"And now it's legal"


We are shooting atropine
"We are injecting atropine"


To make damn sure
"To ensure with certainty"


Everyday since they started up a the third world war
"Every day since the beginning of the third world war"


Let's go where the night sky breaks
"Let's go where the sky meets the horizon"


With your flame and your bear-skin rugs
"With your passion and cozy rugs made from bear skin"


Where the mounting vibes make the building quake
"Where the rising energy of the atmosphere causes the building to shake"


And everybody's burning, burning at the hot spot
"And everyone is passionately enjoying themselves at the popular location"


It's a hellfire creation
"It's an intense and thrilling experience"


Nobody wants to know
"No one wants to be informed"


The neutron radiation
"The radiant energy of the atmosphere"


Makes your body glow
"Makes you feel energized and alive"


I said man,
"I said, my friend,"


I read about this in a magazine
"I read about this in a publication"


But I'm not prepared
"But I'm not ready for what I'm witnessing"


I can't stand what I'm seeing
"I can't tolerate what I'm observing"


There's no fun on the disco scene
"The disco scene is not enjoyable"


And there's no future in America's dream
"There's no hope in pursuing the ideal of the American Dream"


Oh no, don't go where the night sky breaks
"Do not go where the sky meets the horizon"


Where the white sun rises at midnight
"Where the sun appears to rise at midnight because of the time of year"


And there's a heatwave coming makes the building shake
"And a heatwave is approaching that will cause the building to shake"


And everybody's dying, dying at the hot spot
"Everyone is literally dying at the popular location"


It's a wildfire sensation
"It's an intense and dangerous environment"


You don't need to know
"You do not need to be informed"


The neon radiation
"The bright and vibrant energy of the atmosphere"


Makes your body glow.
"Makes you feel alive and energetic"




Contributed by Molly Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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