Night Music: Steve Gibbons Band, “Down In The Bunker”

Steve Gibbons, at the time this record came out, was sold as something of a UK Bob Seger. That is, a rock vet finally being recognized for his powerful original worth.

The album this was on had, what seemed at the time, a progressive song about racial mixing, like why not, and some other rock songs. And it had this obvious chart attempt, mixing Gibbons’ rock heart with Dire Straits’ lyricism. I find the music quite winning, as I do all of Dire Straits when that style is working.

But the lyrics? The concept? OMG. What is this story? It seems to be based on the idea that WWII soldiers, during the war or just after, find a naked girl in the bunker, and then stuff happens, as long as one doesn’t lose… um, well, that’s it. Well, until they um… How far do they go? No one knows.

I’ll be the last to inhibit anyone’s fantasies, in private, but if you’re going to turn this loaded scenario into a hit song, Steve Gibbons, you should do better. Great tune, really bad lyrics, unless on the off chance your fantasy involves women disrupted by war (and naked) desiring soldiers to, um, satisfy their desires. That would be B-movie worthy, at least a little, even if exploitable. But in the context of Gibbons’ song, the womenhave no desires at all. That’s too bad.

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