Penny Farthing
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
The little little wheel is called Penny
The big big wheel is called Mr Farthing
Riding through the countryside
Penny
farthing
We sit way on top
Ridin' through the countryside
Penny
Farthing!
We push the pedals and sit way on top
Careful of a sudden stop
Over the handlebars
Come a cropper
Fall on your head
Start all over again
Written for our bicycle-themed variety show in November 2010 at the Knitting Factory. The penny farthing is a dangerous cousin of the bicycle, a vehicle likely to send its rider over the handlebars.
Who does what on "Penny Farthing"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano, lead vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, bicycle sound effects
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People
Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People
music by Ely Levin, words by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
PHINEAS PRE-ACCIDENT:
Phineas Gage
I'm on the railroad work gang
boring rock for roadbeds
that's my game
foreman of the crew
i put the powder, fuse and sand
tamp it down with the iron rod in my hand
September in Vermont
doing what I always do
load it up, stand back
b-boom boom boom
Iron flies through my cheek
out the back of my head
they found it 30 yds from the accident
PHINEAS POST-ACCIDENT:
Aw... what's up?
I feel all right
Yeah man I can ride in an oxcart to the boarding house
Anybody see that rod go through my head? Wow.
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... um...
what was it I wanted to do?
hey, I know you
so they told me i can't do what I did before
i'm gonna take this tamping iron and go on tour
Barnum will take a handsome dude like me
put me up on the stage, folks'll pay to see
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... eat
no, take that food away, I'm tired
I need to sleep
Where's my hat?
I'm hungry!
I'm ready for my bath
take me to the river
is it raining?
i wish it would snow...
DR. JOHN MARTYN HARLOW:
[The tamping iron] entered the cranium, passing through the anterior left lobe of the cerebrum, and made its exit in the medial line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, lacerating the longitudinal sinus, fracturing the parietal and frontal bones extensively, breaking up considerable portions of the brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket, by nearly half its diameter.
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
and what I want what I want what I want...
If you've never heard the story of Phineas Gage, Google him or read the book Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. After you do, write us with any questions you have about our dramatization of his ordeal.
Who does what on "Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People"
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): keyboards, programming, medical report reading
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): vocals
Emily Dooley: questions
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, programming
music by Ely Levin, words by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
PHINEAS PRE-ACCIDENT:
Phineas Gage
I'm on the railroad work gang
boring rock for roadbeds
that's my game
foreman of the crew
i put the powder, fuse and sand
tamp it down with the iron rod in my hand
September in Vermont
doing what I always do
load it up, stand back
b-boom boom boom
Iron flies through my cheek
out the back of my head
they found it 30 yds from the accident
PHINEAS POST-ACCIDENT:
Aw... what's up?
I feel all right
Yeah man I can ride in an oxcart to the boarding house
Anybody see that rod go through my head? Wow.
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... um...
what was it I wanted to do?
hey, I know you
so they told me i can't do what I did before
i'm gonna take this tamping iron and go on tour
Barnum will take a handsome dude like me
put me up on the stage, folks'll pay to see
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... eat
no, take that food away, I'm tired
I need to sleep
Where's my hat?
I'm hungry!
I'm ready for my bath
take me to the river
is it raining?
i wish it would snow...
DR. JOHN MARTYN HARLOW:
[The tamping iron] entered the cranium, passing through the anterior left lobe of the cerebrum, and made its exit in the medial line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, lacerating the longitudinal sinus, fracturing the parietal and frontal bones extensively, breaking up considerable portions of the brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket, by nearly half its diameter.
Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
and what I want what I want what I want...
If you've never heard the story of Phineas Gage, Google him or read the book Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. After you do, write us with any questions you have about our dramatization of his ordeal.
Who does what on "Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People"
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): keyboards, programming, medical report reading
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): vocals
Emily Dooley: questions
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, programming
And the title of our new album is...
We've decided to go with the top vote-getter in our Facebook poll, but this wasn't the only factor in our decision. A number of people expressed their preference for this title independently of Facebook. Also, our designer Greg Bunch said it was the one that worked best with his graphic ideas for the album cover (which you'll see soon).
