It's Martini Time

Album: It's Martini Time (1996)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title cut from the band's 1996 Interscope Records album, it marked a change in producers for the band. Previously using Ministry's Al Jourgensen on their 1994 album Liquor in the Front, the band brought in producer Thorn Panunzio, who had previously worked for John Lennon and U2. Panunzio's influence brought a sound that was less abrasive from previous albums. The finished work was smoother and injected more humor. He also got the band using sound loops for the first time.
  • This breezy dance tune reflects a dialogue between two characters. The simple universal question, "Hey, buddy do you got the time?" spawns an exchange between the two. It invokes job loss and being down and out and how a martini is the answer. Must be serious, "I live my life for a layer of ice."
  • The background vocals by Jimbo Wallace attempt to lighten the mood. As Reverend Horton sings the chorus "martini time" three times, Wallace shouts right behind The Rev as if Prohibition has just been repealed: "vodka ice shaker! olive or lime! gotta have glasses!" You can drift back in time to when movies were black and white and folks danced the jitterbug.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.