Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top
Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart Lyrics
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Captain beefheart (harp, vocals)
George duke (keyboards, vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (saxophone, vocals)
Bruce fowler (trombone)
Tom fowler (bass)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
Terry bozzio (drums)
Sam with the showing scalp flat top,
Particular about the point it made.
Why, when I was knee-high to a grasshopper,
This black juice came out on a hard shelled chin.
And that called that 'tobacco juice'.
I used to fiddle with my back feet music for a black onyx.
My entire room absorbed every echo..
The music was.. thud like. the music was.. thud like.
I usually played such things as rough-neck and thug.
Opaque melodies that would bug most people.
Music from the other side of the fence.
A black swan figurine lay on all color lily pads.
On a little conglomeration table of pressed black felt.
With same color shadows, and seamed(? ) knobbed knees, and what-nots.
The long hallway rolled out into oddball odd.
Beside the fly-pecked black doorway,
That looked closed on the tar-lattice street.
Up a wrought iron fire escape.
Rolled out a tiny wooden platform with
Dark, hard, dark rubber wheels.
Roll, skreek! roll, skreek! roll, skreek!
Sam with the showing scalp flat top,
Particular about the point it made.
Sam was a basket case!
A hardened dark ivory clip held.. saleable everyday pencils.
I wish I had a pair 'o bongos!
Bongo fury! bongo fury!
Oowwwww! bongo fury!
(boogie!)
Bongo fury! bongo fury!
The song "Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top" by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart is a surreal exploration of memory and nostalgia. The lyrics describe Sam, a character who is obsessed with his appearance and the impression he makes on others. He is also consumed by memories of his childhood, particularly the black juice that used to come out of his chin when he was a child. The line "particular about the point it made" suggests that Sam is very deliberate in his actions and always seeks to make a statement.
The second part of the song paints a picture of Sam's room and the music he used to play. The "back feet music" and "thud-like" beats indicate that this music was unconventional and perhaps disturbing to some people. The image of a black swan on a bed of lily pads adds to the surreal and dreamlike quality of the song. The final lines describe a sort of escape from reality, as Sam rolls away on a tiny wooden platform with rubber wheels. The repetition of "roll, skreek!" reinforces the idea of the song as a sort of surreal and disorienting journey.
Overall, the lyrics to "Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top" are a mixture of nostalgia, surrealism, and social commentary. The character of Sam represents the way that people are often consumed by their own image and the impressions they make on others, even as they yearn for something more authentic.
Line by Line Meaning
Sam with the showing scalp flat top,
Introducing the character of Sam, who has a particular hairstyle
Particular about the point it made.
Sam is very specific about his hairstyle
Why, when I was knee-high to a grasshopper,
In my childhood memories,
This black juice came out on a hard shelled chin.
I remember seeing people spit tobacco
And that called that 'tobacco juice'.
It was referred to as 'tobacco juice'
I used to fiddle with my back feet music for a black onyx.
I used to play music by tapping my feet on a black stone
My entire room absorbed every echo..
The sound would fill up my entire room
The music was.. thud like. the music was.. thud like.
The music had a dull thudding sound
I usually played such things as rough-neck and thug.
I liked to play rough and aggressive music
Opaque melodies that would bug most people.
I played obscure and irritating music that most people wouldn't like
Music from the other side of the fence.
I played music that was different and unconventional
A black swan figurine lay on all color lily pads.
In my room, I had a black swan figure surrounded by colorful lily pads
On a little conglomeration table of pressed black felt.
The figurine was on a small table made of black felt
With same color shadows, and seamed(? ) knobbed knees, and what-nots.
The shadows under the figurine were the same color, and the table had many different bumps and shapes
The long hallway rolled out into oddball odd.
The hallway was strange and unusual
Beside the fly-pecked black doorway,
There was a black door with many fly marks on it
That looked closed on the tar-lattice street.
The door appeared shut on a street made of tar and lattice
Up a wrought iron fire escape.
I climbed up a metal fire escape
Rolled out a tiny wooden platform with
At the top, there was a small wooden platform
Dark, hard, dark rubber wheels.
The wheels attached to the platform were hard and rubbery
Roll, skreek! roll, skreek! roll, skreek!
The wheels made a screeching sound as they rolled along
Sam with the showing scalp flat top,
Sam is still rocking his unique hairstyle
Particular about the point it made.
And he's still very specific about it
Sam was a basket case!
Sam was crazy!
A hardened dark ivory clip held.. saleable everyday pencils.
I had a clip that held pencils for sale
I wish I had a pair 'o bongos!
I desired some bongo drums
Bongo fury! bongo fury!
I imagined how great it would be to play bongo drums
Oowwwww! bongo fury!
I express my excitement for bongo drums with a shout
(boogie!)
Let's boogie!
Bongo fury! bongo fury!
I can't stop thinking about how cool it would be to play bongo drums
Contributed by Aubrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.