Back in 1981, Billy Squier came screaming on to the scene with the classic track, “The Stroke”.  This was the song that introduced me to him and kept me a fan all these years.  The song did fairly well on the charts reaching #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the song comes from his second album ‘Don’t Say No’ which went on to be a triple platinum selling album.

Now admit it.  You have always thought this song was about masturbation, didn’t you?  “Put Your Right Hand Out / Give a firm handshake”…always led you to believe that Mr. Squier was manhandling his little…”guitar” for lack of a better word.  Ok, I didn’t want to say dick, so there, now I have said it.  However, the song is actually not about that at all.

The song is about the Music Business and how it treats it’s talent.  How with “the stroke” of a pen, the musician signs their life away and becomes the property of the record label. They promise them the “big break”, get their music everywhere (“spread your ear pollution”) and promise fame and fortune.  However, when the hits dry up, the label drops you (“when you’ve found you bled me / slip on by”).  And when you look at the song from that perspective it is really a great song…okay…when you look at it the dirty way it is also a great song…either works!

What really works is that guitar riff and that cool drum sound which is actually the snare played backwards and placed right before the actual drum sound.  It is a really cool sound and helps the song stand out.  This one of his greatest hits and an overall fantastic rock song.

The B-Side of the single is also from the same album.  It is “Too Daze Gone”.  A fun rock song that is just the standard version off the album and not a remix or anything, but that is okay…it is still a great track to have as the flip side.  Give it a listen as it is a fine track.

Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think of the song.  If you want to listen to it or buy it, click below…

“The Stroke”