The band is a strong satire of the 70s and 80s heavy metal genre and scene, and their music reflects that, with blaring guitars, high vocals, and ridiculous lyrical themes, all of which take the stereotypes of the genre and exaggerate them to comedic extremes.
The first album of the band was a collection of songs made for the film, many of which were featured in the film itself. Their second album (Break Like The Wind) followed many years later, but was greeted with less enthusiasm, partially because people simply weren't interested in the band beyond their characters in the film, and partially because the heavy metal scene had already been killed by grunge by the time of the album's release. A third album, Back from the Dead, was released in 2009.
All three members of the band have continued to pursue their separate careers in film and television.
The first album (This is Spinal Tap) has a pure black cover, in reference to the movie, in which their latest album is forced to have a pure black cover ("none more black"). However, in the movie, the album is called "Smell the Glove," not "This is Spinal Tap."
Spın̈al Tap are played by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. The three also play a folk group called The Folksmen in the film A Mighty Wind.
Spın̈al Tap have appeared in The Simpsons when Homer takes Bart and Milhouse to one of their gigs.
They recently made a 'comeback' appearance at LiveEarth at Wembley in 2007, and appeared on the Main Stage at Glastonbury 2009.
Creation
Spinal Tap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the void was king
And ruled the elements
When there was silence
And the hush was almost deafening
Out of the emptiness
Salvation, rhythm, and light, and sound
'Twas the rock and roll creation
'Twas the ultimate mutation
Ying was searching for his yang
And he looked, and he saw that it was good
When I'm alone beneath the stars
And feeling insignificant
I turn within to see the forces that created me
I look to the stars
And the answers are clear
I look in the mirror and see what I fear
Tis the rock and roll creation
Tis an absolute rebirth
Tis the rolling of the ocean
And the rocking of the earth
And I looked, and I saw that it was good
The lyrics to Spinal Tap’s song Rock And Roll Creation describe the birth of rock and roll from the emptiness and silence of the universe. The first verse sets the scene and establishes that before rock and roll, there was nothingness and silence. But then, out of that emptiness, came salvation, rhythm, light, and sound. Following this, the chorus refers to the birth of rock and roll as a “terrible big bang” and the “ultimate mutation,” acknowledging the powerful impact the genre had on the music industry and culture as a whole. The lyrics go on to reference the concept of yin and yang, suggesting that the creation of rock and roll was a force that was seeking balance.
The second verse shifts the focus to the individual, with the singer reflecting on their own place in the universe. The singer looks to the stars for answers, but ultimately finds them within themselves when they look in the mirror. The chorus repeats the idea that rock and roll is a rebirth and a powerful force that rocks the earth.
Overall, the song emphasizes the wonder and power of rock and roll, positioning it as a force that emerged from the emptiness of the universe and transformed music and culture in a fundamental way.
Line by Line Meaning
When there was darkness
In the absence of light
And the void was king
In a time when nothingness prevailed
And ruled the elements
And governed all natural phenomena
When there was silence
In the absence of any sound
And the hush was almost deafening
And the stillness was nearly overwhelming in its intensity
Out of the emptiness
From the void
Salvation, rhythm, and light, and sound
Came salvation, rhythm, light, and sound
'Twas the rock and roll creation
This was the creation of rock and roll
'Twas a terrible big bang
This was a massive explosion
'Twas the ultimate mutation
This was the greatest transformation
Ying was searching for his yang
One aspect of the universe was seeking its complementary opposite
And he looked, and he saw that it was good
And he deemed it to be satisfactory
When I'm alone beneath the stars
When I'm by myself under the night sky
And feeling insignificant
And experiencing a sense of smallness
I turn within to see the forces that created me
I look inward to contemplate the entities that brought me into existence
I look to the stars
I gaze up to the celestial bodies
And the answers are clear
And the solutions are apparent
I look in the mirror and see what I fear
I contemplate my apprehensions as I look at myself in the reflection
Tis the rock and roll creation
This is the creation of rock and roll
Tis an absolute rebirth
This is a complete regeneration
Tis the rolling of the ocean
This is the motion of the sea
And the rocking of the earth
And the vibrations of the planet
And I looked, and I saw that it was good
And I observed, and I judged it to be satisfactory
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS GUEST, CHRISTOPHER GUEST, HARRY SHEARER, MICHAEL MC KEAN, ROB REINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DV DODDS
All Humor and Spinal Tap jokes aside.....Harry Shearer, Michael Mckean and Christopher Guest are really great musicians
Dave Westner
seriously....and quite good singers too....this was all well before autotune so they actually had to sing this stuff. Not to mention, the songs are actually great for all of the era's of Spın̈al Tap's "history"
Simon Hunter
i totally agree
ernietaggert
Damn right.
Mike Kean
Yes. They are aren't they?
henry mustard
The older I get and the more I dig into obscure NWOBHM bands and 1978-84 era Heavy Metal in general the more I realize how fucking spot on a parody this is. I can totally hear bands like Witchfynde, Angelwitch, Saracen, Demon, Pagan Altar, Quartz etc in this song and Stonehenge.
Marek Steven
You are so right Henry Mustard, brilliant references!
texrnl7599
This one is very Withfynd-ish. Has that slightly campy doom quality they did so well. All it's missing is a few high pitched squeal/shrieks.
Rob Walsh
Stonehenge is basically power metal, but Rock n' Roll Creation is straight up doom metal. The keyboards aside, the riffs feel like stuff from a Saint Vitus or Candlemass album.
Mike Kean
@PsyVen that's weird. I'm just the opposite. But it's all good.👍