The Residents – Hello Skinny

"Hello Skinny" as written by Homer Flynn and Hardy Winfred Fox....
Skinny was born in a bathtub
And he grew so incredibly thin
Even the end of an eyedropper
sucked him in

Skinny never knew any questiong
Skinny never looked at the lights
But Skinny sold something
every single night

Skinny sold a soldier to me
Skinny sold a wife
Skinny sold a suction cup
And a knife
Skinny found a Hello Dolly
record in the hall
He sold it to a truck driver
in the fall

Hello, Dolly


Lyrics submitted by JofaGuht, edited by Crane42

Hello Skinny song meanings
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12 Comments

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  • +5
    General CommentI have two ideas forthis very strange song:

    1. Skinny growing thin is not having very many riches, and not looking to be rich. He never looks at the lights(the lime light) yet still sold a lot of things. Skinny also selling very odd things to odd people to sell it to. In this way, this could be the Residents defense to not selling out yet still selling things and how that makes sense

    2. This one is the exact opposite than the first. Skinny was thin because he was weak. He did sell out but was behind the rich man he was very weak. Not knowing any questions would be always hiring people to answer the questions for him. Not looking at the lights would not be looking to the beauty of things. He also doesn't notice any value of anything either, he finds a rare copy of a Hello Dolly record and just basically throws it away on some truck driver.
    JofaGuhton September 24, 2002   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +3
    General CommentI figured this song is about meth. I don't know the residents and their music real well, but I have heard some of their music e.g. Hello Skinny. I orignally heard this song as the cover by Primus. Real low quality meth is made in bath tubs... he is getting skinny, meth makes you lose weight... never looks at lights, major meth heads are typically know as night dwellers, etc. He sells all his shit, like his wife for meth. Never knew any questions, too tweeked out, just dumb, I don't know. Notice the part "born in a bathtube" since meth can be made in a bath tube... it is saying that since he became Skinny from meth and meth came from the bathtube, Skinny was born in a bathtub. It could also mean that when he started cooking meth in his tub, Skinny was born. Maybe I am way off base, but this was always my immediate reaction to the song. Primus obviously has many songs about meth (Les kind of made a book about it), it just seems to fit. Also the residents and primus are both from areas with large amounts of meth use.
    arthurramsey19on March 28, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +2
    General CommentSometimes...though I but I really disagree with the direction they took with "Sinister Exaggerator". I couldn't stand their version.

    But their version of Hello Skinny was definitely awesome. They played it as their encore when they came to St. Louis. It was wonderful.
    JofaGuhton March 24, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General CommentNo, the other way around. This was written in 1978 and covered by Primus in 2002 on the Frizzle Fry Remaster.
    JAStewarton March 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment^^.
    JAStewarton December 31, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWasn't this song cover by Primus?
    chambermanon March 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentYeah, that's what I mean... I guess I just screwed up my wording... I meant to say was "Wasn't this song covered by Primus?" yeah, there you go.
    chambermanon May 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentPrimus does really good residents covers.
    thebigdudeon March 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentFirst of all really primus are my favourite band i like all the bands they they like like i discoverd the residents from primus same with rush and same with xtc i discorved the police cuz i had to learn one of there songs then found out orimus liked them and the oysathead drummer is the drummer in the police stewit copeland BUT i reccon there covers sound shit with the residents there still pritty awesome but they sound nothing like the reisdents they cant make em sound cool beacuse for one the residents hardly have drums and shit and they hardly have guitar but skinny was pritty kool but sinister exargerator isnt no were as near as good as the original that fucking guitar riff is orgasmic its fucking wicked constantonipole the residents version is a mad scary fast straight away hitting song the primus song sounds like a fucking love song lol but its still cool its just i donno but the residents are so great one of the best in the world
    pipewagonon December 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAn absolute surreal masterpiece, the video is baffling and hypnotic. This song reminds me of David Lynch's film Eraserhead, watch it). In some ways I think this song is about abortion. If not, I figure its about someone who had a screwed up life and di wahtever hustling they had to do to get buy-theft, prostitution, drugs
    River Wolfon September 21, 2009   Link

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