hello, there, kids, it's your old friend captain beefheart --
you know, me, the magic man, invisible, and all that jazz, ha!
flies through time and space, dimension warp, all that rhythm --
well, anyway, uh --
i'm here tonight to tell you that we have a heck-of-a-little teen-age opera for you...
you're really gonna dig it, mmmh, yeah
it's really groovy!
your technique it leaves me weak
my heart knows it's the beat i seek
and i found it
(just got lucky)
oh yes i found it
(just got lucky)
i never worry that your love is fake
i'm free and easy and i'm feeling jake
'cause i found it
(just got lucky)
oh boy i found it
(just got lucky)
'cause i never felt this way before
like a dog always beggin' for more!
(oh yeah!)
i've been fooled by love so many times
i gave up on all the silly rhymes
kept my feelings all inside my heart
a locked door no key was cut that was the fit
now i'm such a very lucky guy
gangway!
one side now
(come on hear me say)
we found the answer and it's plain to see
(come on hear me say)
that i'm for you and you're for me
'cause we found it
(just got lucky)
together we found it
(just got lucky)
i feel a quiver every time we kiss
the sky's the limit with a love like this
'cause we found it
(just got lucky)
together we found it
(just got lucky)
'cause i never felt this way before
like a dog always beggin' for more!
(oh yeah!)
i've been fooled by love so many times
i gave up on all the silly rhymes
kept my feelings all inside my heart
a locked door no key was cut that was the fit
now i'm such a very lucky guy
gangway!
one side now
(come on hear me say)
we found the answer and it's plain to see
(come on hear me say)
we found the answer and it's plain to see
(come on hear me say)
that i'm for you and you're for me
'cause we found it
(just got lucky)
together we found it
(just got lucky)
i feel a quiver every time we kiss
the sky's the limit with a love like this
'cause we found it
(just got lucky)
together we found it
(just got lucky)
'cause i never felt this way before
like a dog always beggin' for more!
(oh yeah!)
(key)
i've been fooled by love so many times
i gave up on all the silly rhymes
kept my feelings all inside my heart
a locked door no key was cut that was the fit
now i'm such a very lucky guy
gangway!
one side now
(come on hear me say)
(come on hear me say)
(ooh)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
your technique it leaves me weak
my heart knows it's the beat i seek
and i found it
(just got lucky)
oh boy i found it
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
'cause i never felt this way before
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
(just got lucky)
take time for your pleasure
and laugh with love
take the hand of another
and sing for the wings of a dove
(woah woah, for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah, for the wings of a dove)
look up at the rooftops (oooh)
when you're walking 'round
don't think for a moment (oooh)
of looking down
(woah woah) yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
alellujah (lellujah)
alellujah (lellujah)
look up at the rooftops (the roof!)
when you're walking 'round
don't think for a moment
of looking down
a room at the top (ooh)
where we're not allowed
cheer to the echo (ooh)
can you hear the sound
(woah woah) yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
yeah yeah yeah
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
(woah woah) (for the wings of a dove)
blue train!
blue train taking me from you...
a nice breeze blows in
whenever the big fella
cracks a grin
and when the time and the place is right
we sit down
sip some bouillabaisse
oh i'm gonna have me a little fun
i've got a candle i can get a lot of reading done
somewhere the sun is shining
on this world but not for me
two lovers' hearts are rising
oh how long before i'm free?
oh yes i
feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
i get so lonely in the belly of the whale
(oh oh oh oh oh oh)
yeah i feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
(oh oh oh oh oh oh)
and i say if we swim faster we're sure to come back
oh ya didn't please everyone
got thrown off the boat before the trip was done
so with a smile on your face
you disappeared without no trace
oh we're only gonna have us a little fun
(down down down)
i've lit the candle we can get a lot of reading done
somewhere the sun is shining
on this world but not for me
two lovers' hearts are rising
oh how long before i'm free?
