How Can You?

Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005

Lyrics Unknown

A nursery rhyme strummer from Bobs early lost catalogue. Another great throwaway song from the Pollardmiester. Good song.

Sing it Out

Taken from "Suitcase 1" 2003

"Came into town just to sing it out
Let the children play
Help them on their way
Save them
Took a turn with a temperature drop
Now I wanna go
Don't like driving in the snow
And when you call him
Will he be happy
I don't think so
Got a girl in trouble
Get him out on the double
Now when she close to be a good woman
Will you care to follow
Where next will you go?
Though your ??? will know
Sing it out"

The tune in this song has imbedded itself inside my brain for the last couple of years and always crops up on my iPod on random play. Its very infectious and catchy with a sad little middle section but overall a fanstastic minute of Pollard magic.

Man Called Aerodynamics

Taken from "Under The Bushes Under The Stars" 1996

"Find deep within your memory coat
a cricket bag you ate from
it's sweet smiling apology acceptance awaits you
don't be afraid to cherish it
look it up in the book mobile
look it up in the gun rack
in the magazine rack
or the map!
for it is only after the fence comes down
that the cartoon bubble explodes
and the new party begins
invitation only - still in a senator's suitcase
let them out and dance for the ant god
like scary magnets to pounce upon command
upon the man
the man called aerodynamics"

A rhythm like a racing train and a wall of sound approach to this GBV classic. Though this song isnt of transitional structure and doesn't really go many places its still great. I'm still not sure which my favourite GBV album is, Bee Thousand? Alien Lanes? Under The Bushes? All 3 are packed with fantastic songs.

Run Son Run

Taken from "Fiction Man" 2004

"Horizon prizes
And arrow noses
Bad practice attracts
Like axis magnets

Well then run son run
run son run
run son run
Get back up to run, son

Freeze me up
From going down the stomach pump
Can't spit me
Far enough to trust me

Well then run son run
run son run
run son run
Get back up to run, son

It's how to chase you, son
It's how to make you run"

A very upbeat and uplifting song from the often overlooked Fiction Man album. Sometimes the percussion on this song feels like its about to collapse but the whole thing just manages to hold together. I would imagine this song would go down well at an Indie club in a Sebadoh rockathon type way. Cool.

Queen Of Cans And Jars

Taken from "Bee Thousand" 1994

"To see the light and try but failed
On jagged seas that can't be sailed
And sought to lead but always trailed
Asked questions anyway

And all around the breeding grounds
The nymphos sweetly played
The queen of cans and jars will keep them safe

To be so keen on global trend
To be so tight on how and when
To scratch and claw until the end
To work for each new day

And all around the hunting ground
The dead were on display
The queen of cans and jars will keep them safe"

A stone cold Guided By Voices classic. That riff. That sound. That voice. I remember hearing this song for the first time as a first time Guided By Voices listener and being blown how amazing and how different this was. I couldnt tell if GBV made it up as they went along, how many singers were in the band (due to Bobs differing styles) and what the hell was going on. Turn this on, turn it up and nod yer head!

7 Strokes To Heaven's Edge

Taken from "Delicious Pie And Thank You For Calling" 2003

"3,4

Mother, mother it's just not fair
We were so close to death
When the snakes were at your breast
We almost took the pledge
We were seven strokes from the cliffs of heaven's edge

Mighty pillars of shaky dirt
Conceived and planned in an office
We had the power to break the spell
We had the knowledge, we just couldn't tell, oh

Mother, mother it's just not fair
We were so close to death
When the snakes were at your breast
We almost took the pledge
We were seven strokes from the cliffs of heaven's edge

You want to know practical answers
Learn something old everyday
Wish hard and hope that the dead walk the cave
Like fossil fuel in the wheelchair relays

Mother, mother it's just not fair
We were so close to death
When the snakes were at your breast
We almost took the pledge
We were seven strokes from the cliffs of heaven's edge"

A very Mersey beat type early GBV. Its amazing how much Bobs voice has changed over the years. A nice song. A simple song. But a good song.

Systems Crash

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Systems crash, systems crash

Systems crash the universe
All emotions are flying
Systems crash the universe
All the systems are dying

Are you watching us watch you?
Are you, are you watching us watch you?
Are you watching us watch you?
Are you watching over black screen?
Are you writing her the blank page?
All the systems are dying

Systems crash the universe
All emotions are flying
Systems crash the universe
All the systems are dying

Falling all over the globe
Falling all over the globe
Falling all over the globe"

A very odd and ramshackle start and then an at-odd-with-itself melody. This song teeters on the edge of being totally out of tune but just hands on with its tiny fingernails. A quite catchy chorus but not a GBV classic.

