Orange Claw Hammer
Contents
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
- 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?
Ahhhhhh!
- 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
- Frank Zappa - Guitar
- Captain Beefheart - Vocals
Records On Which This Song Has Appeared
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 .
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).