oh yes i
feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
i get so lonely in the belly of the whale
(oh oh oh oh oh oh)
yeah i feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
(oh oh oh oh oh oh)
and i say if we swim faster we're sure to come back
i feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
gotta keep my head up now if i wanna come back
i gets so lonely in the belly of the whale
you wanna know you belong here but only your trapped
oooo yeah i feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
oooo and i say if we swim faster we're sure to come back
don't cha feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
somewhere the sun is shining
on this world but not for me
two lovers hearts are rising
ohh how long before i'm free
i feel like jonah in the belly of the whale
gotta keep my head up now if i wanna come back
i gets so lonely in the belly of the whale
you wanna know you belong here but only your trapped
it feels like jonah in the belly of the whale
oooo and i say if we swim faster we're sure to come back
oh, i know something
about the ways of loving
and i tell you, baby
i think something's wrong (think something's wrong)
look to the sky above and the mud below
something drives me crazy, got to got to get away
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!
without a doubt, i'm telling you i'm burnt out uh huh
my tank is running on empty for far too long
woah! i need fuel 'cause i'm getting so low
not the kind you give me, it makes me feel so bad
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!
i need fuel, not the kind you give me (it)
makes me feel so bad
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!
i can't believe
i'm still around
it's getting kinda late
i'm gonna leave
for a change of scenery
i'm going crazy
it's not the same
since you've been around
i'm crazy
so crazy
you treat me like a dirty clown
you're always kickin' my dog around
i never get nothin' but constant abuse from you
you couldn't care less what i think, or my point of view
you're always puttin' the make on my friends, always giving
them eyes and the dirty lies 'bout me and you, well i'm
through, it's the end of the line for you babe, here's a
ticket one way cincinnati, i'm sendin' you home to your ma
and your daddy, so don't try to call me, you'll only be wastin' your
time!
oh, i know something
about the ways of loving
and i tell you, baby,
i think something's wrong
look to the sky above and the mud below
something drives me crazy, got to got to get away
i need fuel - but - not the kind you give me
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!
goodbye, goodbye!
goodbye, goodbye!
put a needle on the record
[instrumental]
all i wanna do is to thank you
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car
all i wanna do is to thank you
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
who
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
who
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
whoever you are
~~
now all i wanna do is to exit
so i go to where i can get off
on a curve through the shoulder
there's no parking in that trough
so i drive around all day
combing atmospheric haze
till i wanna get on again
then all i have to say is
all i wanna do is to thank you
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car
all i wanna do is to thank you
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
who
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
who
whoever you are
i wanna thank you
whoever you are
~~
bbbb
~~
now all i wanna do is to tune in
radio l.a. lou-yah!
'cause we're broadcasting live
and we wanna hear all of ya
on the mic is geggy tah
but a whole lot more of all of ya
let us hear ya, let us hear ya
in a big echoing halah
all i wanna do is to thank you
even though i don't know who you are
you let me change lanes
while i was driving in my car
whoever you are
i wanna thank you who...
slow down, krishna, slow down
your red trans am goes way too fast
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
krishna is a holy man
an example to us all
it's curious the choice he made
when he bought a car last fall
we sent him out to buy a bus
to carry us around
what a big surprise it was
to hear that throaty sound
he drove up in a new trans am
with windows tinted black
seats like buckets, leather brassiere
but there is no room in back
no, there is no room in back
oh slow down, krishna, slow down
your red trans am goes way too fast (yes it does)
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
krishna is a humble man
he's quiet and reserved
but when he gets behind the wheel
we all become unnerved
a ride with krishna is a test of faith in the hereafter
he squeals his tires and passes right
and then he howls with laughter (hahaha!)
oh, krishna, stop your laughter
oh slow down, krishna, slow down
your red trans am goes way too fast
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
he says he's rolling to nirvana
leaving behind all earthly desires
aah--krishna, krishna, can't you see?
you can't get to heaven on t/a tires
oh no no you can't get there
oh no way
ok boys kick out the jams
(solo)
oh krishna!
in meetings as we meditate
we hear that sound a-screeching
krishna, please, your car alarm
it interrupts the teachings
krishna says we should enjoy
our time upon this planet
but as we wear our sandals thin
he's driving round with janet
oh, krishna, who is who is who is who is who is who is who is janet?
oh slow down, krishna, slow down!
your red trans am goes way too fast
slow down!
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
please sing along now
oh slow down, krishna, slow down
your red trans am goes way too fast
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
a capella!
everybody!
oh slow down now!