Saved Herself, Shaved Herself

Taken from "The Harold Pig Memorial" 2002

"Leaving the location
A brave signal is breaking up
Watch / Now / Go
To the hidden source
Of this redemption
Back to what it takes
A minor fire brushing clean mirrors
Clear beyond belief
Spot angel trails and a banger of nails
All that it takes is a back and a rake

Saved herself
Shaved herself

And the impulse is shocking
Any kind will do
Any time I'm comin' through

Saved herself
Shaved herself"

There is something very seedy about the title of this Circus Devils song. A quite melodic and spaced out song with some breezy guitar and keyboards. Good song song that isn't as dark and wilfully odd as many Circus Devils tracks.

Soul Barn

Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005

Lyrics Unknown.

A real garage fuzz fest for another song from Suitcase 2 and another song to feature Soul in the title. Who said guys from Dayton, Ohio don't have Soul. Bobs got 11 songs of Soul. This song is from Guided By Voices early days I think as RPs vocals are very different from his Classic Era GBV and his deeper and odder later solo years.

I'll Buy You A Bird

Taken from "Bee Thousand (Directors Cut)" 1994

"I heard you what the problem is
I didn't hear you both
You're coming through
Like weird electric jive
Bumming your role
I'm playing your role
Will you love me come Saturday
Yeah I know it's too hard to plan it
And will the attachment stay attached
Until destroyed by a match
Watch it burn a light in the night
Watch it burn a light in the night
Fire cleanses a soul
Fire cleanses a spirit
But I don't wanna hear it
Through a box with wires
I wanna taste it with my own two eyes
Burn baby burn
Burn baby burn baby burn baby burn"

Very Beatles sounding psychedelic acoustic number from Class era Bob and Guided By Voices. Many parts of this song metamorphoses into other songs through Bobs career. Burn Baby Burn, Now whats that from?

One Clear Minute

Taken from "Not In My Airforce" 1996

"Everytime she sings when she goes away
Why does she sing to me of Monterey?
Offering a piece of her heaven to me up there

Once she went astray long enough to play
Promised to return - later run away
Of course it has to be a lesson for me again

It comes out to slow - what I wanna say
One clear minute shows that it goes away
Happening so quickly and strangely to me"

Is that the tink of a spoon a wine glass? A strange and naeive melody where two different Bobs seem to be making up the words but slightly differently. Very odd but oddly affecting

If You Think It's Easy

Taken from "Suitcase 2" 2005

Lyrics Unknown

A very 70s sounding acoustic number that reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel or some of the work of Nancy Wilson recently. Some strange vocals from Bob but would sit nice on the "Almost Famous" soundtrack.

Why Did You Land?

Taken from "Demons and Painkillers" 2003

"Standing around
Hoping everything works out
Cause I want them all to work out
You were always so in love with the truth
Why did you change?
Why did you land?

Look at the photograph
Nothing is real
Spend another lonely life
With nothing to feel

Was it something
In the stories everyone told you
You needn't heed them
Maybe you should read them
Go back to where you came from
Why did you land?
You couldn't stayed in flight forever

Look at the photograph
Nothing is real
Spend another lonely life
With nothing to feel

Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?
Why did you land?"

The second time this track has cropped up on "A Pollard A Day", this time the Demons and Painkillers version. This version is a quicker and more uptempo version and always a live favourite. A great song. Very "Alien Lanes". Kick the air to the Chorus!

Wickerman Smile

Taken from "Silverfish Trivia" 2007

"You'd be check out
The serious nature
Of your creations

You'd better wipe off
The serious nature
Of your wickerman smile

Of your white washed hand
Of your self fulfilling prophecy

Of your dirty white hands
Of your dirty white walls

You'd better throw out
Your serious nature
And your accusations

Moving dangerously close
To the truth

Bitten by a torch
Of the truth

Bitten by a torch

To your wickerman smile"

Just Bob, A keyboard and strummed guitar. Classic sounding Bob. A simple but very effective song from the great "Silverfish Trivia" EP where Bob seem to mellow out and just chill. Great. But you've heard that before.