Just a little heavy metal today | Filed under General
Have you ever just thought about or wondered where meanings and origin of phrases come from? Well maybe you haven’t but or maybe you heard someone say something one day and it just stuck with you and left you with a little puzzle in your mind. A puzzle begging to be solved, I know different but time on my hands I have and some things do interest me and this is one of them. I have taken to digging my heels in and searching for an answer, some or very easy to find and then others are oh not so easy.
Today I am sharing a phrase with you that I chose just because one of my favorite blogging friends happens to love Def Leppard music. Yes Jude I am talking about you and Tracey, excuse me why I beg apologies and ask are you a Leppard fan? In honor of all Leppard fans and any other fans of heavy metal bands I am going to share with you just what I have found out about where that came from.
Just in case you are not familiar heavy metal means hard rock music, usually electric guitar-based and always loud.
The origin of heavy metal goes something like this to the best of my knowledge and from my research. Heavy metal seems at first a strange label to apply to a form of music. A little investigation into the symbolism behind makes it seem a rather obvious choice though.
‘Heavy’ was coined in the beatnik area of the 1950s to mean serious or profound. The term ‘heavy music’ was then and later applied to music that was in that vein. Of course it’s clear to see that meaning of heavy is derived from the usual meaning, i.e. weighty or massive.
Okay, that’s heavy but why should a form of music be called metal? Well, metal is heavy, especially the metals favored by the bands who played that genre, e.g. Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly and Quicksilver Messenger Service (quicksilver is mercury). Also, the term ‘heavy metals’ in the chemical sense include mercury, lead and cadmium, which have just the right image of toxicity to suit the musical style.
So, heavy and metal are ideal candidate words for this genre. Add that to the fact that heavy metal had already been widely used as a military term for heavily fortified tanks/guns etc. and it starts to look like an ideal choice as a label.
The expression first appears in print in William Burroughs’ 1962 novel The Soft Machine. His character uranium Willy is described as “the Heavy Metal Kid”. Burroughs later re-used the term in his 1964 novel ‘Nova Express’. Many people have been credited with originating it but it isn’t clear who first appropriated the term to refer to loud rock music. The widely quoted description of Jimi Hendrix’s music as ‘like listening to heavy metal falling from the sky’, while true, isn’t the earliest.
The US rock music critic Lester Bangs, while working for Creem magazine, used the expression in 1968 to describe a performance of the band MC5 (Motor City Five) from Detroit and many regard this as the origin of the current usage of the phrase.
The first use of the term in a song lyric is in the 1968 Steppenwolf song “Born to be Wild” :
“I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin’ with the wind
And the feelin’ that I’m under”
If you have a phrase you have been wondering where it came from just let me know and I will see what I can find for you but no promises other than I will do my best. I hope you are enjoying your time here with me as much as I am an enjoying my new home . I have peeled back another layer of that Vidalia onion to share with you something more of Ms. Vickie the Southern Belle.
November 18th, 2005 at 2:07 pm
It’s obvious you’ve done some research on this subject, now how about a post on REAL music? You know, that good ol’ boot-scootin’, shit-kickin’, bill-hilly stuff. (If anyone talks to Jude, tell her I’ve left town)
November 18th, 2005 at 2:39 pm
Bob, you’re a hoot!!
I love Def Leopard! I really liked their music videos also. They’re fun.
A phrase…a phrase…how about “awe struck”? That one never made sense to me.
November 18th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
Now you are cooking. I am with trucker BOB. Slapping Leather.
November 18th, 2005 at 2:50 pm
Oh lady you can have the heavy metal - I will keep to my quiet music to relax by.
Okay you want a phrase to explain?
Here is one
Your eyes look like two eggs in a slop bucket.
November 18th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
Bob I know where you are!!
Yes I DO love Def Leppard the very best, but what I listen to the most is the Classics by the Masters, ahhhh how soothing. I listen to what suits my mood.
I was going to mention Steppenwolf Vicky but you already beat me to it!
How about the phrase “bad to the bone”, and I’m thinking of Bob here….
November 18th, 2005 at 3:22 pm
This is vote 3 for some good old country music!!
November 18th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Very cool and I so love some Heavy Metal music.
I do have a phrase for ya though..
Run Amuck.
Hubby says it comes from Fiji but I think Anglo Saxon and I am too dang lazy to look it up!
November 18th, 2005 at 6:37 pm
Hey, I love that heavy metal stuff, you can have all that country music you want, “real” or not. LOL
But Def Leppard really isn’t metal, they fall more or less into the hard rock category, not the same thing!
Thanks for the info though Vickie, I think you did a nice job on the research =)
November 18th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
For those that don’t like yee-haw music, try playing it backwards. You get your dog back, your pick-up, your girl, and let out of jail.
So grab that belt-buckle, hitch up your jeans, and git ‘er done!
November 18th, 2005 at 7:41 pm
“Born to be Wild.” Wow. Was that 1968?? Now that was the song! Ms. Vickie, I am very impressed. I learned a lot from this post. As for Bob: Bob, Bob, Bob (shaking my head and laughing). You bring your music and I’ll bring the blues. Throw in some heavy metal. Mix it up. We’ll all have a blast!
November 18th, 2005 at 8:24 pm
Se7en is right, Def Lepard is hard rock, not metal. But — I love their music. I saw them in ‘92, and what a great show it was.
November 18th, 2005 at 9:08 pm
Def Leppard ROCKS. Love them. I like some heavy metal like Metalica.
I used to listen to Steppenwolf and the 70’s rock growing up, my siblings made sure I had good taste in music.
I’m loving your layers still - keep peeling. *HUGS & LOVE*
November 19th, 2005 at 12:15 am
So off comes another layer huh? I for one am looking for ward to the very center of the onion being revealed. Its the bard with the most flavour!!!!!
I enjoyed your research. Im a country gal for the most part, but like some of the Heavy stuff too. Yes Karen, Metallica is pretty good.
Glad you liked my pooches!
November 19th, 2005 at 1:01 am
The last time I heard the song “Born to be Wild”, me and my big brother was wrestling, and he beat me because he was a little bit wilder, I think.
I happy that you’re back, Vickie, and your blog looks great!
November 19th, 2005 at 2:45 am
Actually the above people who stated that Def Leppard is not heavy metal are correct! They usually describe themselves as “melodic rock”. Good stuff, the BEST!
I like the one Sandy said, “run amok”….
November 19th, 2005 at 9:25 pm
I always thought metal was because of all those metal electric guitars and such. Interesting. I do like lots of rock–some of it in the heavy metal category.
November 21st, 2005 at 4:37 pm
Hey Vickie,
Sorry to take so long to get back over here!
In answer to your question, Yes i’m a DL fan. I’m also a fan of music in general. I can live without a lot of things in life but don’t take my music!!!