This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Frank zappa (lead guitar, synthesizer, vocals)
Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Mike keneally (rhythm guitar, synthesizer, vocals)
Bobby martin (keyboards, vocals)
Ed mann (vibes, marimba, electronic percussion)
Walt fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synthesizer)
Bruce fowler (trombone)
Paul carman (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone)
Albert wing (tenor saxophone)
Kurt mcgettrick (baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, contrabass clarinet)
Scott thunes (electric bass, mini-moog)
Chad wackerman (drums, electronic percussion)
Jimmy carl black (vocals)
Mark volman (vocals)
Howard kaylan (vocals)
Jim pons (bass, vocals)
Don preston (keyboards, electronics)
Ian underwood (keyboards, saxophone)
Aynsley dunbar (drums)
Frank:
My name is nando,
I'm a marine biologist.
All my friends,
They call me "doh".
Ike & mike:
Hi, doh!
Frank:
All my family,
From someplace in this area,
And they complain if I talk about this horrible pizza
During the show.
All:
Come out here, to californy,
Just to find me some pretty girls.
Ones I seen gets me so horny,
Ruby lips, 'n teeth like pearls.
Wanna love 'em all, wanna love 'em dearly.
Wanna a jellyfish, I'll even pay.
I'll buy 'em furs, I'll buy 'em pizza,
I know they like me, here's what I'll say:
(1971:)
Jimmy carl black:
I'm lonesome cowboy burt.
Speakin' atcha!
Won'tcha smell my fringe-why shirt?
Reekin' atcha!
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance
On this here waitress...
Mark & howard:
He's lonesome cowboy burt. a-ha!
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt.
Jimmy:
Come on in this place
An' I'll buy you a taste.
You can sit on my face.
Where's my waitress?
Mark & howard:
Burtram, burtram redneck!
Burtram, burtram redneck!
Jimmy:
I'm an awful nice guy.
Worked all day in the sun.
I'm a roofer by trade,
Quite a bundle I've made,
I'm a unionized roofin' old son-of-a-gun.
Mark & howard:
He's a unionized roofin' old son of a gun!
(1988:)
Ike:
"darling, I crazy go nuts when I hear this,
You know what I'm sayin'? "
Frank:
When I get off, I get plastered.
I swim till I fall on the jellyfish.
Then I find me some academic kind of illustrator,
I describe the little dangling utensils on this thing,
And tell him to draw it up
So it looks just like a brand new jellyfish.
Ike & mike:
(trying to follow along, they sing some gibberish)
Frank:
"take that! take that!"
I fuss an' I cuss and I keep on swimmin',
Till my snorkel puffs up an' turns red.
I drool on my shorts,
I do some water sports,
Then I take the jellyfish back to my house
And stick it in the bed! "sorta..."
Ike & mike:
"whaddya do? "
Stick it again in the bed!
Frank:
"that's right!
Ike & mike:
Stick it again in the bed!
Stick it again in the bed!
Stick it again in the bed!
(1971:)
Jimmy:
Lonesome cowboy burt.
Speakin' atcha!
Smell my fringe-why shirt.
Reekin' atcha!
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance
On this here waitress!
Mark & howard:
He's lonesome cowboy burt. yee-ha!
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt!
Jimmy:
Come on in this place,
An' I'll buy you a taste.
You can sit on my face.
Where's my waitress?
"opal, you hot little bitch!"
Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Mike keneally (rhythm guitar, synthesizer, vocals)
Bobby martin (keyboards, vocals)
Ed mann (vibes, marimba, electronic percussion)
Walt fowler (trumpet, flugel horn, synthesizer)
Bruce fowler (trombone)
Paul carman (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone)
Albert wing (tenor saxophone)
Kurt mcgettrick (baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, contrabass clarinet)
Scott thunes (electric bass, mini-moog)
Chad wackerman (drums, electronic percussion)
Jimmy carl black (vocals)
Mark volman (vocals)
Howard kaylan (vocals)
Jim pons (bass, vocals)
Don preston (keyboards, electronics)
Ian underwood (keyboards, saxophone)
Aynsley dunbar (drums)
Frank:
My name is nando,
I'm a marine biologist.
All my friends,
They call me "doh".
Ike & mike:
Hi, doh!
Frank:
All my family,
From someplace in this area,
And they complain if I talk about this horrible pizza
During the show.
All:
Come out here, to californy,
Just to find me some pretty girls.
Ones I seen gets me so horny,
Ruby lips, 'n teeth like pearls.
Wanna love 'em all, wanna love 'em dearly.
Wanna a jellyfish, I'll even pay.
I'll buy 'em furs, I'll buy 'em pizza,
I know they like me, here's what I'll say:
(1971:)
Jimmy carl black:
I'm lonesome cowboy burt.
Speakin' atcha!
Won'tcha smell my fringe-why shirt?
Reekin' atcha!
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance
On this here waitress...
Mark & howard:
He's lonesome cowboy burt. a-ha!
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt.
Jimmy:
Come on in this place
An' I'll buy you a taste.
You can sit on my face.
Where's my waitress?
Mark & howard:
Burtram, burtram redneck!
Burtram, burtram redneck!
Jimmy:
I'm an awful nice guy.
Worked all day in the sun.
I'm a roofer by trade,
Quite a bundle I've made,
I'm a unionized roofin' old son-of-a-gun.
Mark & howard:
He's a unionized roofin' old son of a gun!
(1988:)
Ike:
"darling, I crazy go nuts when I hear this,
You know what I'm sayin'? "
Frank:
When I get off, I get plastered.
I swim till I fall on the jellyfish.
Then I find me some academic kind of illustrator,
I describe the little dangling utensils on this thing,
And tell him to draw it up
So it looks just like a brand new jellyfish.
Ike & mike:
(trying to follow along, they sing some gibberish)
Frank:
"take that! take that!"
I fuss an' I cuss and I keep on swimmin',
Till my snorkel puffs up an' turns red.
I drool on my shorts,
I do some water sports,
Then I take the jellyfish back to my house
And stick it in the bed! "sorta..."
Ike & mike:
"whaddya do? "
Stick it again in the bed!
Frank:
"that's right!
Ike & mike:
Stick it again in the bed!
Stick it again in the bed!
Stick it again in the bed!
(1971:)
Jimmy:
Lonesome cowboy burt.
Speakin' atcha!
Smell my fringe-why shirt.
Reekin' atcha!
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance
On this here waitress!
Mark & howard:
He's lonesome cowboy burt. yee-ha!
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt!
Jimmy:
Come on in this place,
An' I'll buy you a taste.
You can sit on my face.
Where's my waitress?
"opal, you hot little bitch!"
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Lonesome Cowboy Nando Lyrics as written by Sid Tepper Roy C. Bennett
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
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Great version of a great song,