Two main versions:
* "Stoned Obituary Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool 2 (5:09), Ancient Daze (4:59), Ancient Daze CD-R (5:00)
On Ancient Daze the song fades in suddenly, almost cutting off the first words (the CD-R version fades in even faster). On both releases there is a tape glitch fifty seconds in, causing the sound to flicker back and forth. Unlike the Funky Version there are no choruses. During the final few seconds the keyboards start playing chaotically.
The chord progression and melody for this song is identical to "Stoned Obituary" (except for the 1980 Version of that song).
AKA "Amphitheatre 1."
Instruments: Sequenced keyboard bassline; rotor effect over synth and audio samples providing the rhythm; organ chords; two vocal tracks, one of which comes and goes throughout; bell-like keyboard melody that sometimes becomes white noise; single-pattern drum machine begins alternating at 1:50; vocoder voice during the middle portion saying "sing while you may"; high-pitched synth melody starting at 3:10.
* "Funky Version" (1982) - Premonition (3:35), Under Triple Moons (3:37)
This version has a more typical song structure than the original. On both releases, the song crossfades in from the end of the previous ("Submerged"), almost cutting off the first words. Frequently the tracks are fed through a sharp digital reverb. The word "nicotine" is added after "not too clean," and the line "and the rain beats down on the amphitheatre" is added as a chorus between every second verse. The "it's really very cute" line has been removed, as have the "much too heavy," "much too large," and "sing while you may" lines.
The verse about flying as been reworked as follows:
But I can fly, I can fly.
If I could just see their faces
as I glide between the planets,
playing I spy from a cloud.
Subsequent lines about rain and freedom have been removed. On Premonition it fades into the following song ("Voices"), but on Under Triple Moons it is abruptly faded out beforehand.
Instruments: Single-pattern drum machine; two keyboard basslines; organ chords; two vocal tracks; flashing synth effects; crowd samples; tinkly synth effects; synth percussion accents;
What It's About:
In a frenzied Roman amphitheatre during the reign of Caesar, Christians are being killed in the arena as the narrator looks upon (and sometimes participates in) various grisly scenes, including a fight over a severed hand. He wonders about the morality of the situation but is most annoyed at the enthusiasm of the crowd. Eventually it's revealed that the narrator was one of the Christian victims, now looking down at the crowd as they get drenched by a sudden rainstorm. Some of his references are anachronistic (car crashes and guns, for example).
Plus, I don't believe Caesar fed Christians to lions.
Lyrics (adapted from the
Cloud-Zero archive):
Found a hand in the sand
where they covered up the remnants.
Not enough to show
the Joneses
but should look good on our wall.
Not too clean.
Clearly never saw a nail-file.
Still the others tried to claim it
but I just swept past them all.
Hear them sing, feel them swing.
Aren't you trembling with excitement?
Can't stop my pulse from racing
when I'm faced with scenes like this.
Caesar lives. The empire lives.
Must be twenty fires burning.
If the guard would
loose the lions,
I'd surely die in bliss.
Do you like my cross, as it
sparkles in the white light?
Cut in solid silver, swinging round my neck,
it's really very cute.
Thousands died on them,
millions died for one.
Impressive as the stake, gun,
the thumbscrew, or the rack.
But you can't sling a stake 'round your neck.
It's much too heavy.
It's much too large.
Sing while you may.
Standing here, sipping beer,
aren't we being rather tasteless?
I'm ravenous with hunger.
Can't we simply sneak back home?
Harmless fools, gaping ghouls.
Have they never seen a car crash?
It's [?] and it's raining.
Not a freaks' night out in Rome.
Gazing down at the ground
where the flies mill round my carcass.
Teach you how to be a martyr
To raise interest from a crowd.
But I don't care.
'Cos I can fly.
Fly, fly through the air.
Play "
I spy" from a cloud.
I spy on the crowd.
Down, down in the amphitheatre.
The rain beats down on the amphitheatre.
They're getting very wet, so upset.
The rain beats down on the amphitheatre.
Down, down below me,
but I'm free.
Free from the world.
I love the amphitheatre.
Down, down. Down, down.
Why You Should Care:
"Amphitheatre Shuffle" is sort of a hyperactive extract from the Stoned Obituary Version, without the lyrics.
The words "sing while you may" from the Stoned Obituary Version should be familiar to anybody reading this...
