Round and Round (Ratt song): Difference between revisions

"Round and Round"
"Round and Round"
Song

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Round and Round is a hit song by the glam metal band Ratt, and appears as the third track of their successful album Out of the Cellar. "Round and Round" is without a doubt Ratt's most popular and instantly recognizable composition. Upon release in 1984, the song became an instant smash hit and still receives heavy radio air play to this day. "Round and Round" is known for Stephen Pearcy's raspy, bluesy, yet provocative vocals, Robbin Crosby's and Warren DeMartini's virtuoso twin guitar leads and Juan Croucier's thumping basslines. The song is also known for Stephen Pearcy's infamous "Yeah" to start the solo portion of the song.

The famed chorus is as follows:

Round and Round

With love we'll find a way, just give it time

Round and Round

What comes around goes around

I'll tell you why

It offers a catchy melody around a hook-laden riff. The song was masterfully written, performed, and produced, even drawing comparisons to the work of the Beatles with its flawless execution of post-WWII pop rock. To be sure, the song quickly established Ratt as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of popular music and stands as an eternal testament to their glorious career during the mid-1980s.

The song serves as a definitive manifesto for the idealogical trajectory of the band. It's shameless embrace of Absolute Idealism offers a striking juxtaposition to the popular worldviews of the day, including nihilism, existentialism, and social relativism. However, Ratt cannot be neatly categorized as simple Neo Hegelians. Their work is rooted in Antiphon's rhetoric much more than Platonic discourse. Even then, there are those within the vast fandom of the band who argue that Ratt's incorporation of Eastern philosophical elements (allusions to "karma", etc.) can be ascribed to no one but Ratt, making them true originals and innovators in rock song writing.

This also reflected in their music, as their brand of rock was based on influences different than that of their peers. However, they can be seen as helping evolve the musical landscape all their own, again in deep contrast to other artists of their time.

Music Video

The music video finds the band sneaking their way up into the attic of a rich family's mansion. They start to terrorize the family members during dinner by causing a major racket with their music. During the song's guitar solo, Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini falls through the attic floor, which is located directly above the dining room table where the family members are eating. The video featured legendary comedian Milton Berle, whose nephew is then band manager Marshall Berle. Marshall Berle conceived the plot for the video, went to his uncle Milton, and convinced him to play both a man and a woman in the video, with the idea that having a super-star name in the bands video would create lots of press for the band.

Milton Berle played the staid head-of-household and even crossdressed to play the grandmother in the video. Both characters seem perturbed by the loud volume of Ratt's playing. Meanwhile, a seemingly shy yet incredibly attractive female family member is drawn by the music and makes her way up to the attic. Once there, she morphs into a sexy space oddity and begins dancing to the song. Possibly the most puzzling portion of the video has the girl change appearance yet again, this time into the form of a rodent. By this point, the butler has dressed up as a metalhead and begins "rocking out". The video ends there.

The video conveys Ratt's desire to rebel against the ivory tower elites who'd usurped control over all matters of popular discourse. Ratt co-opted Ronald Reagan's message of restoring power to the people, as opposed to the stuffy pseudo-intellectual liberal academics who'd asserted themselves (along with their blasé rhetoric) during the 1960s and 1970s. However, Ratt's take on this view is rooted in rebellion from oppression and therefore anti-authoritarian. Though Reagan fought off tyranny through his geopolitical policies, his was premised on a restoration of popular worldview to an older from of idealization ("The American Dream"). Ratt didn't necesarily discount the archetype, but they did offer an entirely different take on the concept.

Track Listing

1. Round and Round - 4:27
2. The Morning After - 3:37

Personnel

Stephen Pearcy- Vocals
Warren DeMartini- co-Lead Guitar
Robbin Crosby- co-Lead Guitar
Juan Croucier- Bass Guitar
Bobby Blotzer- Drums

Trivia

Different songs under the same name were played by Aerosmith and David Bowie, although the three songs have very few similarities. Ironically, both Aerosmith and David Bowie are widely regarded as prototypes for the "Ratt and Roll" revolution of the mid-1980s.
The song was played in the background while the credits were rolling during the end of "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" episode "Billy and Mandy Save Christmas".
The song makes Shakespearian allusions, most notably to his famed play Romeo and Juliet in the line: I've got a way, we're gonna prove it tonight, like Romeo to Juliet.
Metallica played "Round and Round" live at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland in 1993.[1]
"Round and Round" is played at several sporting events and county/state fairs to this very day.
The song was included in the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Scott Ian of Anthrax admitted that this is one of his favorite songs.

External links

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 This also reflected in their music, as their brand of rock was based on influences different than that of their peers.  However, they can be seen as helping evolve the musical landscape all their own, again in deep contrast to other artists of their time.
 == Music Video ==
-The [[music video]] finds the band sneaking their way up into the attic of a rich family's mansion. They start to terrorize the family members during dinner by causing a major racket with their music. During the song's guitar solo, Ratt guitarist [[Warren DeMartini]] falls through the attic floor, which is located directly above the dining room table where the family members are eating. The video featured legendary [[comedian]] [[Milton Berle]], whose nephew is then band manager [[Marshall Berle]].  Marshall Berle concieved the plot for the video, went to his uncle Milton, and convinced him to play both a man and a woman in the video, with the idea that having a super-star name in the bands video would create lots of press for the band.
+The [[music video]] finds the band sneaking their way up into the attic of a rich family's mansion. They start to terrorize the family members during dinner by causing a major racket with their music. During the song's guitar solo, Ratt guitarist [[Warren DeMartini]] falls through the attic floor, which is located directly above the dining room table where the family members are eating. The video featured legendary [[comedian]] [[Milton Berle]], whose nephew is then band manager [[Marshall Berle]].  Marshall Berle conceived the plot for the video, went to his uncle Milton, and convinced him to play both a man and a woman in the video, with the idea that having a super-star name in the bands video would create lots of press for the band.
 Milton Berle played the staid head-of-household and even [[crossdress|crossdressed]] to play the grandmother in the video.  Both characters seem perturbed by the loud volume of Ratt's playing.  Meanwhile, a seemingly shy yet incredibly attractive female family member is drawn by the music and makes her way up to the attic.  Once there, she morphs into a sexy space oddity and begins dancing to the song. Possibly the most puzzling portion of the video has the girl change appearance yet again, this time into the form of a rodent. By this point, the butler has dressed up as a [[metalhead]] and begins "rocking out".  The video ends there.