This Here Giraffe - Flaming Lips

Artist: Flaming Lips
Song: This Here Giraffe
Year: 1995
Album: Clouds Taste Metallic

I saw the Flaming Lips at Lollapalooza in 1994, during their bubble machine phase. I was already a fan from their quirky hit "She Don't Use Jelly" and various appearances on odd television shows. That second stage show made me a believer. I was entranced by the band's earlier songs and I made it my goal to track down as much of their music as I possibly could.

The build up, for me anyway, to Clouds Taste Metallic was enormous. They had a song in the new Batman movie, which was on the album. Expectations were high. Then they all came crashing down. I'm not sure what the public expected from a quirky band, but this record wasn't it.

I was even disappointed with this album, when it initially came out. It lacked the style and familiarity of Transmissions From The Satellite Heart. Again, that was my first impression. After listening to Clouds Taste Metallic at various points over the years, I began to appreciate the subtleties of the album.

I began to move away from thinking of the album as "Bad Days" and a bunch of other songs to an album filled with solid material. "This Here Giraffe" is one of the songs that I couldn't wrap my brain around at the time. It's a song that slowly grows on you. After hearing the song a few times, you will find that the melody will seep into your brain at odd times. This seems like the sort of thing that the Flaming Lips would want.

Lyrics:
I saw this bird fly off his head
Without him ever lookin' up
This here giraffe was never caught complainin'
He wouldn't take skin off your back

And you hear yourself, thinking
And you hear yourself, thinking
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed

I saw this man stick out his neck
With his binoculars intact
He couldn't tell the right side of his brain
Just lost all interest in his left

And you feel yourself shrinkin'
And you feel yourself shrinkin'
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed

And you hear yourself
And you hear yourself
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed

Rock N' Roll McDonalds - Wesley Willis

Artist: Wesley Willis
Song: Rock N' Roll McDonalds
Year: 1995
Album: Greatest Hits Volume One

I am proud to say that I was born in the same city as Wesley Willis. Some people found him annoying. I found him to be an inspiration. Whenever I am stuck in the process of songwriting, I think of what Wesley Willis would have done. He had no filter on his lyrics. He wrote and released hundreds of songs before he died. Many were simple, but effective.

It didn't matter what the topic was. He was honest and funny, I think without even realizing it. I love an artist who can approach music without boundaries. Whether it was calling Batman an asshole or playing a minute and a half fill button solo, he was truly an original.

Wesley was an outsider artist. Many of his drawing have been used on his album releases. All of this and more made him endearing as an artist. The majority of his songs would end with the phrase, "Rock over London, rock on Chicago" and then end in any number of advertising slogans. He was a simplistic visionary who wrote about what he saw.

"Rock N' Roll McDonalds" is probably his best known song. It throws in grains of truth about the dangers of McDonalds burgers and promotes the Rock N' Roll McDonalds in downtown Chicago.
Rock over London.
Rock on Chicago.
McDonald's, You deserve a break today.

Lyrics:
McDonalds is a place to rock
It is a place where they buy food to eat
It is a good place to listen to the music
People flock here to listen to the rock music

Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds

McDonalds will make you fat
They serve Big Macs
They serve quater pounders
They will put pounds on you

Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds

McDonalds hamburgers are the worst
They are worse than Burger King
A Big Mac has 26 grams of fat
A quarter pounder has 28 grams of fat

Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds
Rock and Roll McDonalds

Rock on in London
Rock on Chicago
Wheaties, breakfast of champions

Kitty - The Presidents Of The United States Of America

Artist: The Presidents Of The United States Of America
Song: Kitty
Year: 1995
Album: The Presidents Of The United States Of America

The band's name is a mouthful, but the music is poppy and sublime. Fans usually call them PUSA for short. After a hugely successful single, "Lump", fans rediscovered this single that was released shortly before. When "Lump" shot up the charts, people were looking for anything that would satisfy their blood lust for PUSA. So, naturally, they turned to other tracks on the debut album and anything that was released prior.

"Kitty" is a piece of pure pop gold. It doesn't get nearly as much credit as "Lump" or "Peaches" gets. If you stretch your imagination, "Kitty" could be about anything. On the surface, it's about an outside cat and its owner. Although, many people think it's about an unfaithful girlfriend. I tend to be more optimistic and take the lyrics at face value for this one.

I was a huge PUSA fan in the mid nineties. I thought all of their songs were well crafted and catchy. I still listen to most of the songs today. They seem to be a band with a sense of humor and good nature. I would call them a grunge band with "Weird Al" Yankovic tendencies. I can remember my friends shout in the line about the kitty spending the night outside. If nothing else, I'll hang on to that memory for the rest of my life.

Lyrics:
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow

Meow, meow
Meow, meow

Little bag of bones been out all night
Little bag of bones been out all night
Can you hear him, scratchin' at the screen door
Can you hear him, scratchin' at the screen door
Little bag of bones been out all night

He needs some pettin' and lovin' on his head
He needs some pettin' and lovin' on his rain-soaked hide
He's circlin' around my ankle
He's circlin' around my ankle
He needs some pettin' and lovin' on his hide
Hey Kitty won't you come inside

Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it

Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I want to touch it

Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow

Meow, meow
Meow, meow

Pussy purrin' and lookin' so satisfied
Pussy purrin' and lookin' so satisfied
I'm Lost in his little yellow round eye
Lost in his little yellow round eye
Pussy purrin' and lookin' so satisfied

Kitty rear up and scratch me through my jeans
Kitty rear up and scratch me through my jeans
Fuck you, Kitty you're gonna to spend the night
Fuck you, Kitty you're gonna to spend the night
Fuck you, Kitty you're gonna to spend the night outside

Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it

Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I wanna touch it
Kitty at my foot and I want to touch it

Touch it, I want to touch it
I wanna touch it, I wanna touch it
I wanna touch it, wanna touch it
I wanna touch it

Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty touch it
Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty touch it
Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty touch it
Kitty at my foot and I want to touch it

Long Road - Pearl Jam

Artist: Pearl Jam
Song: Long Road
Year: 1995
Album: B side of Merkinball single

I remember being anxious when this song came out. Pearl Jam just aborted most of it's touring plans because of Ticketmaster. They were going to alternate venues, usually in out of the way places. This made getting to a show difficult. Since there were so few dates (and sporadic at that), tickets sold out within minutes. I didn't see them until 1998.

I was hooked into the A side of the Merkinball single, which is "I Got Id". That was the radio song. At this point, Pearl Jam could release a single of cat screeches and random noises and it would go gold, but they left that type of experimenting to their deep album tracks.

This version of "Long Road" took me by surprise. Pearl Jam recorded it with Neil Young during the same sessions that produced Neil's Mirrorball album. This song gave a preview of what the next album would be like. It was soft and mellow and something you could either veg to or contemplate the meaning of life.

"Long Road" is beautifully crafted and is both downtrodden and optimistic at the same time. They have used this as a rotating set opener since 1995.

Lyrics:
And I wished for so long. Cannot stay.
All the precious moments. Cannot stay.
It's not like wings have fallen. Cannot stay.
But still something's missing. I cannot say, yeah.

Holding hands are daughters and sons.
And their faiths are falling down, down, down, down.
I have wished for so long.
How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road? (the long road) Cannot stay. (the long road)
There's no need to say goodbye. (to say goodbye)
All the friends and family.
All the memories going round, round, round, round.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.

And the wind keeps roaring. And the sky keeps turning grey.
And the sun is set. The sun will rise another day.
I...
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road? Will I walk the long road?
We all walk the long road. Will I walk the long road?
We all walk the long road. Will I walk the long road?