TEN MORE TIMES!
okay one more time
oh slow down, krishna, slow down
your red trans am goes way too fast
slow down, krishna, slow down
or your current life may be your last
or your current life may be your last
or your current life may be your last
(LAST!)
or your current life may be your last
well, she got her daddy's car
and she cruised through the hamburger stand now
seems she forgot all about the library
like she told her old man now
and with the radio blastin' goes cruisin' just as fast as she can now
and she'll have fun, fun, fun
'til her daddy takes the t-bird away
(fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away)
well, the girls can't stand her
'cause she walks, looks, and drives like an ace, now
(you walk like an ace, now, you walk like an ace)
she makes the indy 500 look like the roman chariot race, now
(you look like an ace, now, you look like an ace)
a lot of guys try to catch her but she leads 'em on a wild goose chase, now
(you drive like an ace, now, you drive like an ace)
and she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away
(fun, fun, fun, 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away)
well, you knew all along
that your dad was gettin' wise to you, now
(you shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)
and since he took your set of keys
you been thinkin' that your fun is all through now
(you shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)
but you can come along with me 'cause we got a lot of things to do now
(you shouldn't-a lied, now, you shouldn't-a lied)
and we'll have fun, fun, fun
now that daddy took the t-bird away
(fun, fun, fun, now that daddy took the t-bird away)
fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the t-bird away
fun, fun, now that daddy took the t-bird away
fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the t-bird away
fun, fun, now that daddy took the t-bird away
this is a message
from the east hollywood tourist bureau
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
please accept the rocking-horses battered broken cold bus token
shining in the new day sun
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
please correct the day's mistake
remind the blind
remind poseidon
seeing is believing cur
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
please massage the farmer's daughter's
blistered hands from bad rock bands
beating on a bullshit drum
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
come and do it right now
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
please inject the populist with x-ray vision penicillin
so they can see the rothchild burn
c'mon everybody come
come and do it right now
c'mon everybody come
c'mon everybody come
c'mon everybody come
c'mon everybody come
every mother's son
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
every mother's son
this is a message
from the east hollywood tourist bureau
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
c'mon everybody
c'mon everyone
everybody
honest to goodness
the bars weren't open this morning
they must have been votin' for a new president or something'
do you have a quarter?
i said yes because i did
honest to goodness the tears have been falling all over the country's face
it was better before
before they voted for whatshisname
this is supposed to be the new world
before they voted for whatshisname
this is supposed to be the new world
flint ford auto
mobile alabama
windshield wiper
buffalo new york
gary indiana don't forget the motor city
baltimore, d.c. now all we need is
don't forget the motor city
this was supposed to be the new world
don't forget the motor city
this was supposed to be the new world
all we need is money
just give us what you can spare
twenty or thirty pounds of potatoes and twenty of thirty beers
a turkey on thanksgiving like alms for the poor
all we need are the necessities and more
before they voted for whatshisname
this is supposed to be the new world
before they voted for whatshisname
this is supposed to be the new world
don't forget the motor city
this was supposed to be the new world
don't forget the motor city
this was supposed to be the new world
i came here looking for somethin'
i couldn't find anywhere else
hey i'm not trying to be nobody,
i just want a chance to be myself.
i've done a thousand miles of thumbin'
yes, i've worn blisters on my heels
trying to find me something better
here on the streets of bakersfield
hey you don't know me but you don't like me,
you say you care less how i feel
but how many of you that sit and judge me
ever walked the streets of bakersfield?
spent some time in san francisco,
i spent a night there in the can
they threw this drunk man in my jail cell,
i took fifteen dollars from that man
left him my watch and my old house key
don't want folks thinkin' that i'd steal
then i thanked him as he was sleeping,
and i headed out for bakersfield.
hey you don't know me but you don't like me,
you say you care less how i feel
but how many of you that sit and judge me
ever walked the streets of bakersfield?
hey you don't know me but you don't like me,
you say you care less how i feel
but how many of you that sit and judge me
ever walked the streets of bakersfield?
how many of you that sit and judge me
ever walked the streets of bakersfield?
well, a u.s. soldier boy
on leave in west-berlin
no music there that rocks
just a thousand violins
they wanna hear some american music
american music
they wanna hear that sound right from the u.s.a.
