2006 - (A) Senile Animal

[flamingbalsac]

the one line that everyone so far has gotten wrong is

It's easy to sing but you just keep on humming along.

i'm almost 100% sure thats the line and i'm suprised everybody seems to thing its "see" rather than "sing" and i have no idea where you people got "loving alone"

[Idlehanz]

this is why i dont buy albums anymore

I don't understand.  This makes no sense..

[Androol]

this is why i dont buy albums anymore

I don't understand.  This makes no sense..

Im not sure if someones post above me was deleted but I think this was in reference to not all of the lyrics being included

[Eponymous]

this is why i dont buy albums anymore

I don't understand.  This makes no sense..

Im not sure if someones post above me was deleted but I think this was in reference to not all of the lyrics being included

You were only buying albums for the lyrics?

[the ether bunny]

A History of Bad Men what I hear...


How many BONES do you suppose they're keeping?
Don't make a sound they're not dead, just sleeping



makes a whole-lotta-sense to me!!!

agreed. its what ive aways heard. always made the most sense.

[Mikey2012]

Civilized worm.

I think that debated last verse is.

"Fortune's to be home, believe it, Believe it!"

and the other part is

"Set sail and hide your handywork, alive your going home"

[Mikey2012]

My bad, just talked to them last night at the blank club in san jose.

straight from the horses mouth.

"Fortune to behold"


They confirmed the other part was right though.

[Mikey2012]

Also brian told me they say "how many moans do you suppose their keeping" in history of bad men.

[Green Honey]

http://www.themelvins.net/wiki/index.php?title=(A)_Senile_Animal

[Dumpster D]

What I recently read in an interview with Buzz is that he's written one about Courtney love?
I still am guessing...you want to spoon feed me a little insight here?

maybe give me a little hint?

[pemmican]

Hi. Pemmican here, new to the Melvins board. Some of you may know me from the Nomeansno board; I am, indeed, the same Pemmican. I have only just today discovered that the Melvins delightfully crypto-fascist (or at least obscurantist?) lyrical practices have spawned a forum all on their own... tho' really, how could they not?

I must weigh in on "A History Of Bad Men" BECAUSE I hear something completely different from the rest of you. Where apparently every other Melvins fan hears them sing "Dire/ dire/ dire it's bleeding" (or "fleeting/ fleeding") I hear, "Gaia is bleeding."

Y'all know "gaia," right? I mean, I like that reading a lot more than "dire," for philosophical reasons... but I can't say I'm 100% sure on it. I don't suppose King Buzzo ever visits this forum and hands out prizes for correct decryption? Has he made any particularly revealing public statements about the band's decision not to provide lyric sheets?

I will attempt my own full transcription of "A History Of Bad Men" this evening and see what results.

Meetcha,
P.

[GrimReaper]

Gaia would make sense today with the Gulf of Mexico leaking.

But it wasn't leaking in 2008.

[GrimReaper]

Gaia would make sense today with the Gulf of Mexico leaking.

But it wasn't leaking in 2006.

Fixed.

[pemmican]

Gaia has been bleeding for years...

P.

[Yanayaya]

I'm probably wrong on some, if not a lot, of this... but it's what I'm hearing, so...

The Talking Horse
The golden talking equine god
Speaks nothing to me
The nature of the burning bee
Means nothing to no way

The burning talking nowhere near
Means nothing to me
The golden talking equine god
Means nothing to no way


Blood Witch
Right in the blood
Mabye it's alive
Cuz it's loaded

Worse on their own
Bottom of the world
But they mean it

Nothing will be worse
We have learned to think
Cuz it might be

The nows and the needs
How will we breathe
And we like it


Civilized Worm
We move more than I would like to gamble
I came with my poor four eyes
Crawling, weakly, wanting
My Favorite, come and lie here
Under my bed, or deep under my fingers

With all my hands and knees in times of winding
Wee night, it's only when we civilize that worm
For ?????? time we needed
What secret of your knowing Is the beginning

Far chance to be home (or behold)
Believe it, Believe it
His widow's nest his growing cold, cold, cold
Set sail and hide your handywork and lies
You're going home
(x2)

Wait! Wait!
Wait! Wait!

