Earlier recordings consisted of a few psychedelic-era cover songs. At the time of the release of their album Breaking No New Ground, Rolling Stone compared them to Jefferson Airplane mainly due to their cover of Moody Blues signature song Ride My See-Saw as well as their cover of the Carole King composed song - made famous by the Monkees called The Porpoise Song. The ambitious duo also put their signature on Led Zeppelin songs like Dazed and Confused, sung in Mandarin and re-named Dazed and Chinese, as well as a more conventional cover of Zeppelin's Four Sticks. The band's style ultimately evolved into a more poppy, approach which according to Kramer, is why their album The Big Sell Out was named as such. The album still retained some of the band's earlier edge as well as retaining the surreal and wicked, often self-deprecating wit which had distinguished the group's earlier releases. Magnuson's performance art or spoken word "cut up's" (often taken from her dream journal excerpts) would become a integral part of Bongwater's sound. David Bowie was impressed by their humorous song David Bowie Wants Ideas and in a Rolling Stone interview jokingly called Magnuson "...a brilliant and very dangerous artist..."
They distinguished themselves as interpreters of songs by other artists, in particular of 1960s psychedelic rock songs, although they also covered occasional oddities like Bedazzled by Dudley Moore and Rock and Roll, Part II in which Ann Magnuson added a stream of consciousness performance art piece with hilarious lyrics making fun of Paul Newman's Own food products. They also covered Kisses Sweeter than Wine by The Weavers which had also been covered and made popular by Johnny Cash . Bongwater also covered The 13th Floor Elevators You Don't Love Me Yet. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine was tributed to Magnuson's deceased brother, Bobby, and others lost to AIDS which she mentions in the song. Bongwater also covered the classic Buffalo Springfield/Neil Young penned song Mr. Soul on the early 90s tribute album to Neil Young called "The Bridge." They also put their unique stamp on The Beatles song Julia.
The group created a number of arty low budget home movie-style music videos, three being directed by Magnuson's then-boyfriend, Brad Dunning. The video for "The Power of Pussy" which was more slick and polished, was financed by and aired on the Playboy Channel.
Bongwater had two college radio hits, "The Power of Pussy" and the marathon-length "Folk Song". Artistic differences, ego and Magnuson's lawsuit over profits caused the group and the eventual destruction of the true "indie" Shimmy Disc record label "... to shatter into a million pieces..." as Kramer wrote in the liner notes in the "Box of Bongwater" collection and elsewhere.
Everybody's Talking
Bongwater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cut to Chicago.
Music up.
The time is the present.
The place: an open air coffee shop. The New York Times is spread out on the table.
Joe is there with another girl. He's a very smooth kisser, and her nails are painted silver with pink edges that blend into the pink of his lips. He ignores me. I leave him, walk down the street through the traffic and down toward the water.
Sung:
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
Only the echoes of my mind
I'm goin' where the sun keeps shinin'
Through the pourin' rain
Goin' where the weather suits my clothes
Bankin' off of the northeast winds
And sailin' on summer breeze
Skippin' over the ocean like a stone
Spoken:
Aunt Helen is there at the lake shore, helping suicides. A blond fashion victim male model has a rope and is planning to hang himself. Others are gathered around the water's edge, a lot of AIDS patients, manic depressives and other unhappy people.
Aunt Helen soothes them. She's always had a calming effect on people. She has letters, too, letters from people who are threatening to kill themselves, and will she please try to stop them.
Aunt Helen has a house right there by the lake. She has a huge patio covered with plants and colorful flowers, very life-affirming.
Sung:
I'm goin' where the sun keeps shinin'
Through the pouring rain
Goin' where the weather suits my clothes
Banking off of the northeast winds
And sailin' on summer breeze
Skippin' over the ocean like a stone
Spoken:
There's a girl on the patio who's going to kill herself. I join Aunt Helen, who leaves me alone with the girl to try to convince her to live.
"Where do you live?" I ask her.