Chris Johnson (AKA Booker Dee) came up with this title. Thanks to him, Dees Otto and Moby, and everyone else who sent us their suggestions.
The title of our new album is:
Strange Dees, Indeed
All 18 tracks on Strange Dees, Indeed will be available for reviewers, radio folks, and other media types to download by the end of August. The album will officially be released to the public on October 31st. You'll be able to buy a hard copy on CDBaby or a digital version on iTunes and other services.
I'm in the process of posting lyrics to all the songs on Strange Dees, Indeed on this blog. I'm also including some brief background on each song: what inspired it, what it's about, etc. When I finish this project today or tomorrow you'll be able to find everything simply by searching for the song title(s) you want. And I'll continue to add these entries: related books for kids and grown-ups, your suggestions for where to learn more about the subjects of our songs and more. So check back here frequently -- you'll always find something new and worthwhile.
L
Chris Johnson (AKA Booker Dee) came up with this title. Thanks to him, Dees Otto and Moby, and everyone else who sent us their suggestions.
The title of our new album is:
Strange Dees, Indeed
All 18 tracks on Strange Dees, Indeed will be available for reviewers, radio folks, and other media types to download by the end of August. The album will officially be released to the public on October 31st. You'll be able to buy a hard copy on CDBaby or a digital version on iTunes and other services.
I'm in the process of posting lyrics to all the songs on Strange Dees, Indeed on this blog. I'm also including some brief background on each song: what inspired it, what it's about, etc. When I finish this project today or tomorrow you'll be able to find everything simply by searching for the song title(s) you want. And I'll continue to add these entries: related books for kids and grown-ups, your suggestions for where to learn more about the subjects of our songs and more. So check back here frequently -- you'll always find something new and worthwhile.
L
Dead Horse Bay
Dead Horse Bay
words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2010, 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Broken baby dolls and animal bones
that's what I found at Dead Horse Bay
Pets used to come here
and leave as glue
So if you hear a bark or neigh...
Put your Leopard-skin pocketbook on your shoulder... now sashay
Fill up your wooden pipe even though it's far decayed
Shake your silver rattle, don't listen to the sound
Pour your tea before the spout falls to the ground
Dead Horse Bay
Can Sitar Boy sing without a head?
Dead Horse Bay
Can a heel from a shoe walk without a leg?
These are the things we found while walking one day
along the beach at Dead Horse Bay
I'd like to come here,
leave as glue
hold together the next thing you make
I wrote this song for our Underwater Halloween variety show at the Knitting Factory in October 2010. The show was a collaboration with Underwater New York. This song was inspired by an exhibit on their site, a place I'd highly advise you to visit: http://underwaternewyork.com/category/body-of-water/dead-horse-bay-body-of-water/
Who does what on "Dead Horse Bay"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): electric bass, banjo, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2010, 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Broken baby dolls and animal bones
that's what I found at Dead Horse Bay
Pets used to come here
and leave as glue
So if you hear a bark or neigh...
Put your Leopard-skin pocketbook on your shoulder... now sashay
Fill up your wooden pipe even though it's far decayed
Shake your silver rattle, don't listen to the sound
Pour your tea before the spout falls to the ground
Dead Horse Bay
Can Sitar Boy sing without a head?
Dead Horse Bay
Can a heel from a shoe walk without a leg?
These are the things we found while walking one day
along the beach at Dead Horse Bay
I'd like to come here,
leave as glue
hold together the next thing you make
I wrote this song for our Underwater Halloween variety show at the Knitting Factory in October 2010. The show was a collaboration with Underwater New York. This song was inspired by an exhibit on their site, a place I'd highly advise you to visit: http://underwaternewyork.com/category/body-of-water/dead-horse-bay-body-of-water/
Who does what on "Dead Horse Bay"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): electric bass, banjo, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
Sacagawea
Sacagawea
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees
She swaddles her baby
Tucks him in a paddleboard
Climbs into the pirogue
as the wild Missouri roars
SUH- KAH - GA - WEE - AH!
Charbonneau lets the tiller go
screams prayers to the sky
baby in one arm, a Momma
saves our supplies
You gave us words, Janey
Tomorrow we climb to the sea
No map and no road
Hungry sick and cold
And so far from home...
