What’s the oddest song in your playlist today? Bongwater, an indie band formed in 1985, released four albums and a debut EP before breaking up seven years later over financial issues. The band consists of Ann Manuson, a performance artist, nightclub performer and actress most known for her role in the 1985 film “Desperately Seeking Susan”, and Mark Kramar, a member of an assortment of bands including Butthole Surfers and Ween, also having produced several artists such as Galaxie 500, Low, GWAR, and Daniel Johnston under his now bankrupt Shimmy-Disc label.
Psychedelic Sewing Room is a trippy tune with spoken word that tells a peculiar story of corporate imagery, betrayed business partners, and a tiny female reincarnation of Christ (making for an appropriately titled song…and band name). The first time I listened to this track, it brought to mind the spoken word of Miho Hatari (from Cibo Matto) in Handsome Boy Modeling School’s “Metaphysical”, another far out track that’s worth a listen.
Bongwater - Psychedelic Sewing Room
from Too Much Sleep, 1989
Bongwater - Psychedelic Sewing Room Lyrics (starting at 2:47)
In the psychedelic sewing room.
One side of the room is filled with Disney icons.
Donald Ducks, Mickey t-shirts, Peter Pan figurines…
All with the official Disney tag of approval hanging from them.
The other side of the room sells expensive jewelry.
Watches, pearls, gold chains, rings.
I pick up two miniature leather wallets that open up in several sections.
Embossed in gold on the front are two men’s names,
linked together in corporate matrimony.
They are partners in a very high powered (?) conglomerate and I am told by the salesman that they have been buddies since childhood.
They loved each other like brothers.
The brothers they never had.
Except recently there has been financial trouble within the firm and each are accusing the other of double crossing them.
Bringing ruin upon the business.
So each man has had the other wallet engraved with insults.
Etched into the expensive leather:
To John, a two-timing scum bag.
To Bill, the viper.
On one of the display cases sits a (?).
A low shallow basin tech container designed for Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging.
The (?) is filled with water and inside is a tiny women dressed in a brown Monk’s rob.
She tells us that she is the second incarnation of Christ.
She is furiously scrubbing a pair of natural ceramic feet with a wire brush.
The vigorous brushing turns the feet to brilliant shimmering brass.
As she brushes she begins to disappear, and she and the feet dissolve into thin air.
The water in the (?) slowly turns bloody.
The water soon becomes pink and two roses appear.
Everyone looks at the roses and they begin to cry….
“Russell was prolific, but was also notorious for leaving songs unfinished and continually revising his music. Ernie Brooks said that Russell “never arrived at a completed version of anything,” while Peter Gordon stated, “his quest wasn’t really to do a finished product but more to do with exploring his different ways of working musically.” He left behind more than 1,000 tapes when he died, 40 of them different mixes of one song.” -Wikipedia
One tiny, tiny move. It’s all I need and I jump over. Every step is moving me up.
Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk on the Moon
from Another Thought, 1994
(Fan Made Video)
Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk on the Moon Lyrics
Each step is moving, it’s moving me up.
Moving, it’s moving me up
Every step is moving me up.
I’m moving me up.
Moving, moving me up.
Every step is moving me up.
Each step is moving, moving me up.
Moving me up.
One tiny, tiny, tiny move.
It’s all I need and I jump over.
Every step is moving me up.
It’s moving me up. Moving, it’s moving me up.
Each step is moving, moving, moving me up.
Every step is moving me up.
This is how we walk on the moon.
This is how we walk on the moon.
This is how we walk on the moon.
It’s moving me up. Moving, it’s moving me up.
Each step is moving, moving, moving me up.
Every step is moving me up.
I’m so far away.
One moment there.
One moment there.
Moving me up.
Every step is moving me up.
One moment there.
One tiny, tiny move.
It’s all I need and I jump over.
Conor Oberst is an amazing singer/songwriter, my favorite, but credit for these lyrics go to the lead singer of The Album Leaf, Jimmy LaVelle. He wrote the song for Oberst to sing and it was released in a series limited to a thousand copies, only available to subscribers. And…it’s awesome.
Bright Eyes and The Album Leaf - Hungry for a Holiday Lyrics
The indecencies of city streets.
The cleaners’ sweeping trucks from nine to noon.
And the factories make clouds to keep the sun from being jealous like the moon.
While the husband holds his house he hates his children for being green when he is gray.
And his wife, she likes to talk on telephones but just to people far away.
Well, the big surprise was televised on a crowded couch their eyes grew wide and wet.
Oh, was it really such a sad event?
You could capture this with camera clips, but it don’t exist just light on negatives. Another number on the birthday cake.
You should act your age.
We were hungry for a holiday won’t cooperate with the calendar we found. Just scattered snow-like Styrofoam and sang our Christmas carols all through town.
And the voices soared.
The people joined with silver coins they filled our cupping hands, hands, hands.
And we all agreed, the charity was much in need.
Yes, a noble cause at that.
And I met a man, a mannequin who stood so still I knew he was afraid.
And he preferred a place of permanence to the awful guessing game of choice and change.
Well, the big surprise was televised on a crowded couch our eyes grew wide and wet.
Oh yes, it’s really such a sad event
You can’t capture this with camera clips.
No, it don’t exist just light on negatives.
Another candle on a birthday cake.
And a wish you make.
Well, if the costume fits, keep wearing it but no Halloween could quite account for this.
I guess you’re getting into character.
Or just be yourself, if that would help or sink completely into someone else.
You dreamt of mountains but sometimes a hole, is more comfortable.
My favorite song/video combination starring false teeth, an old man headed turtle and dancing sheet ghosts. Love it.
AFOM and I started to write out some ghost tips, in case we ever get outside ourselves, but only came up with one before we were distracted. Ghost Tip: If you feel tempted to come back for a visit, don’t. People will scream at you!
That boy needs therapy. Psychosomatic! That boy needs therapy. Purely Psychosomatic! That boy needs therapy. Lie down on the couch! What does that mean?
The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
from Since I Left You, 2000
(Album composed almost entirely of samples from old records, films, and TV shows.)
The Man Who Sold The World - Lyrics
We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when.
Although I wasn’t there, he said I was his friend.
Which came as some surprise, I spoke into his eyes- I thought you died alone, a long long time ago.
Oh no, not me.
I never lost control.
You’re face to face,
with The Man Who Sold The World.
I laughed and shook his hand, and made my way back home.
I searched for form and land, for years and years I roamed.
I gazed a gazely stare at all the millions here. We must have died alone, a long long time ago.
Who knows? Not me.
We never lost control.
You’re face to face,
with the Man who Sold the World.
