Tom’s Songbook – “Hiroshima Mon Amor” by Alcatrazz

LYRICS

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(Tom Hapgood is an assistant professor in the Art Department at the University of Arkansas, and teaches animation, web design and motion design. An avid Cold War aficionado, Tom lived in Germany during the 1980s, sported various lengths of mullet, and attended many heavy metal concerts. He doesn’t listen to his old heavy metal collection much anymore, mostly because he doesn’t have any devices to play it on.)

Many heavy metal thongs had seams. I mean, many heavy metal songs had themes. Often they were based on literature (Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”), or were political in scope (Saxon’s “Dallas 1p.m.”) or anti-war (Metallica’s “One”). “Hiroshima mon amour” tackles the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August of 1945, and sees some very early, explosive guitar-shredding footage of Yngwie J. Malmsteen.

While it’s not a stretch to pair up heavy metal with B-29s and atomic bombs, it IS a jarring stretch to have a George Michael lookalike as the frontman. Graham Bonnet’s voice certainly cuts it, but what’s with the Don Johnson white suit and aviator glasses? And where’s your hair, sir? I almost expect to see some of the band members air-guitaring on shuffleboard paddles while wearing sensible shoes. Sheesh. Sorry.

Anyway, a major inspiration of Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s was Niccolo Paganini, the 18th/19th century violinist and composer. Apparently, he played so crazy well that people thought he might have been the son of the devil himself.

“It was more than technical wizardry that attracted the masses: there was a demonic quality as well as an enticing poetry in his playing“

Yngwie, while not devil himself, equally amazes anyone who watches his playing. When the nuclear shockwave hits during the filming of the video (nobody checked), we finally realize why Graham is wearing the shades. Now if they could match up the video with his vocals …

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