well, it can be sweet and lovely
it can be hard and mean
one thing's for sure, it's always on the beam
they wanna hear some american music
american music
they wanna hear that sound right from the u.s.a.
well it's a howl from the desert
a scream from the slums
the mississippi rollin' to the beat of the drums
they wanna hear some american music
american music
they wanna hear that sound right from the u.s.a.
we got the louisiana boogie and the delta blues
we got country, swing and rockabilly, too
we got jazz, country-western and chicago blues
it's the greatest music that you ever knew
oh it's american music
oh it's american music
it's american music
it's the greatest sound right from the u.s.a.
well, a us soldier boy has to stop right in his tracks
when he hears that crazy beat
he turns and doubles back
because they're playing american music
american music
the whole world digs that sound from the u.s.a.!
every day
i get up and pray to jah
and he increases the number of [products] by exactly one
everybody's comin' home for lunch these days
last night there were skinheads on my lawn
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
some people say that bowling alleys got big lanes
got big lanes
got big lanes
some people say that bowling alleys all look the same
look the same
look the same
there's not a line that goes here that rhymes with anything
anything
anything
i has a dream last night, but i forget what it was
what it was
what it was
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
i had a dream last night about you my friend
had a dream -- i wanted to sleep next to plastic
had a dream -- i wanted to lick your knees
had a dream -- it was about nothing
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
take the skinheads bowling
take them bowling
my weight is 300 pounds
my favorite is beef jerky
i'm a vagabond, i'm a vagabond
my mom says, "you are kinky!"
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
lay down here, baby
just relax
honey
my baby horse is jennifer
what a beefy hip!
she has a fine coat of fur
what shiny hair!
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
who cares? i don't care!
a horse's ass is better than yours
let's eat carrots together until
let's eat carrots together until
kiss me and comfort me, my sweet
take me out to dinner, like you did, last week
i wake up
beside you
when i'm out
i wont hide from you
like i have
done
before
kiss me and comfort me, my sweet
take me to the genesis
to see-saw three
but i know now, its over, try to get over
the mountains
from under our feet
mixed feeling i get in my head
hot woman, not in my bed
oh please forget what i said
sometimes
in the cold night
my phone rings
but it's not you
kiss me, and comfort me, my sweet
come over i just got
the new o.c.
and if they can sort their problems out
why can't i get out the house?
for mango, frescato or tea
my drawrings are starting to suck
my best friends are all listening to crunk
i feel like the world's gone crazy
sometimes, in the cold night
my phone rings, but it's not you
and even
when the buzzer
to my place rings
still not you
a stranger
on the night bus
with a checked coat
is not you
and in one hands
hold me so close
but deep down
it's not you
my girl likes franks not pork and beans
i'm gonna wax that girl right out them jeans
(i'm down) i'm fully down
(i'm down) ah yeah i'm down
(i'm down) homeboy i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
because you know i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
because i'm fully d
because i keep a loaded pistol inside my pants
find a def girl and do the new dance
(i'm down)
(i'm down) homeboy i'm down
(i'm down) in brooklyn i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
because you know i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
i'm fully d
yeah
took me to the bathroom and ran her lip
cause i smacked in her face and on that tip
(i'm down) oh yeah i'm down
(i'm down) oh my gosh i'm down
(i'm down) homebody i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
because you know i'm down
"how can you laugh?"
homeboy i'm d! mike d! ha-ha-ha-ha! yeah!
(i'm down) in brooklyn i'm down
(i'm down) in the bronx i'm down
(i'm down) in queens i'm down
(i'm down) in manhattan i'm down
(i'm down) i'm from that town, it ain't the south
(i'm down)
(i'm down) i'm goose down
(i'm down) and i'm gucci down
(i'm down) and i'm fila down
(i'm down) i'm crackhouse down
(i'm down) all your girlies going down
(i'm down) yeah
(i'm down) on the ave i'm down
(i'm down) and i'm schoolly down
(i'm down) and my gold is down
(i'm down) i'm def oh yeah, y'all squares know that i'm down
(i'm down) ah yeah i'm down
(i'm down) steve ett is down
(i'm down) all the dustbusters down
(i'm down) and you know i'm down
(i'm down) and my crew and my posse are down
(i'm down) yeah buddy i'm down
(i'm down) homepiss i'm down
(i'm down) oh boy-ee yeah!
