That's When I Reach for My Revolver
Encyclopedia
"That's When I Reach for My Revolver" is a song by Mission of Burma
that was written and sung by band member Clint Conley
. It appears on their 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches
. The Chicago punk band Pegboy
covered the song on their 1994 album Earwig, shortening the title to "Revolver." It was later remade by Moby
, and reached number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
. It was also covered by then Blur
guitarist Graham Coxon
as well as Rob Dickinson
's band Catherine Wheel
. Fucked Up
covered the song at the Matador at 21 festival in Las Vegas
. The title is a reference to the often-mistranslated quotation commonly attributed to Hermann Goering -- "When I hear the word 'culture', that's when I reach for my revolver" -- the actual quote is "Wenn ich Kultur höre ... entsichere ich meinen Browning!" This translates as: "Whenever I hear [the word] 'culture'... I remove the safety from my Browning!" In fact, it is a line uttered by the character Thiemann in Act 1, Scene 1 of the play Schlageter, written by Hanns Johst
. The association with Nazism
is appropriate, as the play was first performed in April 1933, in honor of Hitler's birthday.
recorded a version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" for their 1992 EP 30 Century Man. Notably, the song also features slightly altered lyrics from the original, such as the replacement of "The spirit fights to find its way" with "That feeling passes by this way".
covered the song in 1996 and released it as the first single from his studio album Animal Rights
. It reached number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
.
The original version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" had a substantially different lyric. Among which is "Tonight the sky is empty/But that is nothing new/Its dead eyes look upon us/And they tell me we're nothing but slaves." Moby changed the lyrics, and the change most noticeable is the third line ("Instead they look upon us"). The title of the song caused some controversy, and BBC
and MTV
asked Moby to change the lyrics. Moby re-recorded the song as "That's When I Realize It's Over", and said he did not find the lyrics change to be very important. Furthermore, the ending of both verses is different in the Moby version.
CD2:
recorded a version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" for his second album The Golden D
, released in 2000. This song was never released as a single but is sometimes used in Coxon's live sets.
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
that was written and sung by band member Clint Conley
Clint Conley
Clinton J. Conley is an American rock and roll musician from Boston, Massachusetts.He is probably best known as a co-founder of Mission of Burma. He played bass guitar, occasional guitar, and wrote and sang some of the group's best-known songs, such as "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" and...
. It appears on their 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches
Signals, Calls and Marches
Signals, Calls, and Marches is the first EP by Boston-based band Mission of Burma, released in 1981 . For the CD issue, Rykodisc remastered the six original songs and added the two tracks from the band's 1980 debut 7" single, "Academy Fight Song." The EP was remastered by Matador Records in 2008...
. The Chicago punk band Pegboy
Pegboy
Pegboy is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois with a relatively large cult following. They were founded in 1990 by John Haggerty , along with his brother Joe Haggerty , Larry Damore , and Steve Saylors...
covered the song on their 1994 album Earwig, shortening the title to "Revolver." It was later remade by Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, and reached number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was also covered by then Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
guitarist Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
as well as Rob Dickinson
Rob Dickinson
Rob Dickinson is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter previously of the band Catherine Wheel. He is now a solo artist. Dickinson was raised in Norfolk, England, and is the younger cousin of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson....
's band Catherine Wheel
Catherine Wheel
Catherine Wheel were a four-piece alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth, England. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.-Biography:...
. Fucked Up
Fucked Up
Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. The band won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for the album The Chemistry of Common Life.-History:The band formed and played their first shows in early 2001...
covered the song at the Matador at 21 festival in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. The title is a reference to the often-mistranslated quotation commonly attributed to Hermann Goering -- "When I hear the word 'culture', that's when I reach for my revolver" -- the actual quote is "Wenn ich Kultur höre ... entsichere ich meinen Browning!" This translates as: "Whenever I hear [the word] 'culture'... I remove the safety from my Browning!" In fact, it is a line uttered by the character Thiemann in Act 1, Scene 1 of the play Schlageter, written by Hanns Johst
Hanns Johst
Hanns Johst was a German playwright and Nazi Poet Laureate.Hanns Johst was born in Seehausen as the son of an elementary school teacher. He grew up in Oschatz and Leipzig. As a juvenile he planned to become a missionary. When he was 17 years old he worked as an auxiliary in a Bethel Institution...
. The association with Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
is appropriate, as the play was first performed in April 1933, in honor of Hitler's birthday.
Catherine Wheel version
Catherine WheelCatherine Wheel
Catherine Wheel were a four-piece alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth, England. The band was active from 1990 to 2000, experiencing fluctuating levels of commercial success, and embarking on many lengthy tours.-Biography:...
recorded a version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" for their 1992 EP 30 Century Man. Notably, the song also features slightly altered lyrics from the original, such as the replacement of "The spirit fights to find its way" with "That feeling passes by this way".
Moby version
MobyMoby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
covered the song in 1996 and released it as the first single from his studio album Animal Rights
Animal Rights (album)
Animal Rights is the fourth studio album by American electronica musician Moby, released on September 23, 1996.- Background :Moby's decision to release a punk rock album was in part the result of being disillusioned by the lack of positive media feedback he had been receiving from the music media...
. It reached number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The original version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" had a substantially different lyric. Among which is "Tonight the sky is empty/But that is nothing new/Its dead eyes look upon us/And they tell me we're nothing but slaves." Moby changed the lyrics, and the change most noticeable is the third line ("Instead they look upon us"). The title of the song caused some controversy, and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
asked Moby to change the lyrics. Moby re-recorded the song as "That's When I Realize It's Over", and said he did not find the lyrics change to be very important. Furthermore, the ending of both verses is different in the Moby version.
Chart positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
50 |
Track listing
CD1:- "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" – 3:55
- "Lovesick" – 1:05
- "Displaced" – 1:25
- "Sway" – 6:51
CD2:
- "That's When I Reach for My Revolver (The Rollo & Sister Bliss Vocal Mix)" – 10:20
- "Every One of My Problems" – 3:14
- "God Moving over the Face of the Waters (Heat Mix)" – 5:45
- "Dark" – 4:21
Graham Coxon version
Graham CoxonGraham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
recorded a version of "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" for his second album The Golden D
The Golden D
The Golden D was the second solo album by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, released in 2000. This outing saw him come back with some heavier, even lower-fi guitars and vocals. With only one track reminsceint of The Sky Is Too High, "Keep Hope Alive," the album was a departure from both Blur and his...
, released in 2000. This song was never released as a single but is sometimes used in Coxon's live sets.