Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the cap… Read Full Bio ↴Lambchop is an American alt-country band from Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of country music. Originally called Posterchild, the band (which formed in 1986) cannot easily be classified into a genre and certainly not into that of traditional country music. The collective around frontman Kurt Wagner has a fluid membership, at times including as many 18 musicians, and is frequently associated with alternative country. Lambchop’s music combines wryly ironic lyrics that are complex in form and content with harmonious tunes and soulful background vocals. It is indebted to folk and country as much as to the smooth soul of Barry White, Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye and can be seen as a fine exemplification of Kris Kristofferson’s famous line: “country music is the white man’s soul”.

Scamper
Lambchop Lyrics

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Hey booger
Neely's been overcast, morning
A closet full of generic adult diapers
And a bible trivia game
Lunch, three doughnuts
And some chocolate milk
Reading, a newspaper
That is five days old

The nurse, the housekeeper
The doctor
The son is older than my father
The smell of old bland cooking wafting and blending
With that of red oak
Warm and sour

The kitchen floor is vinyl
And it's soaking wet
So is the bedroom
Of the mother
She has a problem
She is very old
With her bladder
You are outside
Sucking on a can
Passed out in the living room
Martha Stewart
Is speaking
Three hundred and fifty pounds of machinery
Roll between her surgical stockings
And the hearth

I do not look up
I am terrified

Overall Meaning

The Lambchop's song Scamper is a poignant description of a scene in a nursing home, where the singer finds himself in the presence of an elderly woman and her family. The song starts with a vivid description of the details of the room and the situation, including the fact that Neely, presumably the elderly woman, is in a bad mood, there are adult diapers in the closet, and a bible trivia game. The scene is filled with mundane and sad details, such as the old newspaper, the bland cooking smells blending with the red oak, and the vinyl floor that is soaking wet. The woman has a problem with her bladder, and her family is present, including a doctor, a nurse, a housekeeper, and an older son. As the singer observes the scene, he notices that he feels terrified and overwhelmed by the weight of the situation.

The song touches on themes of aging, mortality, and the universal struggle of growing old. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the realities of old age, including the difficult struggles with health, the experience of being cared for by others, and the loneliness and isolation that come with growing old. The details of the scene, from the smell of the cooking to the sound of machinery powering the mother's medical equipment, create a feeling of bleakness and despair, and the singer's sense of terror and unease underscores the gravity of the situation.

Scamper is a moving and evocative song that speaks to the human experience of growing old and facing the end of life. It is a poignant reminder of our shared mortality and the struggles we all face as we age.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey booger
Greetings, fellow human

Neely's been overcast, morning
It's been a gloomy morning for Neely

A closet full of generic adult diapers
There's a closet with plenty of plain adult diapers

And a bible trivia game
There's also a game of Bible trivia

Lunch, three doughnuts And some chocolate milk
Lunch consists of three doughnuts and chocolate milk

Reading, a newspaper That is five days old
Reading a newspaper from five days ago

The nurse, the housekeeper The doctor The son is older than my father
There are a nurse, a housekeeper, and a doctor present, but the son is remarkably old

The smell of old bland cooking wafting and blending With that of red oak Warm and sour
The smell of old and unappetizing cooking combines with that of red oak to create a warm, sour aroma

The kitchen floor is vinyl And it's soaking wet
The kitchen has a wet, vinyl floor

So is the bedroom Of the mother She has a problem She is very old With her bladder
The bedroom belonging to the elderly mother is also wet, likely due to a bladder issue

You are outside Sucking on a can Passed out in the living room
Someone is outside, drinking from a can and unconscious in the living room

Martha Stewart Is speaking
Martha Stewart's voice can be heard

Three hundred and fifty pounds of machinery Roll between her surgical stockings And the hearth
A heavy machine is moving between Martha Stewart's stockings and the fireplace

I do not look up I am terrified
The singer is too afraid to look up

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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