Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
We burnt all the skin
From the palm of my hands
With an old zippo lighter
And deodorant can
I went to the palmist
And asked her to read
No heart line,
No sun line
No life line,
No need.
Said all that I wanted was a quiet life
Not one predetermined by minuscule slices
Into my flesh and the broad she agreed
One look in my sad eyes
She had to concede
"Baby... the girdle of venus got me
Got me down on my knees.
And baby... baby I got the death rattle and
You're six months old s-shakin' me."
Traced my right index finger
'long the roof of every car
On the walk back to your house
In the cold from City Arms
In the frost I drew a dick
For every girl that wouldn't fuck me
Woke early the next morning to see
The frost had bitten me
My blisters black and touch cold
Like a cute stuffed toy bear's nose
The kind of gift I'd give you
Like a less committed Van Gogh
And you, you are an angel
That's why you pray
And I am an ass
And that's why I bray
Your halo slipped to frame you
Like a photo, a porthole window
I see blood spill in the pure snow
You see sweet sauce on ice-cream cones
And you, you are an angel
That's why you pray
And I am an ass
And that's why I bray
If you were tomorrow
I'd be today
And this is the end
(I'm serious, so listen)
Baby I got the death rattle
And baby I got it bad
I've been digging my grave
For quite some time
When I'm not digging up the past
And I chewed my only necktie
From the metal frame of my bed
Where I tied your wrists together
Spent all night givin'
(Oh, you get the message)
Not headstone
But headboard
Is where I want to be mourned
From the palm of my hands
With an old zippo lighter
And deodorant can
I went to the palmist
And asked her to read
No heart line,
No sun line
No life line,
No need.
Said all that I wanted was a quiet life
Not one predetermined by minuscule slices
Into my flesh and the broad she agreed
One look in my sad eyes
She had to concede
"Baby... the girdle of venus got me
Got me down on my knees.
And baby... baby I got the death rattle and
You're six months old s-shakin' me."
Traced my right index finger
'long the roof of every car
On the walk back to your house
In the cold from City Arms
In the frost I drew a dick
For every girl that wouldn't fuck me
Woke early the next morning to see
The frost had bitten me
My blisters black and touch cold
Like a cute stuffed toy bear's nose
The kind of gift I'd give you
Like a less committed Van Gogh
And you, you are an angel
That's why you pray
And I am an ass
And that's why I bray
Your halo slipped to frame you
Like a photo, a porthole window
I see blood spill in the pure snow
You see sweet sauce on ice-cream cones
And you, you are an angel
That's why you pray
And I am an ass
And that's why I bray
If you were tomorrow
I'd be today
And this is the end
(I'm serious, so listen)
Baby I got the death rattle
And baby I got it bad
I've been digging my grave
For quite some time
When I'm not digging up the past
And I chewed my only necktie
From the metal frame of my bed
Where I tied your wrists together
Spent all night givin'
(Oh, you get the message)
Not headstone
But headboard
Is where I want to be mourned
Lyrics submitted by spectracide
Baby I Got the Death Rattle Lyrics as written by Thomas Edward Bromley Gareth David Paisey
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
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Yeah, I think it's pretty clearly about the end of a relationship
I think the Baby I got the death rattle line is more in reference to generally him feeling like he's dying then what's causing him to die. The following line of "Your 6 months old, sh-shakin me" is a play on words and could just mean she's responsible for it or could refer to how she toys with him or messes him about.
but with lines like I've been digging my grave For quite some time When I'm not digging up the past And I chewed my only necktie From the metal frame of my bed Where I tied your wrists together Spent all night givin' (Oh, you get the message)
it clearly indicates there's history there. I think more or less the bit about him giving head has less signifigance to the overall song as much as it is a memory. I think the song works at times like a scrapbook of memories from a failed relationship. The mentions of the stuffed bear, the red in the snow just an example of their regular difference in perspective.