"In the Boston area," she mumbles.
"Oh, well there's the trouble right there," I tell her. "There's too much snow there. You need sunshine. Move to LA, for a change. You need a change. It helps, believe me. You can make friends."
Then I remembered that the last time I convinced someone to move to LA, they had a nervous breakdown.
Oh well, I'm really happy now, because I've finally gotten out of show business and have a new vocation: helping suicides in Chicago.
My life now has meaning.
Sung:
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everybody's talkin' at me
The lyrics of Bongwater's song "Everybody's Talking" are a mix of spoken word and singing, telling a story of a person's experiences in Chicago. The song starts with a scene in an open-air coffee shop where the singer sees her ex-boyfriend with another girl, feeling ignored, and leaving the place. The song then goes on to talk about the singer's travel to a lakeshore where her Aunt Helen helps people who are contemplating suicide. The song ends by the singer trying to convince a girl on the patio not to kill herself and feeling content with her new vocation of helping suicides.
The song seems to be about searching for meaning in life and finding it in helping others. The singer, who was feeling ignored and rejected at the start, finds purpose in helping people who are struggling with mental health issues. The lyrics "Everybody's talking at me, I don't hear a word they're saying, only the echoes of my mind" could be interpreted as the singer feeling disconnected and not being able to connect with others until she finds her calling.
The song also touches upon the themes of depression, suicide, and the importance of finding a supportive community. The story takes place in Chicago, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and the characters in the song represent a cross-section of society struggling with different mental health issues.
Overall, Bongwater's "Everybody's Talking" is a thought-provoking and poignant song that highlights the importance of empathy and connection in overcoming mental health challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everyone around me is talking, but I'm not really listening.
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
I'm not really paying attention to what anyone is saying.
Only the echoes of my mind
All I hear are my own thoughts.
I'm goin' where the sun keeps shinin'
I'm going to a place where there's always sunshine and warmth.
Through the pourin' rain
Even if it's raining, I'll still be able to see the sunshine.
Goin' where the weather suits my clothes
I'm going somewhere where I can dress comfortably for the weather.
Banking off of the northeast winds
I'll use the winds to guide me in the right direction.
And sailin' on summer breeze
I'll let the wind carry me and enjoy the summer weather.
Skippin' over the ocean like a stone
I'll travel across the ocean quickly and easily.
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everyone around me is still talking, but I'm still not listening.
Everybody's talkin' at me
People are still talking, but I'm still not paying attention.
Everybody's talkin' at me
Everyone seems to have something to say, but I don't care.
Everybody's talkin' at me
People are talking, but they can't get through to me.
Everybody's talkin' at me
The noise of people talking is overwhelming, but it's not affecting me.
Everybody's talkin' at me
People are still talking, but it doesn't matter.
Contributed by Cole A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bob Shop
on Folk Song
It’s Tina Chow, not Tina Child. Ex-wife of restaurateur Michael Chow of NYC hotspot, Mr. Chow and mother of actress/model China Chow. Tina Chow contracted AIDS and pursued alternative medicines at a time when the virus was a certain death sentence. Hence the 12 grand crystal and wheat grass juice. “Hello Death” is less a reference towards Ann Magnuson own mortality than Death becoming a constant companion as AIDS tools dozens of her friends.
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
And feed little Dorean with a tin
And feed little Doreen from a tin
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
Then I start to think
Then I start to freak
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
Dorean was born in 1971, and she is half-black. Mulatto
Doreen was born in 1971, and she is half-black. mulatta
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
With their ornate, ivory handles and witching middle-eastern vibes.
With their ornate, ivory handles and witchy, middle-eastern vibes.
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
It′s a little girl, and her name is Dorean
It′s a little girl, and her name is Doreen
Mert Turner
on Then the Babies Return
My old boyfriend Peter appears, and hits me up for a (?)
My old boyfriend Peter appears, and hits me up for a C note.
C note is slang for $100.