What Does Red Right Hand Actually Mean In Peaky Blinders?
Period gangster drama "Peaky Blinders" is a show that radiates quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) menace. A large part of this comes courtesy of Cillian Murphy's intense "Peaky Blinders" role as protagonist Tommy Shelby, but the tone is set by the very first scene of the series. It shows Tommy slowly and casually riding a horse through the streets of Birmingham on his way to find a fortune teller to ensure the horse wins a race, as the horrified people scatter and hide from his path. After performing the ritual, he kindly shares the horse's name and the race it runs in to everyone present as a free betting tip.
The scene establishes Tommy as a feared and respected person who's nevertheless a man of the people — and then underlines just how dangerous he is by introducing the show's theme song, "Red Right Hand," as he rides out. "Red Right Hand" is an eerie, moody tune that's easily one of the best things on "Peaky Blinders." It fits the show to a tee and came to define the entire series nearly as much as its main character. But what is it actually about, and what, exactly, does the titular term mean? Let's dig into the truth behind "Peaky Blinders" and "Red Right Hand."
Where is the phrase Red Right Hand originally from, and what does it mean?
"Red Right Hand" isn't just a cool song title made up especially for the show. In fact, the term has far older roots. It was first used by English poet John Milton in his 1667 magnum opus "Paradise Lost," a gigantic 12-book poem about Adam and Eve's original sin and Lucifer's fall from grace. It is notorious for the way it depicts the Devil as a charismatic, even tragic villain protagonist. As such, the original red right hand in the poem is an appropriately Biblical threat:
"What if the breath that kindled those grim fires, / Awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage, / And plunge us in the flames; or from above / Should intermitted vengeance arm again / His red right hand to plague us?"
The man behind the song "Red Right Hand," Nick Cave, has been known to reference this quote in his work. He alludes to it more directly in the lyrics of another piece, the 1996 murder ballad "Song of Joy," in which a serial killer is fond of leaving Milton quotes — including the one about red right hand — on the scenes of his crimes.
Who sings the Peaky Blinders theme Red Right Hand and what does it mean?
The "Peaky Blinders" theme song "Red Right Hand" is performed by Australian musician Nick Cave together with his primary band, the Bad Seeds. The song is from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' 1994 album "Let Love In," and it was written by Cave, Mick Harvey, and Thomas Wydler. The song's red right hand has a similar theme as John Milton's version, though the Satanic archetype wielding it comes across as a far more direct and immediate threat. The lyrics depict a decrepit urban environment where a mysterious, charismatic, and possibly supernatural man with a red right hand wanders and wraps people in his schemes, hatching his ambitious plans and ruling over the slums. Combine this with the ominous, peculiar gothic blues sound of the song, and the tune is a pretty great fit for "Peaky Blinders" in general and mastermind villain Tommy Shelby in particular.
A well-known musician, author, and screenwriter who once wrote a wild "Gladiator" sequel screenplay called "Gladiator 2: Christ Killer," Cave has a repertoire of impressive songs that span across genres from furious punk rock to soulful piano ballads. In 2019, he addressed the association between "Red Right Hand" and "Peaky Blinders" during a solo Conversations concert and spoken word event in the show's native Birmingham.
"It's a great show," he said (via Birmingham Live). "But so many people come up to me and say 'I'm a huge fan' and have discovered my music through 'Peaky Blinders.'" Imagine how he must feel about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" using the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song "O Children."
Where else you've heard Red Right Hand in film and TV?
If "Red Right Hand" seems familiar to you even though you haven't watched "Peaky Blinders," there may be a reason for that. The song might not sound like a chart-topping hit, but it nigh-immediately started making waves behind the scenes. Over time, "Red Right Hand" has become a popular song choice in films, shows, and even commercials that want to convey a very specific vibe.
"Sync use for 'Red Right Hand' is more about quality than quantity," David McGinnis from publishing and licensing company Mute Song told Variety in 2018. "It's not a song we can pitch very often. It's not right for most day-to-day film and TV briefs. It's not background music; it's the main event. When it's used, the dialogue stops and the film makes space for the song. It's not right for everything, but when it's right, it's perfect and has a lasting impact."
The results of this tactical use of "Red Right Hand" — both the original song and various cover versions and remixes — can be witnessed in movies and shows like "The X-Files," various films in the Scream franchise, Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy," and "The Lost City." Both the Jim Carrey movie "Dumb & Dumber" and the soccer comedy-drama "Ted Lasso" have even managed to use the song's intensity for comedic purposes.