Well
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Lyrics
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Night blocks out d' heaven like uh big black shiny bug
Its hard soft shell shinin' white in one spot well
It's hard place dat I'm livin' but I'm doin' well well
The white ice horse melted like uh spot uh silver well
Its mane went last then disappeared the tail
My life ran thru my veins
Whistlin' hollow well
I froze in solid motion well well
I heard the ocean swarmin' body well well
I heard the beetle clickin' well
I sensed the thickest silence scream
Then I begin t' dream
My mind cracked like custard
Ran red until it sealed
Turn t' wooden 'n rolled like uh wheel well well
Thick black felt birds uh flyin'
With capes of solid chrome
With feathers of solid chrome
'n beaks of solid bone
'n bleach the air around them
White 'n cold well well
Till it showed in pain
The hollow cane clicked like ever after
Its shadow vanished shinin' silence
Well well
The lyrics to Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band's song "Well" are quite enigmatic and do not have an obvious meaning. However, many interpretations center around a sense of isolation and discomfort. The opening lines describe a river of blood and a sky blocked out by a dark, shining bug. These images create feelings of unease and suggest the world is not a hospitable place. The white spot in the well may represent a glimmer of hope or happiness, but it is fleeting and ultimately disappears. The singer is living in a "hard place," but they insist they are doing "well well."
The lyrics continue with surreal imagery and a sense of detachment. The melting ice horse and clicking beetle create a vivid sensory experience, but the singer is disconnected from it all, frozen in "solid motion." The thick silence that screams and the mind cracking like custard suggest a breakdown or psychological turmoil. The final lines about the hollow cane, its vanishing shadow, and "shinin' silence" create a haunting atmosphere and leave the meaning of the song open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Light floats down day river on uh red raft o' blood
The sunlight is shining on a river that looks like a red raft of blood.
Night blocks out d' heaven like uh big black shiny bug
The night sky is blocking out the stars and looks like a big, black, shiny bug.
Its hard soft shell shinin' white in one spot well
There is a hard object that has a white spot shining on it.
It's hard place dat I'm livin' but I'm doin' well well
I am living in a difficult place, but I am managing to live well.
The white ice horse melted like uh spot uh silver well
A white horse made of ice melted into a silver spot.
Its mane went last then disappeared the tail
The horse's mane melted away last, and then its tail disappeared.
My life ran thru my veins
I felt my life force flowing through my veins.
Whistlin' hollow well
There is a hollow space that is making a whistling sound.
I froze in solid motion well well
I became frozen and unable to move.
I heard the ocean swarmin' body well well
I could hear the sound of the ocean swarming and moving like a living body.
I heard the beetle clickin' well
I heard the sound of a beetle clicking.
I sensed the thickest silence scream
There was a very thick silence that was so loud it felt like a scream.
Then I begin t' dream
Then I started to dream.
My mind cracked like custard
My mind felt like it was breaking apart, like custard would if you hit it hard enough.
Ran red until it sealed
My mind was bleeding and then it stopped and healed over.
Turn t' wooden 'n rolled like uh wheel well well
My body felt like it turned to wood and started to roll like a wheel.
Thick black felt birds uh flyin'
There are birds made of thick black felt flying.
With capes of solid chrome
The birds have capes made of solid chrome.
With feathers of solid chrome
The birds have feathers made of solid chrome.
'n beaks of solid bone
The birds have beaks made of solid bone.
'n bleach the air around them
The birds are making the air around them white and cold.
White 'n cold well well
The air is white and cold.
Till it showed in pain
The pain was visible.
The hollow cane clicked like ever after
A hollow cane was making a clicking sound.
Its shadow vanished shinin' silence
The shadow of the cane disappeared into the shining silence.
Contributed by Maya R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@andygray
Light floats down day river on uh red raft o’ blood
Night blocks out d’ heaven like uh big black shiny bug
Its hard soft shell shinin’ white in one spot well
It’s hard place dat I’m livin’ but I’m doin’ well well
The white ice horse melted like uh spot uh silver well
Its mane went last then disappeared the tail
My life ran thru my veins
Whistlin’ hollow well
I froze in solid motion well well
I heard the ocean swarmin’ body well well
I heard the beetle clickin’ well
I sensed the thickest silence scream
Then I begin t’ dream
My mind cracked like custard
Ran red until it sealed
Turn t’ wooden ‘n rolled like uh wheel well well
Thick black felt birds uh flyin’
With capes of solid chrome
With feathers of solid chrome
‘n beaks of solid bone
‘n bleach the air around them
White ‘n cold well well
Till it showed in pain
The hollow cane clicked like ever after
Its shadow vanished shinin’ silence
Well well
(1969)
@HamPilgrimBL
I turned on the piano-vision
There was nothing on Channel 4
So I walked to the staircase-mobile home, well well
I was deep-fryin' my light bulbs
As the night turned into glue
There was shadow puppet angels
Who was singin' fancy tunes, well well
The sun shone beams of gravy
Down the back of Old Man Soap
So I snatched 'em, perfumed 'em
And tied 'em to a rope, well
Doped up on eggshells
And a candy-coated sink
I slumped down over by the moon
And took a think, well well
@Goatchild90
Trout Mask Replica is simply an untouchable double LP. No one will go this far out just for artistic sake. Rest in Peace Captain Beefheart
@mcbillygoat2413
Ultimate 60’s concept album.
@JosephSingleton-mx4bs
Listen to the Lewis Creek Brothers demo tape. "We don't know how to play our instruments yet" it's not as good as this but you should be able to find it on YouTube
@t.c.bramblett617
This may have caused most of Tom Waits' career
@drzazgi666
"I sensed the thickest silence scream..." absolutely amazing and touching authentic field holler. one of the few points on the LP where Beefheart is dead serious
@aakkoin
Holler
@M.O.T.E.
Amazing poetry, and his delivery is superb!
@imDezrt
His delivery on this is so fuckin brutal and grim, I love it. He sounds like tar and crow's talons
@andygray
Light floats down day river on uh red raft o’ blood
Night blocks out d’ heaven like uh big black shiny bug
Its hard soft shell shinin’ white in one spot well
It’s hard place dat I’m livin’ but I’m doin’ well well
The white ice horse melted like uh spot uh silver well
Its mane went last then disappeared the tail
My life ran thru my veins
Whistlin’ hollow well
I froze in solid motion well well
I heard the ocean swarmin’ body well well
I heard the beetle clickin’ well
I sensed the thickest silence scream
Then I begin t’ dream
My mind cracked like custard
Ran red until it sealed
Turn t’ wooden ‘n rolled like uh wheel well well
Thick black felt birds uh flyin’
With capes of solid chrome
With feathers of solid chrome
‘n beaks of solid bone
‘n bleach the air around them
White ‘n cold well well
Till it showed in pain
The hollow cane clicked like ever after
Its shadow vanished shinin’ silence
Well well
(1969)
@acoronab
What a voice and expression!!! Those were the days!