what means "The Big Hand"?

cheyler · March 11, 2014, 04:53:46

Anyone know why Boris didn't want 'The Big Hand' released on 'Wish' but was OK with it being a b-side? I (naturally) assumed that it must have been about having a **** and he didn't want his mother to hear it but then I actually (!) read the lyrics and that's not it... If that's what it really WAS about after all then it's another example of 'willful obscurity'. David Coverdale could do a judicious editing job and really make it clear! 'Wish' was spectacular (apart from 'Wendy Time'). If 'Wendy Time' had been replaced with 'This Twilight Garden' (possibly my favorite Cure song ever) or any of the six b-sides as they are all first-rate tracks...I don't know. It would have made number one in America! We Americans don't like 'Wendy Time' and several of us volunteered NOT to buy it and make sure it stayed at number two. It's been twenty-two years, time to reveal the real cause behind that. It wasn't me...hell, I love the album, but I did get a few OTHERS to see reason and forego the purchase. All they've heard is 'Friday I'm In Love' on the radio and to this day they think it must have been a lightweight pop record.

dsanchez · March 11, 2014, 10:20:52

Quote from: cheyler on March 11, 2014, 04:53:46
Anyone know why Boris didn't want 'The Big Hand' released on 'Wish' but was OK with it being a b-side?

where did you get that from?

Ulrich · March 11, 2014, 10:58:28

Quote from: dsanchez on March 11, 2014, 10:20:52
where did you get that from?

Nowhere probably. He's just making things up to create a stir. Which reminds me of... oh, let's not get into that.

Anyway, according to Robert Smith (who wrote the lyrics, I believe), "The Big Hand" is about "drugs".

dsanchez · March 11, 2014, 11:02:43

Quote from: Ulrich on March 11, 2014, 10:58:28
Anyway, according to Robert Smith (who wrote the lyrics, I believe), "The Big Hand" is about "drugs".

it's, as discussed in the previous page of this topic (I merged both topics into this one).

dsanchez · March 11, 2014, 16:09:21

Quote from: Ulrich on March 11, 2014, 10:58:28Nowhere probably. He's just making things up to create a stir.

Not really. See below:

"The B-side The Big Hand was planned as an A-Side single early in 1993 but the idea was scrapped, largely due to Boris Williams not wanting it to appear on the album but having no qualms about it appearing as a B-side (from KROQ radio interview with the band in 1992)"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Letter_to_Elise

Ulrich · March 11, 2014, 16:56:27

Ah, I see. Trouble is that I don't trust Wikipedia as there has been a lot of misinformation on it.

Is there any "decent" source (close to the band) to confirm this?

Anyway, Boris might have had his reasons, perhaps he didn't like drugs.

dsanchez · March 11, 2014, 17:24:03

Quote from: Ulrich on March 11, 2014, 16:56:27
Ah, I see. Trouble is that I don't trust Wikipedia as there has been a lot of misinformation on it.
Is there any "decent" source (close to the band) to confirm this?

Well, the Wikipedia article quote as the source an KROQ's interview in 1992. Will try to find that.

Ulrich · March 11, 2014, 18:41:25

Well, the most "official" source I could find is the liner notes of "Join The Dots (B-sides and rarities)" which state the following:
The B-Side "The Big Hand" was a particular favourite of Porl Thompson's and, as Robert reveals, "That's why the Wish album artwork has a 'big hand' on it. Actually everyone loved this song except me. It was the very first Wish song we recorded. We played it live before the album sessions had even started, but it never quite came together for me, although I have warmed to it over the years. It's a strangely upbeat song about the perils of drug addiction... and I think that contradiction is part of its attraction!"

Pretty "official" to me and points to another Wikipedia misinformation. But nowadays people believe almost everything they find there... :roll:

cheyler · March 11, 2014, 19:26:28

'Fireworks in heaven'...true enough. Thanks once again to our host for merging similar topics. I do like to create a stir. As JT said, 'add water and stir'.

Ulrich · March 11, 2014, 21:02:56

Quote from: cheyler on March 11, 2014, 19:26:28
I do like to create a stir.

Oh yeah, no wonder that your first thought about the song was this:

Quote from: cheyler on March 11, 2014, 04:53:46
I (naturally) assumed that it must have been about having a **** and he didn't want his mother to hear it

Before you ask: the negative Karma did not come from me this time!
I "disliked" some of your posts and 1 pm, but number 4 did not come from me.

cheyler · March 12, 2014, 05:15:13

I think next time I'll look around a bit more carefully since my question about this song had already been answered some time ago. Plus when reading the lyrics again the subject matter is fairly obvious. Could also be about a domineering woman I suppose. I will always treasure the negative karma points you gave so generously to me...

I type the previous sentence (and this one) at the risk of being informed that I am off-topic.

News:

what means "The Big Hand"?