Rebel Yell

Album

Rebel Yell

Label

Chrysalis Records

Genre

Rock

Composer(s)

William Broad;Steve Stevens

Entered Chart

Jan 28, 1984

Peak Date

Mar 24, 1984

Released

12 January 1984[1] 2 September 1985 (UK re-issue)

Recorded

1983 Studio Studio A, Electric Lady Studios, New York City

Catalog #

Chrysalis 4-42762

B-Side

Crank Call

Billy Idol got the title for this song from the Rebel Yell brand of bourbon whiskey, which has been around since 1936. On an episode of VH1 Storytellers, Idol explained that he was at an event at Ron Wood's place in New York City where Wood and his fellow Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were taking swigs of Rebel Yell straight from the bottle. This gave him the idea for the title, and he wrote the song around it. A "rebel yell" was a Confederate battle cry during the American Civil War, and Rebel Yell bourbon (made in Kentucky) shows a soldier on a horse charging into battle. Billy Idol, who is British, knew a bit about the war, but didn't want that to be the topic of the song, so he changed the meaning to be "a female cry of love." The song is about a passionate one-night stand with a woman who wants "more more more." Idol wrote this song with his guitarist, Steve Stevens, who came up with some unique sounds on the track. The ray-gun effect on the solo he created using a Lexicon PCM 41 digital delay processor, but he later figured out a way to get a more distinctive sound using an actual ray-gun. By tweaking a toy ray-gun, he was able to hold it to his pickups and generate these strange sounds. His "ray gun guitar" became one of the most popular spots of a Billy Idol concert. The band Dope released a cover version on their 2009 album No Regrets. Other bands to record the song include Drowning Pool, HIM and Kill Hannah. One performance that didn't go over well with Idol's fans was by Miley Cyrus, who sang it on the 2012 VH1 Divas special. >> The video was directed by Jeff Stein, whose previous work included The Who documentary The Kids Are Alright. It was shot at the Capitol Theater in New Jersey with the audience made up of kids they bussed in from New York City. In the book I Want My MTV, Stein said: "We had lots of beer and wine on the busses, which nowadays you could not do. Everyone was well soused. I put the hot looking girls with the big tits up front." Sounds of the crowd cheering and singing along were added to the video version of the song, which captured the live energy of this anthemic song. The clip was a huge hit on MTV, but it almost missed its premiere slot - Stein says MTV made them edit out a shot of a kid holding a beer, and the tape made it to the network just minutes before air. Sesame Street parodied this (becoming "Rebel L") to teach children the alphabet. This originally peaked at #62 in the UK in 1984. After its inclusion in the movie The Legend of Billie Jean, it was reissued as a single and landed at #6 in 1985. This was also used in these TV series: Doom Patrol ("Pilot" – 2019) Cold Case ("River" – 2006) Third Watch ("After Hours" – 2000) Knight Rider ("Dead of Knight" – 1984) And in these movies: Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) Coyote Ugly (2000) Look Who's Talking Too (1990) Big (1988) Sixteen Candles (1984) In 2022, T-Mobile used "Rebel Yell" in commercials to show how they give so much "more, more, more" with their service.

Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door
Last night a little angel came pumpin' on my floor
She said, "Come on baby I got a license for love
And if it expires pray help from above" because

In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more"
With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh
In the midnight hour babe more, more, more
With a rebel yell more, more, more
More, more, more

She don't like slavery, she won't sit and beg
But when I'm tired and lonely she sees me to bed
What set you free and brought you to me babe?
What set you free? I need you here by me
Because

In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more"
With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh
In the midnight hour babe more, more, more
With a rebel yell more, more, more

He lives in his own Heaven
Collects it to go from the 7-11
Well he's out all night to collect a fare
Just as long, just as long it don't mess up his hair

Whoa, oh

I walked the world with you, babe (babe)
A thousand miles with you (with you)
I dried your tears of pain (pain), babe (babe)
A million times for you (for you)

I'd sell my soul (soul) for you babe (babe)
For money to burn (burn) with you (with you)
I'd give you all, and have none, babe (babe)
Justa, justa, justa, justa, to have you here by me (here by me)
Because

In the midnight hour she cried, "More, more, more"
With a rebel yell she cried, "More, more, more", oh
In the midnight hour babe more, more, more
With a rebel yell, she cried, "More, more, more"
More, more, more

Ooh yeah little baby
She want more
More, more, more, more, more

Ooh yeah little angel
She want more
More, more, more, more, more