Reef bassist Jack Bessant has admitted he “never really understood” what Gary Stringer was singing about in Put Your Hands On until “quite recently”.
The song remains the English rock band’s most famous tune, but in an interview with The Guardian, Jack said it took him some time to fully understand it – which features famously misheard lyric “put your hands on”, with people frequently singing “put your hands up”.
He said: “I’ve always thought the emotion Gaz [Gary] brought to it was incredible, but I didn’t fully understand what he was singing about until quite recently.
“He explained that “put your hands on” was a metaphor for wanting a hug, to help him through the grief of losing his grandfather.
“I hadn’t realised at the time because we were young rockers, swept up in the moment and full of testosterone, with no time to think about anything.
“The 90s wasn’t really a time when men were encouraged to be sensitive – there were all the lads’ mags, and we were playing that game to an extent.
“We certainly didn’t discuss our feelings in the way we would now. Looking back, I think the lyrics are beautiful.”
Jack added that he doesn’t think Reef will “ever get bored” of playing the tune because it’s “so funky and full of rhythm and spirit”.
He said: “We’ve had quite a few lineup changes, and Place Your Hands is the song that has always pulled us together. It gets people dancing and putting their hands up – even though the lyric is actually ‘Put your hands on’.”
Meanwhile, Gary also opened up about the inspiration behind the song in The Guardian chat.
He explained: “The lyrics are about the death of my grandfather, Kenneth. I was on the tour bus when I got a call saying he had died. I went to the morgue and my auntie said: ‘Do you want to see Ken?’
“I’d seen a dead body beside the road while on a surfing trip in Morocco when I was 18, but this had a different impact. The lyrics are essentially asking for comfort – for a cuddle.
“That’s why it’s ‘Put your hands on’. But I’m sure if it was ‘Put your hands up’ the song would have been even bigger.”