Only 33 of us
went all the way and back
Only one
She's the one
baby on her back
Yes, Sacagawea is the same as the person we called "Sacajawea" when I was a kid. Most of the current books and documentaries use this new spelling and pronunciation in a attempt to be truer to how she might have said it herself. In Lewis and Clark's journals they spell her name many different ways -- her language was all verbal so English speakers like them could only approximate how words were spelled. Sacagawea is the current politically correct way to spell her name -- this will probably change by the time the album actually comes out.
At a party years ago, a friend of Anand Mukherjee (AKA Innocent Dee who founded the band with me) told me that we should write a song called "Sacajawea, Sock It To 'Em!" (she used the old pronunciation). I tried for a while but just couldn't come up with anything that wasn't stupid.
But then during the recording of this album I saw some footage of Queen at Live Aid. I realized -- I'm not saying this in jest -- all that ROCK can truly be. I attempted to write a Queen song about Sacagawea. It's not up to the level of what Freddie Mercury was doing during that concert -- and certainly not all that rock can truly be -- but we like it. We perform this song and feel sort of like Freddie and that's not such a bad feeling.
Janey = William Clark's pet name for Sacagawea. This song is sung from his imagined point of view.
Who does what on Sacagawea (Sock It To 'Em!)
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees
She swaddles her baby
Tucks him in a paddleboard
Climbs into the pirogue
as the wild Missouri roars
SUH- KAH - GA - WEE - AH!
Charbonneau lets the tiller go
screams prayers to the sky
baby in one arm, a Momma
saves our supplies
You gave us words, Janey
Tomorrow we climb to the sea
No map and no road
Hungry sick and cold
And so far from home...
Only 33 of us
went all the way and back
Only one
She's the one
baby on her back
Yes, Sacagawea is the same as the person we called "Sacajawea" when I was a kid. Most of the current books and documentaries use this new spelling and pronunciation in a attempt to be truer to how she might have said it herself. In Lewis and Clark's journals they spell her name many different ways -- her language was all verbal so English speakers like them could only approximate how words were spelled. Sacagawea is the current politically correct way to spell her name -- this will probably change by the time the album actually comes out.
At a party years ago, a friend of Anand Mukherjee (AKA Innocent Dee who founded the band with me) told me that we should write a song called "Sacajawea, Sock It To 'Em!" (she used the old pronunciation). I tried for a while but just couldn't come up with anything that wasn't stupid.
But then during the recording of this album I saw some footage of Queen at Live Aid. I realized -- I'm not saying this in jest -- all that ROCK can truly be. I attempted to write a Queen song about Sacagawea. It's not up to the level of what Freddie Mercury was doing during that concert -- and certainly not all that rock can truly be -- but we like it. We perform this song and feel sort of like Freddie and that's not such a bad feeling.
Janey = William Clark's pet name for Sacagawea. This song is sung from his imagined point of view.
Who does what on Sacagawea (Sock It To 'Em!)
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
Birds of America Don't Care-Oh
Birds of America Don't Care-Oh
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Birds of America don't care-oh
How they look in pictures
Well maybe sparrows
the coot is vain
so's the black cap titmouse
Creeping warblers complain
but not like the screech owl
If they'd been alive to see themselves drawn
what would they have to say about John James Audubon?
Other creatures would be flattered
to see themselves in handsome books,
postcards and calendars
But birds are fickle, fancy fellows
a canary'll take you to court over a shade of yellow
If they'd been allowed to critique his work
Would his name still be synonymous with birds?
Would the Grey-Crowned Purple Finch take offense?
Or the Least Peewee Flycatcher be incensed?
Can't you see Bonaparte's gull now, hand to his breast?
And we've all seen bob-o-links and vireos bothered by less
Never a man to hunt birds for sport
Audubon still ate some Birds of America
after he finished up their portraits
Written after I read the book Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. At one point in this historical novel, Thomas Cromwell and others critique their portraits by Hans Holbein. These paintings of course are part of every art history slide show for the period, definitive works that are studied by most aspiring art scholars or artists. I really liked imagining these works when they were brand-new and people were looking at them saying things we might say: "Do I really look like that?"
