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.
Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
Spinal Tap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there's only one of me
You can't touch 'cause I cost too much, but
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight!
You're sweet, but you're just four feet
And you still got your baby teeth
You're too young, and I'm too well hung
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight!
You're hot, you take all we got
Not a dry seat in the house
Next day, we'll be on our way
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight!
Little girl, it's a great big world
But there's only one of me
The lyrics of "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" by Spinal Tap express a sense of sexual prowess and confidence in the singer's ability to rock the audience. The first verse begins with an acknowledgement of the vastness of the world, but asserts the uniqueness of the singer - "there's only one of me." The words "you can't touch 'cause I cost too much" suggest that the singer has a high value placed on them, perhaps due to their musical ability or fame. However, despite this distance, the singer insists "Tonight I'm gonna rock you" four times in a row. This repetition adds emphasis and stress to the message. The repetition also serves to underscore the sexual undertones present in the lyrics.
The second verse further establishes the singer's sexual prowess by referring to his female love interest as a "little girl" with "baby teeth." The words "you're too young, and I'm too well-hung" imply that the singer is aware of his sexual power over his partner. Again, the repetition of "Tonight I'm gonna rock you" emphasizes this power disparity. The third verse describes that the audience is clearly "hot" and "take all we got" likely referencing the response of a crowd to a live show. The final repetition of "Tonight I'm gonna rock you" is followed by the admission that "next day, we'll be on our way" perhaps referencing the transient nature of a touring musical act.
Interestingly, the lyrics seem to simultaneously celebrate and mock the hyper-masculine rock star archetype that is often associated with groups like Spinal Tap. The lyrics highlight the sexual prowess and confidence of the singer, but also do so in a way that is humorous and exaggerated. Throughout the song, the lyrics embrace a sense of excess, power, and bravado that is often associated with the rock music genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl, it's a great big world
The world is vast but I'm the only one who can rock you tonight
But there's only one of me
I'm unique and irreplaceable
You can't touch 'cause I cost too much, but
I'm expensive and valuable, and therefore untouchable
You're sweet, but you're just four feet
You're young and innocent, yet to experience the full extent of my rock and roll greatness
And you still got your baby teeth
You're still a child, not yet ready for the adult world of rock and roll
You're too young, and I'm too well hung
You're not old enough to handle my greatness and expertise
You're hot, you take all we got
You have the power to make us go all out for you
Not a dry seat in the house
You have us all sweating and out of breath with your hotness and our performance
Next day, we'll be on our way
We're just here to play our music for you tonight, and then we'll move on to the next city
Tonight I'm gonna rock you
Tonight, I'm going to give you the full rock and roll experience
Tonight!
Right now, this very night, it's all about you and me rockin' out!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS GUEST, CHRISTOPHER GUEST, HARRY SHEARER, MICHAEL MC KEAN, ROB REINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vincent cascino
"So sweet, just four feet, and you still got your baby teeth".
Best lyric ever written!
River the crybaby
fbi come get this guy
JwebGuru
@River the crybabyThe lyrics are a parody pointing out how, to paraphrase a former president, rockers in the 70s and 80s liked them very young, and made this quite apparent in their songs.
db morton
No clichés here. Just wild innovation and brilliance. Spinal Tap, greatest band ever.
Larmondo 'Flair' Allen
The older I get, the more I appreciate the little touches. Like how they put umlauts over a consonant.
Kevin O'Hare
And I only recently noticed that the "i" in their name doesn't have a dot on it (like occurs in Turkish).
TheOneTrueChuck
The movie genuinely gets funnier the older that I get. The best part is showing it to someone in their 30's now, because they have no tangible memories of the hair metal/cock rock era. The shock on their face when I explain that this is a semi-accurate portrayal of some of the atmosphere is priceless.
j b
at party, the MIME inserting his face in front of guests .... always have to rewind that part
Morley Sobol
I laughed out after reading your comment. I never noticed that one.
Victory Mansions
@TheOneTrueChuck to be fair, we 30 somethings did have the nu-metal era in the late 90's early 2000's and that not only attracted all the older guys from the prior generations of rock, but spawned an entirely new and equally insufferable group of clones with long hair and a 'drink till you puke' attitude.