After meeting Hawkwind co-founder Dave Brock in 1970, Robert joined the underground icons as resident poet, reading his work amid strobes and light cascades on stage.
Seeking a break from touring, Robert left Hawkwind in 1973 and recorded two solo albums, Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (featuring Brian Eno and Arthur Brown) and Lucky Leif and the Longships (produced by Eno). In 1975 he rejoined Hawkwind as their frontman and main lyricist, staying on for three years before leaving for the second time in 1978. Through the end of the 70s and into the 80s up to his death from a heart attack in 1988 he produced numerous poetic and musical works, as well as short stories and novels.
Robert is believed to have been bi-polar and spent much of his adult life in states of mania, depression or recovering in mental institutions.
Revenge
Robert Calvert Lyrics
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Went on with a Thompson gun
Ten magazines and his case weighed a ton
Booked a hotel room with a view of the street
And a speakeasy bar room where the hoodlums all meet
He sat up 'till dawn
The sky was all torn
But he waited until he slayed before he went to bed
For the one with the stick pin
Who shot his daddy dead
He knelt with the parts spread on the hotel room floor
For cleaning and oiling when he heard the door
He called out "Who's that?"
And a voice said "The maid."
He said "Come later, if you want to get laid."
He waited 'till ten
Then he saw the men
Four men in a Ford limousine
He fired through the curtain so he would not be seen
And got all four of those men
And he got away clean
Revenge is sweet
Revenge is sweet
You know
Revenge is sweet
Revenge so sweet
The lyrics to Robert Calvert's song "Revenge" tell the story of a man seeking justice for his father's death. The man meticulously plans his revenge, obtaining a Thompson gun and booking a hotel room with a view of the street and a nearby speakeasy where he knows the culprits will be. He stays up all night, waiting until he has slain the one with the "stick pin" who shot his father dead. The man kneels on his hotel room floor to clean and oil his gun when he hears a knock, but he sends away the maid who comes to clean. Finally, he sees the four men, the culprits, in a Ford limousine and fires through the curtain, killing them all and getting away clean.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man who is seeking justice for his father's death. The attention to detail, from the weight of the gun to the view from the hotel room, emphasizes the seriousness with which the man takes the task of avenging his father. The focus on revenge as a theme underscores the idea that justice is not always served through conventional means and that sometimes it is up to individuals to take matters into their own hands.
Line by Line Meaning
He went to work
The singer made his way towards his objective
Went on with a Thompson gun
The singer carried a Thompson submachine gun to accomplish his goal
Ten magazines and his case weighed a ton
The singer carried a heavy load including 10 ammunition magazines
Booked a hotel room with a view of the street
The artist reserved a room overlooking the street
And a speakeasy bar room where the hoodlums all meet
The artist selected a hotel with a bar that was a popular spot amongst criminals
He sat up 'till dawn
The singer stayed up all night
The sky was all torn
The sky was ripped and fragmented
The sun was a slaughter of red
The sunrise resembled a brutal and bloody massacre
But he waited until he slayed before he went to bed
The artist waited until he had completed his mission before sleeping
For the one with the stick pin
The artist sought revenge against the person who wore a stick pin (possibly the murderer of his father)
Who shot his daddy dead
The singer's father was murdered by this person
He knelt with the parts spread on the hotel room floor
The artist disassembled his gun on the hotel room floor
For cleaning and oiling when he heard the door
The singer was in the process of maintaining his gun when he heard someone at the door
He called out "Who's that?"
The singer asked who was at the door
And a voice said "The maid."
The person on the other side of the door identified themselves as the hotel maid
He said "Come later, if you want to get laid."
The artist rejected the maid's offer and told them to return later
He waited 'till ten
The artist waited until 10 o'clock
Then he saw the men
The singer noticed four men approaching
Four men in a Ford limousine
The four men arrived in a limousine
He fired through the curtain so he would not be seen
The artist fired through the hotel room curtain to avoid being detected
And got all four of those men
The artist killed all four of the men who arrived in the limousine
And he got away clean
The artist successfully escaped without being caught
Revenge is sweet
The singer found pleasure in achieving revenge
Revenge is sweet
The artist found pleasure in achieving revenge
You know
A phrase used to emphasize the previous statement
Revenge is sweet
The singer found pleasure in achieving revenge
Revenge so sweet
The singer found immense pleasure in achieving revenge
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN T. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind