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Peter Gabriel — Big Time
Album: So
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 512









Released: 1986
Length: 4:23
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Hi there

I'm on my way, I'm making it
I've got to make it show, yeah
So much larger than life
I'm going to watch it growing

The place where I come from
Is a small town
They think so small
They use small words
But not me
I'm smarter than that
I worked it out
I've been stretching my mouth
To let those big words come right out
I've had enough, I'm getting out
To the city, the big, big city
I'll be a big noise with all the big boys
There's so much stuff I will own
And I will pray to a big god
As I kneel in the big church

(Big time) I'm on my way, I'm making it
(Big time) oh, yes
(Big time) I've got to make it show, yeah
(Big time)
(Big time) so much larger than life
(Big time) I'm going to watch it growing
(Big time)

My parties have all the big names
And I greet them with the widest smile
Tell them how my life
Is one big adventure
And always they're amazed
When I show them 'round the house to my bed
I had it made like a mountain range
With a snow-white pillow for my big, fat head
And my heaven will be a big heaven
And I will walk through the front door

(Big time) I'm on my way, I'm making it
(Big time)
(Big time) I've got to make it show, yeah
(Big time)
(Big time) so much larger than life
(Big time) I'm going to watch it growing
(Big time)
(Big time) my car is getting bigger
(Big time) my house is getting bigger
(Big time) my eyes are getting bigger
(Big time) and my mouth
(Big time) my belly is getting bigger
(Big time) and my bank account
(Big time) look at my circumstance
(Big time) and the bulge in my big, big, big, big, big, big, big
Comments (78)add comment
80's yuppie music, like a lot of Gabriel's stuff was then but it was still decent until it was over-played.
Great album, but I've never been a fan of this song.
 Zep wrote:
Not having heard it on FM radio, I find it rocking fresh. 

 
Are you Amish?
Not having heard it on FM radio, I find it rocking fresh. 
Something annoying about it.
 MiracleDrug wrote:


which would be never...

 

And I would consider that a success.
 kcar wrote:
Still love this song, but it's been overplayed on FM radio. The video absolutely blew people's minds when it came out. 
 
Because it blew my mind when it came out, it can never be overplayed:  "The place where I come from Is a small town. They think so small, they use small words. But not me, I'm smarter than that! I worked it out."

Yeah, me too.  (<---- cynical self-awareness.)

marvelous song...  love it...
{#Wave}  Hi there!  {#Wave}
 stevendejong wrote:

 Tony Levin with his Chapman stick *defines* the sound of the song in my opinion. 

 


Everybody in my church loves this song—  and this whole incredible album...
Thanx to RP to let us listen such a really really good song !  again & again !
 
Sick of this B I G  T I M E  !!!

Oh lord, if I hear this one more time, I swear...{#Arghhh}


 RussNelson wrote:


And neither one think much of you either, when they think of you.
 

which would be never...
 sirdroseph wrote:


I despise Sarah Palin and PG quite equally!{#Cheers}
 

And neither one think much of you either, when they think of you.
 CoYoT51 wrote:
A REAL Bass Guitar would have been so good in this tune... too bad...
 
Well, Chevy Chase was busy with that Paul Simon video.

/obscure?
WHAT? Levin's stick work in this one song advanced the practice of bass playing. You are evidently not a bass player—or a base Philistine.
A REAL Bass Guitar would have been so good in this tune... too bad...
 


The lyrics in this one were so ahead of their time it's a little creepy. Big box stores, monster SUVs, McMansions, and waistlines all sprung right up after this song came out, just like the clay gizmos in the video.

Impressive foresight mr. Gabriel. Too bad so many have taken big time culture to heart instead of getting the joke...
 CoYoT51 wrote:
A REAL Bass Guitar would have been so good in this tune... too bad...
 
 Tony Levin with his Chapman stick *defines* the sound of the song in my opinion. 
Can't get into him at all
One of the first songs I ever heard from Mr. Gabriel.  We've had a splendid relationship since then.
Gave it a 10 to push it above 7

Nah, 8 - ok song from a "so so" (pun intended) album...  his earlier work is much better


 kcar wrote:


Still love this song, but it's been overplayed on FM radio. The video absolutely blew people's minds when it came out. 
 
I always figured he threw this tune together just so he could have another song with a stop-motion animation video made for it, though this tune has a little more lyrical content than "Sledgehammer" does.   Not a bad song, really, just a little over-played.

"And my heaven will be a big heaven."
 sirdroseph wrote:
I have never heard this one before
 

Me neither.  I did spend the 80s living in a cave, that may have something to do with it.

this is weird.....I haven't rated this song yet
 sirdroseph wrote:


Wish I could agree with you but you are simply WRONG.

 
Wish I could disagree with you both but you are complexly right.

 johnjconn wrote:
Ok , here's a new way to fun with this song,,,,, only on RP

First , click on the RP home page "Click here to listen"

Then go to the Listen tab and launch a Windows Media session.

Thus you'll be listening to two sessions of RP. They are out of sync by about a second or two.

Thus it sounds like your back in the 80's , brain a little fuzzy , but not for the same reasons it was fuzzy back then. This song sounded better with the echo.

try it
 
I've done this accidentally via similar means. I was about to rate a song really low because of it when I realized what was happening. I thought, man, this song is WAY too busy, it's giving me a headache!

While not approaching the brilliant heights of a song like "Mercy Street", this song has a tongue-in-cheek appeal.  The guys driving the jacked-up trucks with logos of their least-favorite truck brand being peed on would probably not even realize this song was making fun of them. I'm especially fond of the line "I will pray to a big God."

 h8rhater wrote:

Wish I could agree with you but you are simply WRONG.

 

Wish I could agree with you but you are simply WRONG.

A REAL Bass Guitar would have been so good in this tune... too bad...
I still like the funky PG.
 Ayarose wrote:

And neither should Michael Franti, or Stevie Wonder, or Heart, or Jude, or Nirvana, or something that other guy doesn't like - because we all know we have way too many choices that play such a diverse variety.... let's get rid of everything everbody doesn't like and sit here and listen to nothing all day....................

 
No, no, no. Just the songs that I don't like.{#Snooty}

The one song off this album I don't like, compared to cuts like 'red rain' and 'mercy street' that are SO good
Pardon the masked profanity, but I F?(#ING LOVE that bass line!{#Bananajam}
 daigoro wrote:
This is a great pop song no matter how you slice it. A great ode to pomposity...

My parties have all the big names and I greet them with the widest smile
Tell them how my life is one big adventure
and always they're amazed when I show them 'round my house to my bed
I had it made like a mountain range with a snow white pillow for my big fat head
And my heaven will be a big heaven, and I will walk through the front door

 

Still love this song, but it's been overplayed on FM radio. The video absolutely blew people's minds when it came out. 
 ellet wrote:
I like it! {#Dance} But I always seem to like the music I listened to during the 80s.
 
THIS.  Must be a bit of nostolgey kicking in.  Good memories.  Funny how the bad memories disappear... {#Jump}
Grerat song... audio quality is somehow not quite right.
 isayhoomhom wrote:

Perhaps that's because you're from Sarah Palin's hometown...{#Think}
 

I despise Sarah Palin and PG quite equally!{#Cheers}
I have never heard this one before, nice to hear fresh music especially when it sux!{#Rolleyes}
I like it! {#Dance} But I always seem to like the music I listened to during the 80s.
Absolutely horribly boring music
 flyboy wrote:

Another PG song, another 1.

 
Perhaps that's because you're from Sarah Palin's hometown...{#Think}
Gabriel was a big reason for the success of Genesis and then really took off when he went solo.  This album had a lot of good songs.  I also really dug Solsbury Hill from, I think, his first solo effort.

Another PG song, another 1.



Mega ear-wormage!

The bass hooks from this song, Talking Head's Once In a Lifetime, and Pink Floyd's Money go into a cage. Which one comes out on top?
 Ayarose wrote:

And neither should Michael Franti, or Stevie Wonder, or Heart, or Jude, or Nirvana, or something that other guy doesn't like - because we all know we have way too many choices that play such a diverse variety.... let's get rid of everything everbody doesn't like and sit here and listen to nothing all day....................

 
Way to go... smack 'em down.

 agd3 wrote:
I wish I could say this song was good, but its not ear candy and should not be part of the RP library.  Does not fit the vibe.
 
And neither should Michael Franti, or Stevie Wonder, or Heart, or Jude, or Nirvana, or something that other guy doesn't like - because we all know we have way too many choices that play such a diverse variety.... let's get rid of everything everbody doesn't like and sit here and listen to nothing all day....................

 agd3 wrote:
I wish I could say this song was good, but its not ear candy and should not be part of the RP library.  Does not fit the vibe.
 
{#Clap}

so so so so so so so SICK of Peter Gabriel.  BIG TIME.
 agd3 wrote:
I wish I could say this song was good, but its not ear candy and should not be part of the RP library.  Does not fit the vibe.
 
Wish I could agree with you but you are simply WRONG.

I wish I could say this song was good, but its not ear candy and should not be part of the RP library.  Does not fit the vibe.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good for the ears!

 romeotuma wrote:


This song is soooo good for the ears...
 


not to be confused with "Big Fun"



aw, ya beat me to it
 
Blarg wrote:
Hi there!
 


This is a great pop song no matter how you slice it. A great ode to pomposity...

My parties have all the big names and I greet them with the widest smile
Tell them how my life is one big adventure
and always they're amazed when I show them 'round my house to my bed
I had it made like a mountain range with a snow white pillow for my big fat head
And my heaven will be a big heaven, and I will walk through the front door


{#Yes}
Ultimate MTV


hmmm no... i don't think so.
{#Dancingbanana}

{#Nyah}
 Omega wrote:
Anything, anything at all besides Big Tiime and Sledgehammer.  

I agree wholeheartedly.  Love most of Peter Gabriel's stuff but those two songs are big stinkers.
Could not agree more - DETEST Big Time and Sledgehammer, but the rest of the album is amazing.  He's also absolutely fantastic live - saw him many years ago in WOMAD - excellent!
 Omega wrote:
Anything, anything at all besides Big Tiime and Sledgehammer. Commercial radio made me think I didn't like Peter Gabriel; then I heard his albums and was blown away.
 
Similarly, except with me I heard songs like this on RP and changed my mind. My view of PG was also vastly improved when I realised that he'd been instrumental in the formation of the Afro-Celt Sound System. 7 from the Nottingham jury.


Sweet. I used to crank this in my dorm room w/my (then) new system and shake the foundation of the place. Very clean, tight sounds and a damn sweet bass line or two.
Back when Peter had the juice, the flow. 
Wow...talk about ratings all over the board. I personally really like this song, along with some of his other big hits, but I also like his obscure stuff.
Originally Posted by Skid_Mark: Not a *bad* song, but there are many other PG tunes that are so much better!! How 'bout squashing this song with a big *Sledgehammer*?
Anything, anything at all besides Big Tiime and Sledgehammer. Commercial radio made me think I didn't like Peter Gabriel; then I heard his albums and was blown away.
Hi there!
Enough of this song already.
Not a *bad* song, but there are many other PG tunes that are so much better!! How \'bout squashing this song with a big *Sledgehammer*?