In 2004 the group recorded their only album "the big eyeball in the sky" and toured nationwide in support of the album.
The band briefly reunited without Brain at the 2006 Wakarusa Festival where, during Les Claypool's Fancy Band set, Bernie and Buckethead came onstage and played "the Big Eyeball in the Sky". Claypool dubbed this incarnation "Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Baldi", Baldi being Paulo Baldi who was a drummer for Cake and The Fancy Band.
Ignorance Is Bliss
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the things done in his name
He packed his suitcase and his golf clubs
Filled his pockets full of grain
He said "To hell with all of this"
Then he blew a farewell kiss
To be all knowing is quite stressful
Ignorance is bliss
Straight from the video store
Billy's marching off to war
I heard they called our Lady Liberty
a greasy little whore
Well the market's on the boil
We're down a couple quarts of oil
The President's reacting
Like an old near-sighted mohel
I'll see you on the other side
As our heads implode from blind pride
Try to remember these words:
Ignorance is bliss (x3)
Try to remember this:
Ignorance is bliss
The lyrics of "Ignorance is Bliss" by Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains convey a powerful message about the negative consequences of knowledge and the benefits of ignorance. The first couple of verses mention Jesus, who, upon witnessing the pain caused in his name, decides to leave and embrace ignorance. He acknowledges that being all-knowing can be quite overwhelming and chooses the bliss of not knowing instead. The second half of the song tackles a few contemporary issues such as war, oil, and politics. Billy is marching off to war, and Lady Liberty is called a greasy little whore. The president is portrayed as an old, near-sighted mohel (a Jewish circumciser). The song ends with a message for the listener to remember that ignorance is indeed bliss.
The lyrics of the song are open to interpretation, but they seem to suggest that knowledge brings pain and that being ignorant can be a more comfortable state of being. The message is particularly powerful in the context of the contemporary world where we are bombarded with information all the time, some of which can be quite distressing.
Line by Line Meaning
When Jesus saw the pain
When Jesus witnessed the agony
Of the things done in his name
Of the actions committed in his honor
He packed his suitcase and his golf clubs
He prepared to leave, taking his possessions
Filled his pockets full of grain
He took sustenance with him
He said "To hell with all of this"
He expressed his disgust with the situation
Then he blew a farewell kiss
He said goodbye with a symbolic gesture
To be all knowing is quite stressful
Being fully informed can be overwhelming
While ignorance is bliss
Choosing not to know can be peaceful
Straight from the video store
Directly from the place where films are rented
Billy's marching off to war
Someone named Billy is heading into battle
I heard they called our Lady Liberty
I overheard that people referred to the Statue of Liberty
a greasy little whore
In a derogatory way, as a promiscuous entity
Well the market's on the boil
The economic situation is tense
We're down a couple quarts of oil
We have a shortage of oil
The President's reacting
The US leader is responding
Like an old near-sighted mohel
In an unskilled manner, like a clumsy Jewish circumcisionist
I'll see you on the other side
I'll meet you in the afterlife
As our heads implode from blind pride
As we suffer the consequences of arrogance
Try to remember these words:
Take note of the upcoming statement
Ignorance is bliss (x3)
Not being aware can be peaceful and desirable
Try to remember this:
Recall this important idea
Ignorance is bliss
Not knowing can bring peace of mind
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.