(i'm down) come on homeboy
(i'm down) ah!
(i'm down) the book is down
(i'm down) oh you know it's down
(i'm down) and i'm lookin at my gucci
(i'm down)
(i'm down)
(i'm down)
(i'm down)
(i'm down)
she thinks i'm together
and proves how wack she is
the sound of stormy weather
was only root beer fizz
i once lived in a basement
where i waited patiently
for the girl to make arrangements
to begin being finished with me
oh began being finished with me
oh began being finished with me
now you jumped at the word frog
and that made wicked sense
now i'm that absurd dog
that barks behind your fence
and i know time spent with you
was no real time you see
i helped erase
you to into space
and soon you'll be finished with me
oh soon you'll be finished with me
oh soon you'll be finished with me
and i had the same feeling you had just yesterday
we get these feelings at wrong times they run away
i've lied to you friend
more than i'll discuss
and i expect a cruel end when i think of us
these intrigues are so pointless
grotesque and obscene
so call an end
before we're 'round the bend
begin being finished with me
oh begin being finished with me
oh began being finished with me
l.a.'s ruled by gurus,
and new york's ruled by shrinks:
at least that's what my uncle,
in kansas thinks.
he's got all my records;
they've been thoroughly analyzed.
he's come to the conclusion
i'm demonically energized.
he said "if you choose to engage,
in experimental sex,
or write freakish novels that are
willfully pynchon-esque,
you can do all these things,
but don't be surprised,
if you awake
to find yourself
demonically energized.
he said "you can sing and joke about,
painful drug addictions;
and make no effort to resolve,
the looming contradictions;
you can do all these things
but wait till i close my eyes;
sin takes its toll
and now your soul's
demonically energized.
"if alcohol abuse
is something,
you choose to make light of
and common decency
is something,
okay to lose sight of,
indulge your freakish whims
in spite of how you've been advised.
sin takes your soul
and now your soul's
demonically energized.
"if you choose to poke fun
of this country's racial tension
and sing of things
that nat cole king
was far too nice to mention
if you've got devil's catechism
thoroughly memorized
he's achieved his goal
and now your soul is
demonically energized.
"now if you choose to travel
to exotic places,
and if you choose to sit
on exotic faces,
if you think it's cute
that a prostitute
is in song canonized,
he's achieved his goal
and now your soul is
demonically energized."
if you don't give my football back
i'm gonna get my dad on you
i only kicked it over your fence
and broke a silly gnome or two
eanie meany run away
eanie meany run away
if you don't give my football back
i'm gonna get my dad on you
i only kicked it over your fence
and broke a silly gnome or two
eanie meany run away
eanie meany run away
eanie meany run away
eanie meany run away
eanie meany run away
meany run away
steal my my football run away
i'll get it back someday
eanie meany run away
meany run away
steal my my football run away
i'll get it back someday
eanie meany run away
meany run away
steal my my football run away
i'll get it back someday
eanie meany run away
meany run away
steal my my football run away
i'll get it back someday
i've been made blue
i've been lied to
when will i be loved?
i've been turned down
i've been pushed round
when will i be loved?
when i meet a new girl
that i want for mine
she always breaks my heart in two
it happens every time
i've been cheated
been mistreated
when will i be loved?
when i meet a new girl
that i want for mine
she always breaks my heart in two
it happens every time
i've been cheated, been mistreated
when will i be loved?
when will i be loved?
when will i be loved?
