Difference between revisions of "Orange Claw Hammer"

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__NOTOC__
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==Lyrics==  
 
==Lyrics==  
 
'''Preamble:'''<br>
 
'''Preamble:'''<br>
 +
 
FZ: "What ya got there Don...?"<br>
 
FZ: "What ya got there Don...?"<br>
 
CB: "'''Um... just a... uh the lyrics of ...uh... those albums...''"<br>
 
CB: "'''Um... just a... uh the lyrics of ...uh... those albums...''"<br>
FZ: "What's that...? From the Trout Mask album?"<br>
+
FZ: "What's that...? From the [[Trout Mask Replica|Trout Mask]] album?"<br>
 
CB: "''Yeah... 'n Lick My Decals...''"<br>
 
CB: "''Yeah... 'n Lick My Decals...''"<br>
 
FZ: "Why don't you ah... Do you wanna do a version of Orange Claw Hammer, live, in the studio...?"<br>
 
FZ: "Why don't you ah... Do you wanna do a version of Orange Claw Hammer, live, in the studio...?"<br>
Line 9: Line 12:
  
 
'''The song:'''<br>
 
'''The song:'''<br>
Thick cloud caught
+
 
:a Piper Cub's tail<br>
+
Thick cloud caught<br>
 +
a Piper Cub's tail<br>
 
A match struck blue<br>
 
A match struck blue<br>
:on a railroad rail<br><br>
+
on a railroad rail<br>
  
 
The old puff horse<br>
 
The old puff horse<br>
:was just pullin' thru<br>
+
was just pullin' thru<br>
 
'N uh' man wore<br>
 
'N uh' man wore<br>
:a peg-leg, forever<br><br>
+
a peg-leg, forever<br>
  
I'm on the bum<br>  
+
I'm on the bum<br>
:where the hobos run<br>
+
where the hobos run<br>
 
The air breaks<br>
 
The air breaks<br>
:with filthy chatter<br><br>
+
with filthy chatter<br>
  
 
Oh, I don't care<br>
 
Oh, I don't care<br>
:there's no place there<br>
+
there's no place there<br>
 
I don't think<br>
 
I don't think<br>
:it even matters<br><br>
+
it even matters<br>
  
 
My skin's blazin' thru<br>
 
My skin's blazin' thru<br>
:an' my clothes, in tatters<br>
+
an' my clothes, in tatters<br>
 
An' the railroad looked like a 'Y'<br>
 
An' the railroad looked like a 'Y'<br>
:up the hill, of ladders<br><br>
+
up the hill, of ladders<br>
  
 
One shoe fell on the gravel<br>
 
One shoe fell on the gravel<br>
:one stick poked down<br>
+
one stick poked down<br>
 
An' grey of age fell down<br>
 
An' grey of age fell down<br>
:on a pair of ears<br><br>
+
on a pair of ears<br>
  
 
An eagle shined thru my hole<br>
 
An eagle shined thru my hole<br>
:...watch-pocket<br><br>
+
...watch-pocket<br>
  
 
Gingham girl, baby girl<br>
 
Gingham girl, baby girl<br>
:passed me by, in tears<br>
+
passed me by, in tears<br>
 
An' a jack rabbit raised<br>
 
An' a jack rabbit raised<br>
::his folded ears<br><br>
+
his folded ears<br>
  
 
A beautiful, sage-brush<br>
 
A beautiful, sage-brush<br>
:...Jack rabbit<br><br>
+
...Jack rabbit<br>
  
 
An' an oriole sang like an orange<br>
 
An' an oriole sang like an orange<br>
:his breast full o' worms<br>
+
his breast full o' worms<br>
 
An' his tail clawed the evenin'<br>
 
An' his tail clawed the evenin'<br>
:like a hammer-rrrrr...<br><br>
+
like a hammer-rrrrr...<br>
  
 
An' his wings took t' air<br>
 
An' his wings took t' air<br>
:like a bomber-rrrrr!...<br>
+
like a bomber-rrrrr!...<br>
 
My rain-can caught me<br>
 
My rain-can caught me<br>
:a cup o' water-rrrrr...<br><br>
+
a cup o' water-rrrrr...<br>
  
