Odd

One main version:

* (1982) - Premonition (5:42), Ancient Daze (6:17)

The song crossfades in from the Full Band Version of "Voices" -- obscuring the first line of lyrics -- and crossfades out into "Premonition 1." On "Ancient Daze" the song fades in and out to silence but still contains thirty seconds of those tracks. Near the end of the song the tape is deliberately slowed down, then sped up slightly.

On "Ancient Daze" the sound quality is terrible. It sounds like it was recorded in a room from a stereo speaker playing the song. It appears to be monophonic and has been given a cathedral reverb.

Instruments: Drum machine; gentle electric guitar; bass guitar; single vocal track; occasional comments and laughter by band members; whistling; quiet snippets of sometimes unidentifiable backwards music (including "Film of the Book," "Hanging Gardens," and the chatter from the Full Band Version of "Louder After Six.")

What It's About:

The narrator has been persecuted since childhood for reasons that he doesn't understand, though we get the sense that he's more than a little "odd." He has retreated to a cupboard and found love and affinity with a houseplant.

Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):

Winston was the [?]
but my Aunt [?]
He'd spit in my face and I'd smile back
so he hit me with a shoe.

And though Aunt Grace would spank him
he'd creep back with a file and try to
slowly saw my legs off!

Mess up my pajamas.
[?] 'bout my comics.
Pull my hair and kick my chair, oh yeah,
you know he really was a charmer.

Never understood the reasons
why he picked on me.
I'm just a guy with funny eyes
who's looking for a little peace.

(He's a fruitcake)

Winston was a loonie,
should have been locked away.
But it's me they think who's crazy,
turn decent people gray.

And my nurse won't stop complaining,
won't stop whining to her friends,
"Why don't they put him in a home?

Give him an infection.
Give him an injection.
Why not put him in an airplane
and press the button marked ejection?"

Really don't know why the lady
saves her knives for me.
But if she tries to jab me now...
I'll kill her with my scream.

AHHHH!

You'll find me in the cupboard,
there's a padlock on the phone.
And the potted plants hum lullabies
while I nibble on a bone.

But we get along like lovers,
can be such a touching scene,
the kind that makes you cry at movies!

[?] towers,
pull my heartstrings, raise my powers,
though he reads beneath my sleeves
the people beckoned and I'll flower.

The plant, it feels the same way
started learning how to meet.
Drops a petal, shakes a stem,
gently blows a kiss.

Drops a petal, shakes a stem.

Why You Should Care:

The chord progression and melody were also used during the "do you think that they'll lock us away" section of the Full Band Version of "Red Castles."