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Watch That Man Lyrics
Shakey threw a party that lasted all night
Everybody drank a lot of something nice
There was an old fashioned band of married men
Looking up to me for encouragement - it was so-so
The ladies looked bad but the music was sad
No one took their eyes off Lorraine
She shimmered and she strolled like a Chicago moll
Her feathers looked better and better - it was so-so
Yea! it was time to unfreeze
When the Reverend Alabaster danced on his knees
Slam! so it wasn't a game
Cracking all the mirrors in shame
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He talks like a jerk
But he could eat you with a fork and spoon
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He walks like a jerk
But he's only taking care of the room
Must be in tune
A Benny Goodman fan painted holes in his hands
So Shakey hung him up to dry
The pundits were joking the manholes were smoking
And every bottle battled with the reason why
The girl on the phone wouldn't leave me alone
A throw back from someone's LP
A lemon in a bag played the Tiger Rag
And the bodies on the screen stopped bleeding
Yeah! I was shaking like a leaf
For I couldn't understand the conversation
Yeah! I ran to the street, looking for information
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He talks like a jerk
But he could eat you with a fork and spoon
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He walks like a jerk
But he's only taking care of the room
Must be in tune
Watch that man!
Everybody drank a lot of something nice
There was an old fashioned band of married men
Looking up to me for encouragement - it was so-so
No one took their eyes off Lorraine
She shimmered and she strolled like a Chicago moll
Her feathers looked better and better - it was so-so
When the Reverend Alabaster danced on his knees
Slam! so it wasn't a game
Cracking all the mirrors in shame
He talks like a jerk
But he could eat you with a fork and spoon
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He walks like a jerk
But he's only taking care of the room
Must be in tune
So Shakey hung him up to dry
The pundits were joking the manholes were smoking
And every bottle battled with the reason why
A throw back from someone's LP
A lemon in a bag played the Tiger Rag
And the bodies on the screen stopped bleeding
For I couldn't understand the conversation
Yeah! I ran to the street, looking for information
He talks like a jerk
But he could eat you with a fork and spoon
Watch that man! Oh honey watch that man!
He walks like a jerk
But he's only taking care of the room
Must be in tune
Song Info
Submitted by
saturnine On Apr 09, 2004
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Another classic Bowie track with - disgracefully - no comments. I would like to hear about this song from people more familiar with the Alladin Sane/Thin White Duke era of Bowie...
Great guitar track, anyway, like an updated version of the guitars on Ziggy Stardust.
Ahhh...great song...and the sax on the live versions is remarkable.
Ahhh...great song...and the sax on the live versions is remarkable.
A classic example of Bowie's cut & paste method of writing. He would cut up phrases & mix them together
"Watch That Man" was inspired by a wild New York hotel party during the first US Ziggy tour, and "Vile Bodies" by Evelyn Waugh "; a book Bowie was reading at the time about fickle aristocratic socialites suddenly faced with apocalypse.
The narrative is told through the eyes of our blase' party participant (Bowie), for whom even the most outrageous stuff is "so-so". Eventually, he begins to realize the rediculousness of his scene, and signs of the impending catastrophe, albeit through hazy, substance induced visions.
"Shakey" (who is either Bowie, Defries, or some other person in charge, I can't tell...), is making sure everyone is having a good time, and probably coked up (has the shakes, twitchy, etc).
"Watch that man!" is what people at the party are whispering about Bowie..."He talks like a jerk" (Bowie is known for his aloof, distant manner) "but he could eat you with a fork and spoon" (he IS kind of the mack daddy of the universe...)
"I was shaking like a leaf" (effects of the coke, and fear of the impending apocalypse), "but I couldn't understand the conversation" (effects of the coke, and final disassociation from the nonsense these shallow people are still concerned with) "I ran to the street, looking for information" (Is this really the end of the world? I'm outta here!)
Personally, I listen to this song any time before picking up girls, or getting ready to party ;)
mack daddy? Bowie is no mack daddy. He's the emperor. Emperor of all rock stars. All hail the Thin White Emperor
mack daddy? Bowie is no mack daddy. He's the emperor. Emperor of all rock stars. All hail the Thin White Emperor
Heavily driven by Mike Garson's piano - wow - what a sound
Does anyone have a clue what all the lyrics are about? "The bodies on the screen stopped bleeding??"
@Teakettle The bodies on the screen stopped bleeding--I think this is a Vietnam War reference. The war was still going on when this album was released, and Americans were exposed every night on the news to quite graphic and gory video of the war. So the party was so good, or the drugs so strong, or both, that the bodies on the (TV) screen stopped bleeding.
@Teakettle The bodies on the screen stopped bleeding--I think this is a Vietnam War reference. The war was still going on when this album was released, and Americans were exposed every night on the news to quite graphic and gory video of the war. So the party was so good, or the drugs so strong, or both, that the bodies on the (TV) screen stopped bleeding.
Bowie's record company originally wanted him to tone down Ronson's overpowering guitar, but they decided it sounded better the way it was. An extremely underrated song of Bowie's... and it's the lead-off from Aladdin Sane. How can no one remember this song?
this just has a hip swagger to it while still rocking your socks off. love the use of piano here too. f'n amazing.
The version on "David Live" is fantastic too!
@gregorybrian listening to that now!
@gregorybrian listening to that now!
Methinks Mr. Bowie is singing of a wild party where the guests are all slugging down some potent beverages, dancing, getting into fight, and the guys are flirting with attractive women. Shakey (who may or may not be The Gentleman himself) gets into a brawl and earns a reputation as a tough guy ("Watch that man! He could eat you with a fork and spoon) Lorraine is a glamour-puss woman whose beauty dazzles all the guys at the party. The girl on the phone who won't leave Bowie alone could be a fan or some other female enthralled by the enchanting charms of the Thin White Emperor (never mind that he already has his Empress) Lemon in a bag -- could be Lennon, not Lemon at all. John L and Yoko did that sitting-in-a-paper-bag thing
I have always wondered if the Lorraine at Shaky's party has any relationship to Lou Reed's "Wild Child" Lorraine, the woman Reed can't get over in that song. Bowie produced Reed and gave Lou's career a big boost.