Orgasmatron Motorhead: Lemmy’s Best Set of Lyrics
Orgasmatron Motorhead is the title track from the band’s seventh studio album, released on 21 July 1986.
Lemmy Kilmister once called it probably his best set of lyrics.
The song marked a heavier, more four piece sound for Motorhead, built around themes of religion, politics, and war.
Here is the true story behind Orgasmatron Motorhead, from its 4am origins to its lasting reputation.
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⚡ Key Takeaways
- Orgasmatron is the title track from Motorhead’s seventh studio album, released 21 July 1986 on GWR Records.
- Lemmy Kilmister wrote the lyrics after waking at around 4am and jotting them down before going back to sleep.
- The album was Motorhead’s first to feature two guitarists, Phil Campbell and Michael “Wurzel” Burston, alongside drummer Pete Gill.
- Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro produced the album, a notable departure from Motorhead’s earlier producers.
- Orgasmatron reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart following its 1986 release.
What Is Orgasmatron Motorhead About?
The lyrics take aim at organized religion, political corruption, and war, three targets Lemmy Kilmister returned to throughout his writing.
The song builds slowly, trading Motorhead’s usual flat out speed for a heavier, more deliberate march.
Lemmy called the lyrics probably his best set of writing, a rare moment of him praising his own work directly.
The tone is bleak and accusatory rather than celebratory, closer to protest music than party rock.
Who Wrote Orgasmatron Motorhead?
Lemmy Kilmister wrote the lyrics after waking up in a hotel room at around 4am and writing them down before going back to sleep.
He later said it was one of the fastest sets of lyrics he ever finished, coming almost fully formed.
The music grew out of full band sessions with the new twin guitar lineup working through arrangements together.
Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro produced the finished track, giving it a denser, more layered sound than earlier Motorhead records.
What Album Is It From?
Orgasmatron is the title track and opening song on Motorhead’s seventh studio album of the same name.
The album arrived on 21 July 1986, the band’s first collection of new material since Another Perfect Day in 1983.
It reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart shortly after release.
The record marked a clear sonic shift from the raw three piece sound of Motorhead’s early Bronze Records years.
That shift arrived six years after the classic three piece lineup recorded tracks like Jailbait on Ace of Spades.
Who Played on the Orgasmatron Motorhead Sessions?
Lemmy Kilmister played bass and sang lead vocals, as he had on every Motorhead album before it.
Phil Campbell and Michael “Wurzel” Burston played guitar together, marking the first Motorhead studio album with two guitarists.
Pete Gill played drums, the only full length Motorhead studio album to feature him behind the kit.
The expanded four piece lineup gave the band a thicker, more textured sound than their classic three piece years.
How High Did Orgasmatron Motorhead Chart?
The Orgasmatron album reached number 21 on the UK Albums Chart in 1986.
The title track itself was never released as a standalone single.
Motorhead re-recorded the song in 2000 as Orgasmatron 2000, released as part of a later career retrospective.
The original 1986 version remains the definitive recording that fans and critics reference most often.
Does the Title Reference the Woody Allen Film Sleeper?
No, according to guitarist Phil Campbell, the title had no connection to the pleasure machine that appears in Woody Allen’s 1973 film Sleeper.
Lemmy said separately that he had not even seen the film when the band chose the album title.
The similarity in name is coincidental rather than a deliberate reference to the movie.
Fans still ask about the connection because the two share an unusual and memorable word.
Why Do Fans Still Discuss Orgasmatron Motorhead?
Fans still discuss the song because it shows Lemmy writing about politics and religion with unusual directness.
Hawkwind, the band Lemmy played bass for before Motorhead, shaped the same restless, anti establishment streak heard throughout this song.
As of 2026, read the complete lineup history of the members of Motorhead across four decades of the band.
Four decades on, the song’s warnings about war and political corruption still feel current to many listeners.
People Also Ask
What is Orgasmatron by Motorhead about?
Orgasmatron is a Motorhead song that criticizes organized religion, political corruption, and war, written by Lemmy Kilmister after he woke up at around 4am and jotted the lyrics down before going back to sleep.
It became the title track of the band’s seventh studio album, released in July 1986.
Who wrote Orgasmatron?
Lemmy Kilmister wrote the lyrics to Orgasmatron in 1986, while the full band, including new guitarists Phil Campbell and Wurzel, developed the music together during the album sessions.
Producers Bill Laswell and Jason Corsaro shaped the track’s final sound.
What album is Orgasmatron from?
Orgasmatron is the title track from Motorhead’s seventh studio album, released on 21 July 1986 and reaching number 21 on the UK Albums Chart.
It was the band’s first album of new material since Another Perfect Day in 1983.
Does Orgasmatron reference the Woody Allen film Sleeper?
No, guitarist Phil Campbell has said the title had no connection to the pleasure machine in Woody Allen’s 1973 film Sleeper, and Lemmy said he had not even seen the movie.
The shared name between the song and the film device is coincidental.
Who played drums on Orgasmatron?
Pete Gill played drums on Orgasmatron, marking the only full length Motorhead studio album to feature him behind the kit.
He joined the band in 1984 alongside new guitarists Phil Campbell and Wurzel.
Listen to Orgasmatron
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Orgasmatron
1986, Deluxe Import Edition
The title track that showcased Motorhead’s new four piece lineup.
Lemmy’s most political and pointed set of lyrics.
Rock ‘n’ Roll
1987, Deluxe Edition with Live Bonus
The album that followed Orgasmatron the next year.
Continued the same four piece lineup’s heavier direction.
Ace of Spades
1980, 50th Anniversary 2 CD Edition
The album that made Motorhead legends six years before Orgasmatron.
Motorhead’s defining anthem and biggest hit.
Iron Fist
1982, 40th Anniversary 2 CD Mediabook
The last album from the classic three piece before this new era began.
A bridge between Motorhead’s two most famous lineups.
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Iron Fist Motorhead
The last single from the classic three piece lineup that came before this new era.
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
A blunter, earlier statement of desire from the same classic lineup era.
Orgasmatron Motorhead endures as one of Lemmy Kilmister’s most pointed and political sets of lyrics.
Four decades on, Orgasmatron Motorhead still sounds like a warning rather than a celebration.
Last updated: July 14, 2026