 
When I got into town<br>
 
When I got into town<br>
:odd jobs Mam?<br>
+
odd jobs Mam?<br>
Ahhhhhh!<br>
+
Aaahhhhhh!<br>
:your horse, I'll fodder<br><br>
+
your horse, I'll fodder<br>
  
 
I'm the round-house man<br>
 
I'm the round-house man<br>
:I once... was ya' father<br><br>
+
I once... was ya' father<br>
  
 
Little up t' road<br>
 
Little up t' road<br>
:a candy-striped barber pole<br>
+
a candy-striped barber pole<br>
 
An' above it read a sign,<br>
 
An' above it read a sign,<br>
:'Painless Parker-rrrrr'...<br><br>
+
'Painless Parker-rrrrr'...<br>
  
 
Licorice twisted around,<br>
 
Licorice twisted around,<br>
:under a fly<br>
+
under a fly<br>
 
An' a youngster<br>
 
An' a youngster<br>
:cocked her eye<br><br>
+
cocked her eye<br>
  
God before me,<br>
+
God! Before me,<br>
:if I'm not crazy?...<br>
+
if I'm not crazy?...<br>
 
Is my<br>
 
Is my<br>
:daughter-rrrrr...<br><br>
+
daughter-rrrrr...<br>
  
Come little one,<br>
+
Come, little one,<br>
:with yer little<br>
+
with yer little<br>
 
Dimpled fingers,<br>
 
Dimpled fingers,<br>
:gimme one<br><br>
+
gimme one<br>
  
 
An' I'll buy you...uhhh...<br>
 
An' I'll buy you...uhhh...<br>
:a cherry phosphate<br>
+
a cherry phosphate<br>
 
Take you down t' the foamin'<br>
 
Take you down t' the foamin'<br>
:brine 'n water-rrrrr...<br><br>
+
brine 'n water-rrrrr...<br>
  
 
An' show you the wooden tits!<br>
 
An' show you the wooden tits!<br>
:on the Goddess!<br>
+
on the Goddess!<br>
 
With the pole out...<br>
 
With the pole out...<br>
:...full sail!...<br><br>
+
...full sail!...<br>
  
 
That tempted away<br>
 
That tempted away<br>
:ya' peg-legged father<br><br>
+
ya' peg-legged father<br>
  
 
I was shanghied<br>
 
I was shanghied<br>
:by a high-hat<br>
+
by a high-hat,<br>
Beaver-moustache man<br>
+
Beaver-moustache man...<br>
:an' his pirate friend<br><br>
+
an' his pirate friend<br>
  
 
I woke up in vomit 'n beer<br>
 
I woke up in vomit 'n beer<br>
:in a banana bin<br>
+
in a banana bin<br>
 
An' a soft lass<br>
 
An' a soft lass<br>
:with brown skin...<br><br>
+
with brown skin...<br>
  
 
Bore me seven babies<br>
 
Bore me seven babies<br>
:with snappin black eyes<br>
+
with snappin black eyes<br>
 
An' beautiful<br>
 
An' beautiful<br>
:ebony skin<br><br>
+
ebony skin<br>
  
 
An' here it is, I'm with you,<br>
 
An' here it is, I'm with you,<br>
:my daughter-rrrrr...<br>
+
my daughter-rrrrr...<br>
 +
 
 
Thirty years away<br>
 
Thirty years away<br>
:can make a seaman's eyes...<br><br>
+
can make a seaman's eyes...<br>
 +
A round-house man's eyes...<br>
 +
...flow out!...<br>
  
A round-house man's eyes...<br>
 
:...flow out!...<br>
 
 
Salt water-rrrrr!...<br>
 
Salt water-rrrrr!...<br>
:salt water-rrrrr...<br>
 
  
 +
Salt water-rrrrr...<br>
  
 
==Players On This Song==  
 
==Players On This Song==  
Line 131: Line 136:
 
*[[Captain Beefheart]] - Vocals
 
*[[Captain Beefheart]] - Vocals
 
==Records On Which This Song Has Appeared==  
 
==Records On Which This Song Has Appeared==  
*[[Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982]]
+
*[[Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982]] (A Beefheart compilation)
 
