Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer

1. SLEDGEHAMMER – PETER
GABRIEL
Analysis of music video. By Sam McNamara

2. ABOUT THE SONG
• Released on 25 April, 1986
• Released on 7” and 12” vinyl, as well as casette and CD
• Written, performed and composed by English rock musician Peter Gabriel
• Recorded in Bath, England
• Record label: Charisma (UK), Geffen (US)
• The ‘parent’ company of Charisma was Virgin Records, it was then owned by EMI in
1992 until its closure due to its $4bn debt in 2012, the musical operations, and
subsequently ownership of this song and the Charisma label, are now owned by
Universal Music Group.
• Sledgehammer has been identified with the rock, dance-rock, soul and funk genres.

3. ANALYSIS - GENRE
In the first two shots of this music video we are presented
with microscopic motion images, one of sperm and one of
an egg. This immediately implies a sense of sexuality
surrounding the song which is later contextualised by the
connotations of Peter Gabriel’s lyrics. Themes of a sexual
nature are stereotypical of songs found in the pop/rock
genre, meaning that the links between the initial shots and
sex are one reason that this particular music video is
typical its genre. One reason for why this music video is
unconventional of the pop genre is nature of the stop-
frame animation of the video, however the alternativeness
of this style can be said to link the video to the alternative
rock genre.

4. ANALYSIS – GOODWIN 7
In this music video, there is a strong relationship between
the audio and visuals. Animator Stephen R. Johnson
and Aardman Animations (producers of Wallace and
Gromit) worked extremely hard to ensure that the
stop-frame animation was perfectly timed with the
music. The two shots to the right are from the first
sequence of microscopic motion images which are
both cut to in time with the music, giving the video a
link to the audio and a sense of rhythm. For this
reason, the music video is compatible with the
Goodwin 7 as there is a clear link between the audio
and the visuals.

5. ANALYSIS – GOODWIN 7
In this music video, there is also a strong
relationship between the audio and the lyrics.
This is illustrated through the visual of a
sledgehammer smashing through ice appears
on screen while Gabriel sings the line, “I want
to be your sledgehammer”. The link between
the music video and the lyrics is also
demonstrated when Peter Gabriel sings the
line, “You could have an aeroplane flying, if
you bring your blue sky back”, during this line,
Peter Gabriel’s face and the backdrop is
painted blue and white to appear like a ‘blue
sky’. For this reason, the music video is
compatible with the Goodwin 7 as there is a
clear link between the audio and the lyrics.

6. ANALYSIS – GOODWIN 7
Due to the fact that the majority of the shots in this music
video focus on the face of Peter Gabriel it is extremely
difficult to say that this video is compatible with Goodwin’s
idea of the notion of looking. This is also because there are
no other characters for Gabriel to look at for the majority
of the video’s duration. However, due to the connotations
of Goodwin’s principle of the notion of looking, and how
this depicts the treatment of the female body by males in
music videos, it is arguably compatible due to the fact that
the music video is all about Gabriel’s sexual desires about a
particular woman. The shot in the top right shows a dilated
pupil, something which we typically associate with
excitement or pleasure, perhaps sexual. For this reason it is
arguable that this music video is compatible with
Goodwin’s notion of looking.

7. ANALYSIS – GOODWIN 7
Secondly, the shots to the right conform with Goodwin’s
idea of artist image and how this is typically presented in
music videos through a series of close-up and extreme
close-up shots. While the three shots to the right are
extreme close-ups, which suggest the alternative style of
the music video, the entire video focuses on the full face of
Peter Gabriel enforcing a strong brand recognition.

8. ANALYSIS - CONCLUSION
In conclusion, despite certain elements of the video which are unconventional of the genre,
the themes, music and the audio-visual link make this a pop music video. This video can be
linked to the Goodwin 7 and features mean conventional features of pop music videos,
including its representation of women, the theme of sex and its suggestions about pop
culture.