So, my mind working the way that it does, this caused me to wonder: What if Audbuon's birds saw themselves as depicted by the name who, in many ways, is "synonymous with birds?" What would they have to say about paintings, which, in the world of bird and animal art, are just as definitive as Holbein's portraits.
Um, yeah. That's the nutty story of how this nutty song came about.
Who does what on "Birds of America Don't Care-Oh"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, crow, pigeon and other bird calls
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, trombone, bird orchestration
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Birds of America don't care-oh
How they look in pictures
Well maybe sparrows
the coot is vain
so's the black cap titmouse
Creeping warblers complain
but not like the screech owl
If they'd been alive to see themselves drawn
what would they have to say about John James Audubon?
Other creatures would be flattered
to see themselves in handsome books,
postcards and calendars
But birds are fickle, fancy fellows
a canary'll take you to court over a shade of yellow
If they'd been allowed to critique his work
Would his name still be synonymous with birds?
Would the Grey-Crowned Purple Finch take offense?
Or the Least Peewee Flycatcher be incensed?
Can't you see Bonaparte's gull now, hand to his breast?
And we've all seen bob-o-links and vireos bothered by less
Never a man to hunt birds for sport
Audubon still ate some Birds of America
after he finished up their portraits
Written after I read the book Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. At one point in this historical novel, Thomas Cromwell and others critique their portraits by Hans Holbein. These paintings of course are part of every art history slide show for the period, definitive works that are studied by most aspiring art scholars or artists. I really liked imagining these works when they were brand-new and people were looking at them saying things we might say: "Do I really look like that?"
So, my mind working the way that it does, this caused me to wonder: What if Audbuon's birds saw themselves as depicted by the name who, in many ways, is "synonymous with birds?" What would they have to say about paintings, which, in the world of bird and animal art, are just as definitive as Holbein's portraits.
Um, yeah. That's the nutty story of how this nutty song came about.
Who does what on "Birds of America Don't Care-Oh"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, crow, pigeon and other bird calls
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, trombone, bird orchestration
Cool Papa Bell
Cool Papa Bell
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell
Swing, Papa
Swing swing, Papa
Swing, Papa
Swing, Papa Bell
Ring, Papa
Ring ring, Papa
Ring, Papa
Ring ring the bell
Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell
Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round
Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round
RAP:
Scored from first on a sac bunt
Hit by his own hit slidin into second
So many stories, some of 'em true
Like the day he said to Satchel,
"I'll bet you
I can turn off the light
and get in my bed
before that bulb goes dark overhead.
Satch didn't know there was a short in the lightswitch
Found out later...
He was like "aw..."
I wrote this song with my son when he was 2. I originally planned to add more words that described, in my typical information overload form, all about the Negro Leagues and Cool Papa's career. When my son responded to the simple chorus and began to sing it with me, though, I decided just to leave the song as a simple sing-song tune that even our youngest fans could join us in singing. I added the rap later because I love that story about Satchel Paige and James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell.
Who does what on "Cool Papa Bell"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): keyboards, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, synth, vocals
s
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell
Swing, Papa
Swing swing, Papa
Swing, Papa
Swing, Papa Bell
Ring, Papa
Ring ring, Papa
Ring, Papa
Ring ring the bell
Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell
Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round
Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round
RAP:
Scored from first on a sac bunt
Hit by his own hit slidin into second
So many stories, some of 'em true
Like the day he said to Satchel,
"I'll bet you
I can turn off the light
and get in my bed
before that bulb goes dark overhead.
Satch didn't know there was a short in the lightswitch
Found out later...
He was like "aw..."
I wrote this song with my son when he was 2. I originally planned to add more words that described, in my typical information overload form, all about the Negro Leagues and Cool Papa's career. When my son responded to the simple chorus and began to sing it with me, though, I decided just to leave the song as a simple sing-song tune that even our youngest fans could join us in singing. I added the rap later because I love that story about Satchel Paige and James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell.
Who does what on "Cool Papa Bell"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): keyboards, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, synth, vocals
s
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