*[[An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart]]
 
*[[An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart]]
  
 
==Notes About This Song==
 
==Notes About This Song==
In 1975 Zappa and Captain Beefheart recorded a KWST radio show for syndication. During the recording they played this [[Orange Claw Hammer]] with Zappa on acoustic guitar, accompanying Beefheart's vocals .<br>
+
In 1975 Zappa and Captain Beefheart recorded a KWST radio show for syndication, which can be heard in its entirety on [[An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart]]. During the recording they played ''"Orange Claw Hammer"'', a song that originally appeared on ''[[Trout Mask Replica]],'' but without instrumental accompaniment. During the radio recording Beefheart sang the song, while Zappa accompanied him on guitar.
[[Orange Claw Hammer]] first appeared as a song written by Captain Beefheart,  backed by his [[Magic Band]], on the album [[Trout Mask Replica]]; Side 4, Track 1 (in which the lyrics and vocal intonations differ from this version).
 
  
 
==CC Clues In This Song==  
 
==CC Clues In This Song==  
 +
  
 
[[Category:Tracks]]
 
[[Category:Tracks]]

Latest revision as of 07:37, 15 December 2021


Lyrics

Preamble:

FZ: "What ya got there Don...?"
CB: "'Um... just a... uh the lyrics of ...uh... those albums..."
FZ: "What's that...? From the Trout Mask album?"
CB: "Yeah... 'n Lick My Decals..."
FZ: "Why don't you ah... Do you wanna do a version of Orange Claw Hammer, live, in the studio...?"
CB: "Uh, yeah..."

The song:

Thick cloud caught
a Piper Cub's tail
A match struck blue
on a railroad rail

The old puff horse
was just pullin' thru
'N uh' man wore
a peg-leg, forever

I'm on the bum
where the hobos run
The air breaks
with filthy chatter

Oh, I don't care
there's no place there
I don't think
it even matters

My skin's blazin' thru
an' my clothes, in tatters
An' the railroad looked like a 'Y'
up the hill, of ladders

One shoe fell on the gravel
one stick poked down
An' grey of age fell down
on a pair of ears

An eagle shined thru my hole
...watch-pocket

Gingham girl, baby girl
passed me by, in tears
An' a jack rabbit raised
his folded ears

A beautiful, sage-brush
...Jack rabbit

An' an oriole sang like an orange
his breast full o' worms
An' his tail clawed the evenin'
like a hammer-rrrrr...

An' his wings took t' air
like a bomber-rrrrr!...
My rain-can caught me
a cup o' water-rrrrr...

When I got into town
odd jobs Mam?
Aaahhhhhh!
your horse, I'll fodder

I'm the round-house man
I once... was ya' father

Little up t' road
a candy-striped barber pole
An' above it read a sign,
'Painless Parker-rrrrr'...

Licorice twisted around,
under a fly
An' a youngster
cocked her eye

God! Before me,
if I'm not crazy?...
Is my
daughter-rrrrr...

Come, little one,
with yer little
Dimpled fingers,
gimme one

An' I'll buy you...uhhh...
a cherry phosphate
Take you down t' the foamin'
brine 'n water-rrrrr...

An' show you the wooden tits!
on the Goddess!
With the pole out...
...full sail!...

That tempted away
ya' peg-legged father

I was shanghied
by a high-hat,
Beaver-moustache man...
an' his pirate friend

I woke up in vomit 'n beer
in a banana bin
An' a soft lass
with brown skin...

Bore me seven babies
with snappin black eyes
An' beautiful
ebony skin

An' here it is, I'm with you,
my daughter-rrrrr...

Thirty years away
can make a seaman's eyes...
A round-house man's eyes...
...flow out!...

Salt water-rrrrr!...

Salt water-rrrrr...

Players On This Song

Records On Which This Song Has Appeared

Notes About This Song

In 1975 Zappa and Captain Beefheart recorded a KWST radio show for syndication, which can be heard in its entirety on An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart. During the recording they played "Orange Claw Hammer", a song that originally appeared on Trout Mask Replica, but without instrumental accompaniment. During the radio recording Beefheart sang the song, while Zappa accompanied him on guitar.

CC Clues In This Song