On The Tundra

Taken from "Propeller" 1992

"On the tundra
We went under
We're going under now
On the tundra
We went to vicious places
Of dark and punished faces
Couldn't shake it
Or outgrow it
??Swung hells?? get open now
Don't we know it
Cause with my second guessing
The subject for the testing

Chorus: Look over our blunders
Our two-fisted wonders
The foxy wildest monster dial is
More peaceful than a human hammer
The great ??king tam?? transmissionaries
Evolving without (about) you
Dissolving without you
As you know
It's just too slow on the tundra

And then one day
Maybe today
We'll justify the joke
Make it our day
And blow the total savings
To satisfy our cravings"

Classic chugging early Guided By Voices with the sort of catchy tune that Bob can churn out whilst having a crap. A brilliant song. Fuzzy and warm.

14 Cheerleader Coldfront

Taken from "Propeller" 1992

"14 cheerleader cold front
put your nose beyond
creeping boys in alleys
(find them when your gone?)
stick close to locker rooms
and (waving clothes to wear?)
you will hold them dear
to something (queer and stare?)

16 used companions
have nowhere to stay
give them access to parking spaces
no coin meters there"

Perfection. Nothing else to say really.

Back to Saturn X Radio Report

Taken from "Propeller" 1992

Lyrics Unknown

A collection of snippets from songs from an abondoned project. Many of these songs crop up on "King Shit and The Golden Boys". Hard to comment on a mish-mash and bits of songs. Fun to play spot the song though.

Lethargy

Taken from "Propeller" 1992

"Are you happy, happy today?
Is your face, facemask on?
For the air is thick and the clouds are moving so slowly

There’s a book of instructions to the rusty time machine
that goes uloe
From really nowhere
I wish I could give a shit
Just a little bit
What’s the difference?
Hey lethargy, lethargy, lethargy, lethargy, lethargy, lethargy, lethargy"

A tribal drum and a moody vocal with a screeching feedback backing highlight this early GBV song. It has a sinsister snake like sound that wraps itself around your hearing centres. Bob screams out "Lethargy" over and over again and the song end.

Circus World

Taken from "Propeller" 1992.

"It's a storm,
Understand me,
They never will this,
All we do we do for you,
Shit gets old and demanding,
It never fails to amaze me,
When I see it all before me,
If I were a freak who self-destructs,
A ride for boys in monster trucks,
The painted sluts training monkey men,
I call to the door but they won't let me in,
And the human fly gets smashed again,
He mixes his blood with tonic and gin,
And I choke on the sheep stuck in the company of wolves,
As you raise up on your hind hooves,
Daylight breaks,
I see a face that used to cry,
Where were you then,
Somewhere off to yourself,
There's too many people involved in the game"

Going back to when Guided By Voices started to get noticed by those in the know and the press this is a slow and slightly lumbering track with pollard almost petulantly moaning out the lyrics. At this time GBV were just starting to find their feet musically and there is a nice little guitar flourish a couple of minutes in by Mitch Mitchell before the song song of slumps to its finish. Not one of my favourite songs off Propeller as it feels a bit half-arsed at times but not too bad.