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The Swish Lyrics
pills and powders baby. powders and pills. we spent the night last night in beverly hills. there was this chick that looked like beverly sills. we got killed. tights and skirts baby. skirts and tights. we used to shake it up in shaker heights. there was this chick she looked like patty smythe. she seemed seemed shaky but nice.
she said my name is rick danko but people call me one-hour photo. i've got some hazardous chemicals. drive around to the window. she said my name is robbie robertson but people call me robo. i blew red white and blue right into a tissue. i came right over the counter just to kiss you.
ginger and jack and four or five feminax. psycho eyes and a stovepipe hat. a ray of light in white rayon slacks. we got cracked. shoes and socks baby. socks and shoes. we spent the night last night in newport news. this chick she looked just like elizabeth shue. we got bruised.
she said my name is steve perry but people call me circuit city. i'm so well connected. my upc is dialed into the system. she said my name's neil schon but some people call me nina simone. some people call me andre cymone. i've survived the 80s one time already. and i don't recall them all that fondly.
it was a blockbuster summer. moving pictures helped us get through to september. they made a movie about me and you. it was half nude and half true. it was a bloodsucking summer. i spent half the time trying to get paid from our savior. swishing though the city center. i did a couple favors for some guys who looked like tuscan raiders.
Song Info
Submitted by
leonperkin On Oct 18, 2004
More The Hold Steady
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not to nitpick and be a huge nerd...but i think it's "tusken raiders".
a whole lot of pop culture references thrown into this song
Patti Smythe - lead singer of 80's band Scandal Beverly Sills - Famous opera singer Rick Danko & Robbie Robertson - members of rock group 'THE BAND' Elizabeth Shue - actress Steve Perry - lead singer of 'Journey' Neil Schon - guitarist for Journey Circuit City - second largest electronics retailer in the United States Nina Simone - Awesome jazz singer, songwriter and pianist. Andre Cymone - one-time bassist for Prince's Revolution & solo artist Tuscan Raiders - From STAR WARS the sand people who live on the planet Tatooine
this songs so fucking awesome. made me laugh when i first heard it.
Tuscan Raiders = Catholic monks???
here is what craig finn (the lead singer of the hold steady) said about this song:
"This one started from overhearing this dude on the subway bragging to his friend about partying on the West Coast. My family actually lived in Shaker Heights, OH for a few years, so maybe I have shaken it up in Shaker Heights at one time or another. I mention Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko because I was (and still am) obsessed about the Last Waltz and the Band in general. Other notable terms: Feminax is an over the counter medicine for menstrual cramps, not sold in the US. It's fairly popular in certain crowds to mix with a few stiff drinks. Andre Cymone was a Prince band member who spun off to have a few records of his own, including one called Surviving in the 80s. He sang the national anthem at one of my high school's football games once. City Center is a lame mall in downtown Minneapolis that is 50% vacant with 50% low budget gangsters hanging out. The Champs store in this mall is the best place to get the super new school ghetto Twins/Vikings/T-Wolves gear. I mean the non-traditional stuff."
The Hold Steady shouting out Newport News...amazing
The Shakers, a religious group is known for shaking, convulsing, trembling, shouting, singing, glossolalia, and of course shaking (all things one should do at a Hold Steady show). Shaker Heights was originally a Shaker settlement, not sure if that's the reverence, but Craig Finn is known for double meanings, triple and the like.
The Andre Cymone reference is a stunner. I was a big Prince fan in the 80's and I even had Andre Cymone's solo albums including Survivin' In The 80's. So cool that a rock n roll band like THS would namecheck AC.
Incredible song btw.