The Vibrators recorded sessions at for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 in October 1976, June 1977, and February 1978. They were one of the pioneering punk bands that played at London's Roxy Club. They headlined in January 1977, supported by The Drones, and in February they played twice at the venue. In March 1977 the band supported Iggy Pop on his British tour. Later that year they backed ex-Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter.
The band signed to Epic Records in early 1977. Their debut album, Pure Mania was co-produced with Robin Mayhew, the sound engineer for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust live shows, and reached the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. The album is well regarded by some music critics and, 17 years after its release The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music named Pure Mania one of the 50 best punk albums of all time.
Their follow-up album, V2, narrowly missed the UK Top 30. The only single to be taken from that album, "Automatic Lover", was the only Vibrators’ single to reach the UK Top 40 where it reached #35. It earned the band a TV appearance on the prime-time TV show Top of the Pops. The Vibrators’ final single on Epic, "Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)", was released in June 1978. It reached #70 in the UK singles chart. Years later it was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time.
A lack of further chart activity, and with only one UK Top 40 single to their credit, sees the Vibrators join the list of one-hit wonders; a list that includes other UK punk and new wave acts such as The Banned, John Cooper Clarke, The Flying Lizards, Jilted John, 999, the Radio Stars, and the Rich Kids.
During the 1980s, John Ellis recorded and toured frequently with Peter Hammill, and subsequently The Stranglers, eventually joining the latter full-time in the 1990s. Pat Collier went on to work closely with The Soft Boys, producing their seminal album, Underwater Moonlight, and Robyn Hitchcock, producing and mixing some of his solo albums (to which Knox also sometimes contributed). Despite numerous line-up changes, The Vibrators are still touring to this date as a three-piece, "Knox" and "Eddie" being the only original members.
I Need A Slave
The Vibrators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'm getting hung up,
With all this hangin' around.
I'm gettin' tied up,
When I wanna be tyin' it down.
It always goes wrong,
Can't seem to get it right.
Yeah come on girl,
[Chorus:]
I need a slave tonight [x3]
[Verse 2:]
Well I'm gettin' freaked out,
With all this hangin' about.
I'm lookin' for some action,
Can't seem to get no connection.
Put some chains on you honey,
I'm gonna pull 'em up real tight.
Yeah c'mon child,
I need a slave tonight.
[Chorus:]
I need a slave tonight [x3]
[Mid 8:]
Well all your bondage magazines,
They're gettin' me frustrated.
Come on girl,
I wanna see you naked.
[Chorus:] (lines x4)
The Vibrators's song "I Need a Slave" is a crude song about a man who is looking for a submissive partner. The lyrics are quite explicit and vulgar, expressing the singer's desperation for a sexual partner whom he can control and dominate. He is frustrated with his lack of success at finding such a partner and is "getting hung up" and "freaked out" by all the waiting and failed attempts.
The verses express his desire for a woman who is willing to be tied up and dominated, and he even suggests putting chains on her and pulling them up tight. The chorus, which is repeated throughout the song, is a plea: "I need a slave tonight." The mid-8 section mentions bondage magazines and the singer's frustration with them, as they are not fulfilling his desire to see a real, submissive woman naked.
Overall, the song is quite dark and unsettling, and it portrays a disturbing view of relationships and sexual power dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm getting hung up,
I'm feeling trapped and unproductive
With all this hangin' around.
Nothing much is happening, and I'm bored
I'm gettin' tied up,
I'm feeling restrained and unable to move forward
When I wanna be tyin' it down.
I want to be in control and making progress
It always goes wrong,
Things never seem to work out
Can't seem to get it right.
I keep making the same mistakes and can't figure out what to do
Yeah come on girl,
Addressing someone with power over them
I need a slave tonight.
I need someone to submit to me and do what I say
I'm gettin' freaked out,
I'm becoming anxious and nervous
With all this hangin' about.
Being idle and not doing anything is increasing my anxiety
I'm lookin' for some action,
I want to do something exciting
Can't seem to get no connection.
I'm having trouble finding people to engage in activities with
Put some chains on you honey,
I want to exert control over someone and make them submit to me
I'm gonna pull 'em up real tight.
I will be strict and demanding in my control over them
Yeah c'mon child,
Addressing someone with power over them
I need a slave tonight.
I need someone to submit to me and do what I say
Well all your bondage magazines,
Referring to someone else's interest in BDSM and bondage
They're gettin' me frustrated.
Seeing these magazines is making me dissatisfied with my own lack of control
Come on girl,
Addressing someone with power over them
I wanna see you naked.
I want to exert control over someone and see them exposed and vulnerable
I need a slave tonight [x3]
Repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the desire for someone to submit to them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Horvath
Works for me.
gordon quigg
1978