Arrangements by The Walker Brothers
Produced b… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Scott Engel
Arrangements by The Walker Brothers
Produced by Scott Walker and Dave MacRae
Orchestrations and Conducting by Dave MacRae
Vocals: John Walker and Scott Walker
Tenor Sax Solo: Alan Skidmore
Guitar: Jim Sullivan
Keyboards: Dave MacRae
Drums: Frank Gibson
Bass: Mo Foster
First released on Nite Flights LP (1978)
Fat Mama Kick
The Walker Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Locked in
Right angle rooms
Watch their lovers
Sleep face down
In the yellow lite
Keep the balance
On a back curve
With the night
Is over
The gods are gone
The air is thick
You cannot risk
The fat fat mama
Kick
Armed angels
Walk the
City lights
Wait inside
Their master corpses
Peeled raw, betrayed
And fade
And fade
As the noise
Goes over
And over
The gods are gone
The search lights lick
You cannot risk
The fat fat mama
Kick
Deaf-dumb-blind
Deaf-dumb-blind
Deaf-dumb-blind
Deaf-dumb-blind
Deaf-dumb-blind
Deaf-dumb-blind
Sunfighters
Locked in
Right angle rooms
Burn the heat off
With their lovers
In the yellow lite
Keep the balance
In a mirror flash
'till the war
With the night
Is over
The song "Fat Mama Kick" by The Walker Brothers is a complex and cryptic piece that has puzzled listeners for decades. The lyrics seem to paint a picture of a world where people are trapped in confined spaces, unable to escape their fate. The "sunfighters" are locked in "right angle rooms", watching their lovers sleep face down in the yellow light. The lyrics evoke a sense of claustrophobia and helplessness, as the characters struggle to keep their balance on a "back curve" until the "war with the night" is over.
The second half of the song introduces images of armed angels and "master corpses", creating an apocalyptic atmosphere. The gods are gone, the air is thick, and the characters cannot risk the "fat fat mama kick". The refrain of "deaf-dumb-blind" serves to heighten the sense of disorientation and confusion, as if the characters are lost in a world that they cannot comprehend.
It's difficult to say exactly what the lyrics mean, as they are open to interpretation. Some have speculated that they are about drug addiction or mental illness, while others see them as a commentary on the state of society. Regardless of their meaning, the lyrics to "Fat Mama Kick" are striking and powerful, showcasing the unique style and perspective of The Walker Brothers.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunfighters
The people being referred to as the sunfighters
Locked in
They are locked inside, trapped and with no way out
Right angle rooms
The rooms have precise, right angles, giving a feeling of rigidity and control
Watch their lovers
They watch their partners, possibly to protect them
Sleep face down
Their loved ones are lying face down, possibly to hide from danger
In the yellow lite
The light is yellow, creating a somber and eerie atmosphere
Keep the balance
They try to maintain stability in their situation
On a back curve
While enduring the hardships, they maintain a certain elegance and style
'Till the war with the night is over
They are fighting against the darkness, and waiting for the dawn to arrive
The gods are gone
There is no divine intervention or help available to them
The air is thick
The atmosphere is suffocating and oppressive
You cannot risk
Any action taken must be carefully considered as not to cause harm
The fat fat mama Kick
An action that is powerful and explosive, but also reckless and potentially dangerous
Armed angels
The people referred to as armed angels, possibly implying they are warriors or protectors
Walk the city lights
They roam through the brightly lit city streets
Wait inside
They are waiting for something, possibly an attack or an opportunity
Their master corpses
The bodies of people who once controlled them, now lifeless
Peeled raw, betrayed
They are wounded and hurt, feeling betrayed by someone they trusted
And fade
They slowly and quietly disappear
As the noise goes over and over
Despite everything, the chaos continues endlessly
Deaf-dumb-blind
A state of confusion and helplessness, unable to communicate or perceive the world fully
Burn the heat off
They try to remove the intensity of their situation by releasing their emotions
With their lovers
They are with the ones they care about most
In the yellow lite
The same yellow light from earlier, with its same ominous feel
Keep the balance
They continue to strive for stability in their precarious world
In a mirror flash
A brief moment captured in time
'Till the war with the night is over
A repetition of an earlier line, emphasizing the enduring fight against danger
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SCOTT ENGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Valuable Sandwich
1:11 that sound is absolutely astounding
Alexandre Paradis
That sax solo sounds so close to John Zorn's shenanigans. Absolutely amazing.
jonsilence
The Spot where Scott.....officially loses...or finds.... his mind.
Edward mulholland
Death Disco - great stuff.
Simon Hugo
I hate this song so much that I have to come back to it regularly, this shit unreal
WILLIAM JOHN BEDFORD
LOVE THIS GROUP VERY VERY VERY MUCH, AWESOME. 🇮🇲👍🇮🇲
Andrew Moser
the hilariously out of place cover adds a lot to the despair of this song.
TWPA
I agree but not the actual original cover. This is a compilation abum cover. "Nite flights" is the actual album, and it looks much more fitting. Sorry,( bubble bursted) 😊❤
Christopher Aquilo
Disco elite