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The Straw
Idiot Flesh Lyrics

We are the hollow men
We're the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. (Alas!)

Our dried voices (when we whisper together)
Are quiet (and meaningless) as wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass (in our dry cellar)

Shape without form (shade without colour, paralysed force, gesture without motion)

Let me wear disguises
Rat's coat, crowskin
Behaving as the wind behaves

This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here they receive the supplication of a dead man's hand

Waking alone
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone

The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here

In this hollow valley
This broken jaw

In this last of meeting places
We grope together and avoid speech

Here we go round the prickly pear,
Prickly pear, prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear,
At five o'clock in the morning

Between the idea and the reality
Between the motion and the act falls the Shadow

For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception and the creation
Between the emotion and the response falls the Shadow

Life is very long

Between the desire and the spasm
Between the potency and the existence
Between the essence and the descent falls the Shadow

For Thine is the Kingdom
For Thine is, life is, for Thine is the...

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper, thank you very much, good night.

Contributed by Camden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Idiot Flesh was a talented and musically discordant band blending by a wide array of influences ranging from funk to prog rock and heavy metal as well as aspects of Eastern European Folk, Opera & Butoh dance performances. Formed in Oakland, California, USA in 1985 under the name Acid Rain with the demo album "We Were All Very Worried." They eventually changed their name to Idiot Flesh prior to the release of their first album in 1990. After Idiot Flesh disbanded in the late 90's Read Full BioIdiot Flesh was a talented and musically discordant band blending by a wide array of influences ranging from funk to prog rock and heavy metal as well as aspects of Eastern European Folk, Opera & Butoh dance performances. Formed in Oakland, California, USA in 1985 under the name Acid Rain with the demo album "We Were All Very Worried." They eventually changed their name to Idiot Flesh prior to the release of their first album in 1990. After Idiot Flesh disbanded in the late 90's, lead singer Nils Frykdahl and bassist/producer Dan Rathbun later formed Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

Known to tour the US in a converted city bus with Rathbun as the driver/mechanic, with the windshield destination banner of HELL. Besides their wild performances which embodied a "rock against rock" ethos, they were also known to defy classification with marching band routines, performing puppet shows, and playing household items as instruments (in tune). After finding few financial rewards for their increasingly complex stage show, Idiot Flesh disbanded in 1998.

Core Members:

- Captain Dragon (Gene Jun; Guitar, Percussion, Violin, Vocals, Arranger)
- Hyena Boy (Wes Anderson; 1994-1998: Percussion, Drums, Marimba, Multi Instruments, Talking, Vocals, Bassoon, Trash Cans)
- The Improver (Dan Rathbun; Bass, Multi Instruments, Saw, "Talking", Horn, Vocals, Trombone, Cello, Megaphone; Engineer)
- Pin (Nils Frykdahl; Flute, Saxophone, Percussion, Castanets, Vocals, Guitar; Cover Design/Graphics)
- Chuck Squier (1985 through 1994: Drums, Cover art)

Discography:

- (1990) Tales of Instant Knowledge and Sure Death
- (1994) The Nothing Show
- (1995) Teen Devil/Twitch (4 Song EP)
- (1997) Fancy (Nov. 11)