if you start me up (start me up)
if you start me up i'll never stop
if you start me up (start me up)
if you start me up i'll never stop
i've been running hard (running hard)
you got me ticking gonna blow my top
if you start me up
if you start me up i'll never stop
you make a grown man cry (cry)
you make a grown man cry (cry)
spread out the oil, the gasoline
i walk smooth she's a a mean, mean machine
start it up
if you start it up (start it up)
kick on the starter give it all you got
i can't compete with the riders in the other heats (can't compete)
if you rough it up (rough it )
if you like it you can slide it up, (what's that?) slide it up
don't make a grown man cry (cry)
don't make a grown man cry (cry)
don't make a grown man cry (cry)
my eyes dilate, my lips go green
my hands are greasy
she's a mean machine
start it up
if you start me up (start me up)
if you start me up i'll never stop
if you start me up (start me up)
if you start me up i'll never stop
i've been running hard (running hard)
you got me ticking gonna blow my top
if you start me up
if you start me up i'll never stop
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum)
you make a dead man cum (cum) (cum-bye-ya)
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything
well you can say anything you want
and you can do anything you want
if you have ghosts
then you have everything
wine never does that (awoohoo)
wine never does that (awoohoo)
you can call it surprise there it is
the moon to the left of me is a part of my thoughts is a part of me is me
wine never does that
in the night i am a real (awoohoo)
oh in the night i am a real (awoohoo)
the moon to the left of me is a part of my thoughts and is a part of me is me
wherever is the wind is a part of my thoughts is a part of me is me
in the night i am a real
i don't want my fangs too long (awoohoo)
i don't want my fangs too long (awoohoo)
the moon to the left of me is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
forever is the wind
to the left of me
is a part of my thoughts
is a part of me is me
i don't want my
fangs too long
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything (awoohoo)
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything (awoohoo)
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything (awoohoo)
if you have ghosts (if you have ghosts)
then you have everything (awoohoo)
if you have ghosts
she sent me a letter just the other day
she said this is a record that i like to play'
yeah, this is a sound that i'm sure i enjoy
sadly though, i am without a boy
now if i am jealous i hope it doesn't show
maybe it's something i'm not meant to know
but could i ask you about the ring
that you wore in the video on tv?
i am a teenage female
i am a teenage female
who ever reads this may not understand
i am not your typical fan
music is something that i need
so tell me please i don't want to plead
i am a teenage female
i am a teenage female
if i am jealous
i hope it doesn't show
maybe its something that i'm not meant to know
but could i ask you about the ring
that you wore in the video on tv?
i am a teenage female
i am a teenage female
Okay, the credit says Frank Zappa, but really it's the incomparable Captain Beefheart giving a spiel in about 1964. Beefheart and Zappa were cohorts at the time. Most Frank Zappa songs are long, and I had many versions of this mix that included Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and I had "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" on here for a long time, but ultimately I think with more long instrumental pieces it would be a different kind of mix. My goal was to express the breadth of my music collection and yet still manage it to be coherent.
And the truth is, Zappa is a way acquired taste and I didn't want to bum anyone out with his offensive humor or difficult music.
This is a song I first heard when I was a teenager and loved. But it was from such a no-hit wonder I never bought a single or a compilation that included it. I only had it on a cassette tape I recorded from the radio from San Diego's 91X radio station.
I rediscovered it with the film The 40-year Old Virgin, they play it over the end credits. See, music like this (and actually, the next 3 songs) are about the 1980s music. Screw bands like Journey. Music like this is what the 1980s were like for me. Eclectic and manic and joyful and not necessarily mainstream.
I was never a Mod, but I loved bands like Madness and especially The English Beat (I guess really just The Beat in the UK) and The Specials. Wings of a Dove is such a strange song in many ways, fast and such a party record. I actually remember dancing to songs by Madness when I was a freshman in High School (1983-84).
Yes, I'm a bit old.
Another wonderful one-hit wonder. I like it when pop songs get biblical. The mix of melancholy against the happiness of the music I gravitate to big time. Whatever happened to Burning Sensations? It's kind of a crime this song is not more well known, it's got an incredibly distinct sound and personality.
And we tie it up with an homage to my Southern California roots. Oingo Boingo is a product of a lot of different stuff, and we have them to thank for letting Danny Elfman go on to do so much interesting work on film soundtracks. Oingo Boingo is one of those "I can't believe this was a pop band" type bands. All those damn horns! The crazy dark lyrics? They are who I think of when I think of the line by Dire Straits: "They don't give a damn / about any trumpet playing band / it's not what they call rock and roll"
But I really don't care, Oingo Boingo was a killer band to dance to when I was a kid. Yes, I slamdanced to Oingo Boingo.
But enough damn 1980s nostalgia.
This hardly counts as a song, really. At 5 seconds and not even featuring the sounds of the listed artist, sheesh. I think it might actually be Lee "Scratch" Perry but that's a guess and I'm too lazy to research it.
