Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Zig Zag Wanderer
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Zig zag zig zag wanderer (rep.)
You can huff, you can puff
never know what I have found
You can zig you can zag
Whoa I'm gonna stay gonna stay around (rep.)

You can jump you can holler
Never lose what I have found
heaven's free 'cept for a dollar
you can zig you can zag
Whoa I'm gonna stay around gonna stay around

Zigzag wanderer had a zigzag child
Zigzag traveller for the mercy mile
.......(found his strength in?) and nature scene
(Chris Viard suggests "Found my Queen and Nature Scene")

Twist his face (quenched his thirst) where he never been
Zig zag wanderer (rep.)

You can dance you can prance
freeze those timbers drop some beans
Hide my shield throw away my lance
Zig zag child mercy mile
zig zag dreams zig zag dreams zig zag dreams....

Overall Meaning

The song "Zig Zag Wanderer" by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band is a whimsical and playful narrative about an adventurous wanderer who zig zags his way through life, never losing what he has found. The repetition of "zig zag" is used to convey the wanderer's unpredictable and carefree ways, as he jumps, hollers and dances his way through life. The verse "heaven's free 'cept for a dollar" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the American dream, where everything is supposedly available if you have the money. The wanderer, however, finds his joy and freedom in simply zig zagging through life and enjoying what he finds.


The second half of the song introduces a new character, the zigzag child, who is the offspring of the wanderer. The child is also a zigzag traveller, exploring the world with the same carefree spirit as his father. The line "twist his face (quenched his thirst) where he never been" is a bit of a puzzle, but is likely referencing the child's exploration of new places and experiences. The song ends with a repetition of "zig zag dreams", leaving the listener with the impression that the wanderer and his child will continue on their adventures and dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

Zig zag zig zag wanderer (rep.)
I am the wanderer who moves around in a zigzag pattern.


You can huff, you can puff
You can try to intimidate me.


never know what I have found
You will never be able to guess what I have discovered.


You can zig you can zag
You can follow my zigzag movements.


Whoa I'm gonna stay gonna stay around (rep.)
But I will always stick around.


You can jump you can holler
You can try to scare me away.


Never lose what I have found
But you won't be able to take away my discoveries.


heaven's free 'cept for a dollar
Everything is available for some cost or other.


Zigzag wanderer had a zigzag child
I, the zigzag wanderer, have a child who also zigzags.


Zigzag traveller for the mercy mile
We zigzag while travelling that mile with mercy.


.......(found his strength in?) and nature scene
The strength of my child comes from the natural world?


Twist his face (quenched his thirst) where he never been
My child is excited and curious in new situations.


Zig zag wanderer (rep.)
I continue to zigzag as a wanderer.


You can dance you can prance
You can try to distract me with your movements.


freeze those timbers drop some beans
But I won't be intimidated by your display.


Hide my shield throw away my lance
I don't need protection or aggression.


Zig zag child mercy mile
My child and I continue to zigzag while showing mercy to others.


zig zag dreams zig zag dreams zig zag dreams....
We dream of the possibilities created by our zigzagging lifestyle.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON VAN VLIET, HERB BERMANN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Josiah Quincy

Zig zag wanderer, zig zag wanderer (rep.)
You can huff, you can puff
You’ll never blow my house down
You can zig, you can zag
Ole house gonna stay, gonna stay around (rep.)
You can jump, you can holler
Never lose what ah found
Heaven’s free, ‘cept for a dollar
You can zig, you can zag
Ole house gonna stay, gonna stay around (rep.)
The zig zag wanderer had a zig zag child
Zig zag traveller fathered mercy mild
Found his Queen in Nature’s scene
Quenched his thirst where he’d never been
Zig zag wanderer (rep.)
You can dance, you can prance
These ole timbers got strong beams
Hide my shield, put away my lance
Zig zag child, mercy mild
Zig zag dreams, zig zag dreams
Zig zag
(1967)



All comments from YouTube:

SUPERJAM144

This album is a masterpiece. One without any recognition.

thetwoboyos??

True .. start to finish..

fitveganathlete IntegratedAthleticSystems

sad but true

Rocks Cousteau

I second that

pgroove211

@fitveganathlete IntegratedAthleticSystems sad ?...that's the way masterpieces r supposed to be.!...

Paul Tatara

John Lennon was a fan of it.

3 More Replies...

Asperger’s Corner

That period in music history when it all went psychedelic. Some of the best music ever produced. No time before or since has sounded so original and been so creative.

WindsOfNeptune

LOVE the bass and drum break in the middle. So bad ass!!! 1:40

3bar

Best part of the song.

1lightheaded

This album is packed with outstanding tracks Safe As Milk

More Comments

More Versions