Let's Make the Water Turn Black
Captain Beefheart/Frank Zappa Lyrics

Now believe me when I tell you that my song is really true
The songwriter wants people to believe that the story they’re telling is true.

I want everyone to listen and believe
The songwriter wants everyone to hear and believe their story.

It's about some little people from a long time ago
The story is about some small individuals from a different era.

And all the things the neighbors didn't know
This song tells a story of the things that the neighbors wouldn't know about.

Early in the morning daddy dinky went to work
The father of one of these small people went to work early in the morning.

Selling lamps and chairs to San Bernadino squares
He was a salesman, selling furniture to the people of San Bernardino.

And I still remember mama with her apron and her pad
The songwriter has fond memories of their mother's apron and recipe book.

Feeding all the boys at Ed's cafe!
The songwriter’s mother used to feed the boys who hung out at Ed’s Cafe.

Whizzing and pasting and pooting through the day...
These characters would spend their day making various noises and smells.

(Ronnie helping Kenny helping burn his poots away!)
Ronnie would help Kenny get rid of his smelly gas by setting it on fire.

And all the while on a shelf in the shed:
While these characters played, they had a collection of little monster figurines sitting on a shelf in the shed.

Kenny's little creatures on display!
These monster figurines belonged to one of these little characters, Kenny.

Ronnie saves his numies on a window in his room
Ronnie puts his number twos on display on the windowsill of his room.

(a marvel to be seen: dysentery green)
The writer is describing Ronnie's poop as being an unusual green color that's interesting to look at.

While Kenny & his buddies had a game out in the back:
While Ronnie was collecting his poop, Kenny and his friends were playing a game outside.

Let's make the water turn black
These little characters were trying to make the water in their area turn black.

We see them after school in a world of their own
This group of characters would spend their time after school in their own little world.

(to some it might seem creepy what they do...)
Some people might find the activities these characters engage in to be strange and unsettling.

The neighbors on the right sat and watched them every night
The people who lived next door would watch these characters every night.

(I bet you'd do the same if they was you)
The songwriter imagines that anyone else in the same position would also watch these characters.

(Ronnie helping Kenny helping burn his poots away!)
Ronnie and Kenny would help each other get rid of their gas by lighting it on fire.

And all the while on a shelf in the shed:
As these characters played, the little monster figurines were still sitting on the shelf in the shed.

Kenny's little creatures on display!
Kenny's collection of monster figurines was still on display in the shed.

Ronnie's in the army now and Kenny's taking pills
Ronnie has joined the army and Kenny takes pills for an unknown reason.

Oh! how they yearn to see a bomber burn!
They long for the sight of a bomber being destroyed.

Color flashing, thunder crashing, dynamite machine!
The explosion would be exciting, with many colors flashing and loud noise of a crashing thunder.

(wait till the fire turns green...wait till the fire turns green)
They are waiting for a specific cue before the explosion happens.

Wait till the fire turns green!
They are waiting for a green fire before the explosion happens.

This would be a little bit of vocal teen-age heaven, right here on earth!
The characters imagine a spectacular explosion that would be heaven-like for teenagers.

Dodn-do-do-dodn-dodn-dodn-dada
This last line is an unusual sound effect that doesn’t have any specific meaning to be explained.