Far chance to be home
Believe it, Believe it
His widow's nest his growing cold, cold, cold
Set sail and hide your handywork and lies
You're going home


A History of Drunks
She helped remove the bullets from my leg
She took the blade, and dug them out while I lay screaming
She showed me bloody things and held them in her hand
And said that these were hers, and put them in my pocket

I begged her, shoot me in the head
She took my gun and shot my leg instead
The way she held my gun and looked at me with rage
And told me everything was okay if I survived

And now she stays with me. It's crazy, but she's mine
She tells me I'm insane, because she doesn't mind
She wasn't killing me, she left me here to die
and all the ways to worry is alright


Rat Faced Granny
The eyes are burning
She's sick of me
And doesn't need me

So what's the story
I can't deny(???)
They fashion no where

I couldn't be bothered
And suddenly
The psycho's injury

He's rank and bloody
I can't believe
And now it's over

Wild
Nothing new
Annoyed
Nothing new
So you think you're wild
But you're nothing new
And now you're rude
Nothing new
And not so wild
But it's something new
And now you're older
Nothing

What
Nothing new
Annoyed
Nothing new
What about it, old friend,
But now you're leaving
And you're worried
Nothing new
Don't even worry
Everything is good
Good!
Good!
Good!


The Hawk
Hey there, Mr. Nightmare
Now you're lost
(They sink so low)

The gutter (possibly Catcher) and the martyr
Have left you alone
(They sink so low)

The hermit and the sparrow
Are all eaten by hawks
(They sink so low)

Now you're in the nightmare
It's not your fault
(They sink so low)

The wings of holy nightmare
come drifting in
(They sink so low)

Where is all your cold winds?
Where is what you need?
(They sink so low)

Now they've got our martyr
Now alive and well, yeah

Now the morning after
Is just you and yours


You've Never Been Right
The rabies
And what we think is right
We're babies
Not alive

The mirror
And why we change our names
Becomes clearer (or 'nearer', but pretty sure it's 'clearer' at least the second time)
Not alive
(x2)


A History of Bad Men
Wake up, you never looked so glum
Tell me how do we know they can't hear us coming
It's easy for me I got a head start running away

Keep up for your disease spread quick
So how did you learn to be sick? So cunning
It's easy to see but you just keep on humming along

Did you hear that
I got a real bad feeling
How many moles do you suppose they're keeping
Don't make a sound
They're not dead, just sleeping

Dire Dire Dire
It's fleeting (x6)

Wake up, you never looked so glum
Tell me how will we know they can't hear us coming
It's easy for me I got a head start running away

Keep up for your disease spread quick
So how did you learn to be sick? So cunning
It's easy to see but you just keep on running along

Did you hear that
I got a real bad feeling
How many bones do you suppose they're keeping
Don't make a sound
They're not dead, just sleeping


The Mechanical Bride
We are undone
And all I could see
They listen to the world
They live upon the earth

Mother made man
And you're so crazy
And they would say
Kneel beside the blood

We are undone
Somewhere, nowhere
As soon as it was born
Did love of where he stood

No lamb will live
?????????????
We're staring at the sun
As many as I love

No water and a lie
Covering over
The power in the ??????
And with it they do harm

I can believe
That you're so crazy
Have fun until it ends
You wish you were alone


A Vast and Filthy Prison
Take care of my princess
Take her 'cause we live alone
If you weren't so simple
I'd've never come alone
Raise your hand to Heaven
Now raise the one that's half alive
You said you'd give a fortune
If you could have it every night
The world is full of evil
Now which of those are one of you
Where is my one true angel
With her golden wings so open

Some would call it Heaven
He would call it bravery
I would call it neither
I would call it thievery

Well done!  I know this is pretty late in coming, but I was only a lurker on this site until last year.  In my opinion, (a) Senile Animal is Melvins masterpiece.  I never tire of this record.  I have an Orange Box, a Blue Box, the Test Pressing, and a letter press CD of this one.  The Test Press is my go-to copy because it's easiest to play.  It's just a matter of flipping two discs.  On this copy the audio is placed on two discs, and the etchings on the other two.

I have been following Melvins since Ozma.  I would have to say that next to The Velvet Underground, they are my all-time favorite band.  This record came out during one of their slumps.  Things looked pretty grim when Kevin left.  I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Big Business, though I liked them somewhat.  I think that pulling those two, Cody and Jarred into the fold was the best decision ever made in Melvins illustrious career. They took the band to a whole new level and it's been uphill ever since.

Thanks for sorting out most of the lyrics here.  It's always been the greatest challenge for me in listening to their music!

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