My goal was to get a large mix, and that meant short songs. So one thing I did was sort my iTunes collection by "time" -- the length of the song. I was really just looking for a fun intro thing. Maybe something from The Simpsons (I nearly opened with the Itchy and Scratchy Theme), or maybe the 20th Century Fox fanfare. So why put this as track 6? "Put a needle on the record" evokes memories for me. When I was a kid, that was how I listened to music. I had a vinyl record player when I was 3 years old and was taught to put the Sesame Street records myself. Now, I don't even have any vinyl records I listen to. My collection sits in storage. The former hand-made craft of making mixtapes from vinyl LPs is a lost art. I'm happy to revisit the practice, modernized, for this CD.
So again, why this here? I think of it opening "Side 2" of the mix.
Aside: I wanted to put an actual Luscious Jackson song on here but it didn't work out. Seek out the tracks "Naked Eye" or "Daughters of the Kaos" by them. I also considered "Jolene on the Freeway" by KoStars (a LJ offshoot band).
And then, there was no words. This is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. Ever since high school I've been a fan of dystopian science fiction, and Blade Runner in particular. Vangelis, an electronic musician from way back, had this track featured on the Blade Runner soundtrack (which is a whole other story, that soundtrack did not get released properly until 10 years after the film was released).
Anyway, this track is about cities and the end of nature and is quietly brilliant. It's a beautifully sad song. It also features the sounds of a city and of the feeling of driving through a city and of vehicles in a city, and of electronic gadgetry following us about always. And now, we live in a future that contains those things always. In the 1980s, the very idea of a digital map on your dashboard was science fiction. Now, I have one in my pocket.
And after serious evocative music, what better than a fun song by another one-hit wonder, Geggy Tah! A song about the lighter side of driving in a whole lot of traffic. As a former Los Angeleno, the notion of being thankful to a fellow courteous driver speaks to me. And this song is so silly and hummable, how could I not include it as counterpoint to my self-serious notions about dystopias? Megalopolis living can be fun too!
And speaking of silly driving songs, how about one about an errant Guru? I love this song. I actually captured this from Harry Shearer's podcast Le Show several years ago. A live performance by a capella group The Bobs that is better than the studio versions I've heard. This is the first live recording on this mix, and not the last.
And we end the driving fun trilogy with one of the most misunderstood bands of the 20th century, my beloved Beach Boys. Yes, they made records about waves and girls and cars, but they also had Mister Brian Wilson on their team. I nearly included favorites such as "Sloop John B" and "In My Room" -- classics I have included on mix tapes since I was a teenager. I also considered the new version of Heroes and Villains from the Smile record Brian Wilson put out a few years ago. But I went with a simple song. The thing to note for me in this really simple song is the fun harmonies and the surf guitar lite.
This song also begins a bit of a California trend for me. It's my home state, and for the whole of the Bush Administration I pretty much considered my California citizenship more important than my US Citizenship.
And then there was Stew. I love me some Stew. I actually host Stew's blog and have for many years. The man is a genius. I have a few of his songs on here and they are great. Go listen to Stew, go listen to The Negro Problem, check out Passing Strange on netflix. This song is kind of silly and repetative, but I love the callouts to the East Hollywood Tourist Bureau, as though that were something that existed.
You should also know that Stew has pretty much renounced all the connections to Los Angeles, as L.A. never really embraced his work. It took going to New York to get a serious critical appraisal of his work out there. It saddens me, but I am so thankful I've seen Stew perform as many times as I have, as Stew, as The Cover Problem, and as The Negro Problem.
Speaking of L.A., here's X, a band that is as L.A. as L.A. can be. Boingo is kind of that too, but X really rocks. And this song is political, and sad, and can be read as a dystopian anthem, and holy crap the guitars kick my ass.
Bakersfield is a town 2 hours driving north of L.A. Now, Dwight Yoakam is a strange beast in terms of country music. He actually moved away from Nashville to get a country following. I love this song because it's so dark and so funny. Dwight did not write this song, but it's a great cover and one of my favorite songs.
