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Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed Lyrics
Spy, spy, pretty girl
I see you see me through your window
Don't turn your nose up
Well, you can if you need to, you won't be the first or last
It must strain you to look down so far from your father's house
And I know what a louse like me in his house could do for you
I'm the cream
Of the great utopia dream
And you're the gleam
In the depths
of your banker's spleen
I'm a phallus in pigtails
And there's blood on my nose
And my tissue is rotting
Where the rats chew my bones
And my eye sockets empty
See nothing but pain
I keep having this brainstorm
About twelve times a day
So now, you could spend the morning walking with me, quite amazed
As I'm unwashed
and somewhat slightly dazed
I got eyes in my backside
That see electric tomatoes
On credit card rye bread
There are children in washrooms
Holding hands with a queen
And my heads full of murders
Where only killers scream
So now you could spend the morning talking with me quite amazed
Look out, I'm raving mad and somewhat slightly dazed
Now you run from your window
To the porcelain bowl
And you're sick from your ears
To the red parquet floor
And the Braque on the wall
Slides down your front
And eats through your belly
It's very catching
So now, you should spend the mornings lying to your father quite amazed
About the strange unwashed and happily slightly dazed.
I see you see me through your window
Don't turn your nose up
Well, you can if you need to, you won't be the first or last
And I know what a louse like me in his house could do for you
I'm the cream
Of the great utopia dream
And you're the gleam
In the depths
of your banker's spleen
And there's blood on my nose
And my tissue is rotting
Where the rats chew my bones
And my eye sockets empty
See nothing but pain
I keep having this brainstorm
About twelve times a day
So now, you could spend the morning walking with me, quite amazed
As I'm unwashed
and somewhat slightly dazed
That see electric tomatoes
On credit card rye bread
There are children in washrooms
Holding hands with a queen
And my heads full of murders
Where only killers scream
So now you could spend the morning talking with me quite amazed
Look out, I'm raving mad and somewhat slightly dazed
To the porcelain bowl
And you're sick from your ears
To the red parquet floor
And the Braque on the wall
Slides down your front
And eats through your belly
It's very catching
So now, you should spend the mornings lying to your father quite amazed
About the strange unwashed and happily slightly dazed.
Song Info
Submitted by
softasfire On Mar 12, 2006
More David Bowie
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Space Oddity
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Ashes to Ashes
Ziggy Stardust
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I think at first the girl has no interest in the poor boy next door, looking down her nose at him. He's convinced that if she just gave him a chance, she'd be "quite amazed" with him. I think towards the end of the story she starts finding she is attracted to him, and this makes her sick, because she shouldn't be attracted to him.
I would love to know what this song is about. I read that its about a bad trip. Not sure about that one though. Bowie said that he felt "unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed" in the weeks after his father died, so maybe its about that?
to me this song is great, and its obvious what its about- the young girl in the story is very rich and pretty, and she has fallen for the poor, dirty, druggy boy next door to her. But her father does not approve of such relationships, which is why she has to lie to him. The part of her getting sick is i think her rejecting her heritage and rules.
I agree with ramm and gtilleuy, but would like to add that
"I got eyes in my backside That see electric tomatoes On credit card rye bread"
Likely, at least partially, implies LSD use, as it's commonly referred to as "electric", and ergot, the fungus used to make it, grows on rye.
Qtilley is quite right.
I doubt that this refers to LSD use, though. Bowie said that he did it a few times, but wasn't especially thrilled with it and liked his own imagination better.
I think, in part, it examines the illogical nature of infatuation. The narrator seems to be infatuated with the girl to some degree, yet simultaneously expresses disdain for her.
You know, I went through a lengthy phase where I was utterly fascinated with this song, listened to it repeatedly, and even attempted to create songfics and drawings inspired by it. (All were ill-fated, of course.)
The Gentleman sings of a wealthy and beautiful lady in love with a poor fellow. The fellow is so in love with this lady that he hallucinates, because the power of love, for him, is like a drug, andf the part about the rotting tissue and so forth can be interpreted to say, if you're not going to be my partner, I'll just die. And the lady is sick of her parents' lifestyle and it interfering with her seeing the guy she desires that all her possessions and trappings of wealth (parquet floor, Braque painting) revolt her to the point of nausea
as for literal interpretation: about a rich, sheltered girl looking down from her high window to find a wretched little fellow who catches her eye. From talking to him to lying to her father for him, he strikes her as "quite amazing" ... I love the imagery. I don't think he's hallucinating from love though ... i think he's just mad. as for what it really is about, I'm not sure, but probably very simply being "unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed"
I think the song is simply about a girl who is out out of reach of the "unwashed slightly dazed" guy, because of social differences. Her own prejudice stops her from giving herself a chance of "spending a morning walking or talking" to the "unwashed" guy. He doesn't really care. Although he thinks she's pretty, he despises her for acting according to what she's expected to be like instead of admitting to what he really thinks she wants to. And she will lie about it to her "father" and pears. The unwashed guy laughs about the situation because he knows that's just the way things are...
But of course, he wishes things wouldn't be like that and that he could be with her, and he suffers for that, because he knows that although he doesn't look good there's great value in him. I love this song. One of those which always reminds me of my own life experience.
But of course, he wishes things wouldn't be like that and that he could be with her, and he suffers for that, because he knows that although he doesn't look good there's great value in him. I love this song. One of those which always reminds me of my own life experience.
In my opinion and with respect of the postings already in here; the song is a manifest of an internal struggle. The beggar outside being the ego fighting the fights of life protecting the neglected qualities he was born with (soul?). During his life he becomes aware of this proces and screams of this waste.
Isn't this simply about Hermione and her rich father. He didn't approve of her falling in love with a boy from working class Brixton.