And speaking of country, er, I mean rockabilly, aw hell, it's all just American Music, and this song is tight and fast and while I've never danced to it, I could see myself trying to jitterbug to it, and I think I could probably slamdance to it too. The Blasters are a great and unappreciated band, and were active in the same scene that X was active in. Different bands, but similar timeframe. I was also thinking of putting some Los Lobos, another band from L.A. on this mix.
And we end the California theme with the great Camper Van Beethoven. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" is such a great song. It's silly o course, but when I heard it for the first time, skinhead equalled "racist," so I always hear this song as a call to be compassionate and understanding of those who are intolerant and open their eyes to the fact that we can have a good time and free ourselves of the lesser angels of our nature.
They're from Japan, they sing about food, and they sing catchy, short songs. I nearly included something from Toshinobu Kubota, or something from a record of nothing but 1980s covers of Beatles songs by bands from Japan that sing their covers phonetically. I like Japanese culture, and Cibo Matto are charming.
Speaking of charming, this song is funny and earnest and, strangely, by a guy calling himself "Lightspeed Champion" from the UK. I never know what to make of him but it defies all my expectations and I love it.
I found this song several years ago as a featured thing on the SXSW website and it blew me away with how wonderful it was.
A true rarity. This is a song I heard in 1986 late, late at night on the radio in San Diego, and didn't hear again until about 4 years ago. It's a Beastie Boys song that clearly was never released because of the blatant sampling of The Beatles. I actually don't like "License to Ill" era Beastie Boys, it's just way too juvenile and willfully stoopid for me to take seriously. Paul's Boutique blew me away when I heard it for the first time. I nearly included "Hey Ladies" or "Shadrach" on this mix, but in the end I went for the rarest item of theirs in my library.
I also kind of like the way it trails off sounding like the old Batman tv show theme.
And we're back to stew and his wonderful wordplay and lovely voice. I also like the counterpoint with his partner Heidi Rodewald's voice here. And I also kind of like how it seems to have a country feel to it. I mean, this is an indie rocker from L.A. But I really dig it.
And now, the second live track. This is from a 2004 show I recently acquired by Stew. I put this online for a minute and Stew asked me to take it down. But I love the humor. In fact, it's barely a song, just a voice along with a harmonica. Again, the wordplay is what I really love. "if you choose to poke fun / of this country's racial tension / and sing of things / that nat cole king / was far too nice to mention." I considered putting a version of "Black Men Ski" in here, but you can find that recorded online a few places. You'll be glad you did.
I think I only found this song via Metafilter. I think the commercial this song was featured in got linked to, and I really liked the song. It's a faux-60s sound, done really well. It reminds me of some of Lenny Kravitz's early work where you really had the sense that this music had been lost for 20 years and recovered in the modern age. I don't know much about Jim Noir, but I love the innocence of the lyric and the beauty of the sound.
And speaking of beautiful sound, what a pure and beautiful rock and roll band The Everly Brothers were. I think this is the oldest song on this, from 1960. Astonishing that this song is 50 years old.
Like the Jim Noir track, here's a song that was made to sound like it's from a prior era. The Folksmen are of course a song from the mockumentary "A Mighty Wind." Now, the callbacks here for me are many: I always like the Devo cover of this song best, though I do love the Rolling Stones version as well. And the deep voice on this is Harry Shearer, whose radio show provided The Bobs song I included. I also like the subversion of the final "make a dead man cum" into a spiritual and peaceful "make a dead man kumbaya." Another of my original ideas was to include only songs with religious things. On that version I had "Slow Down Krishna", and I also had "Gunning For The Buddha" by Shriekback, "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" by Zappa, and "Jesus: The Missing Years" by John Prine, "Mohammed's Radio" by Warren Zevon and even MC 900 Foot Jesus' song, "Truth Is Out Of Style." But that's not the mix I ended up with.
Another cover, this by John Wesly Harding of a Roky Erickson song. I love the lyrics in this, and I really like JWH too. Erickson is another fascinating personage in rock. A guy with many ups and downs, including schizophrenia and resurgences. I don't know much about Erickson, but everything I've heard of his or covers of him have been interesting at the very least.
And our tale ends with a song written from the words of a fan to Matthew Sweet. I've always been a "fan" of music, idolizing musicians I appreciate. I totally get the mindset of the fan here. "Music is something / that I NEED."
Thanks for reading this, hope you enjoyed this.