Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known … Read Full Bio ↴Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He overcame a series of personal obstacles, including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand, to emerge as a widely recognized master of his instrument. He currently resides in the Minneapolis area with his family.

Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone described by himself as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day".[1] In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on 6- and 12-string guitars.

Frank Forgets
Leo Kottke Lyrics

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Jane alone and someone else
Set out across the lawn
After the rapid rain
With floods they brought along

And underneath the stupid moon
Impaled upon their prank
Jane alone and someone else

Made a mess of Frank

His hand was where his nose should be
His head stuck up his ass
He walked on one leg naturally
And watched the bipeds pass

So now and then when lost friends call
To recount the past
Frank forgets cause he came too late

And love's run out of gas
And love's run out of gas

Overall Meaning

Leo Kottke's song Frank Forgets tells the humorous story of Frank, who has suffered amnesia due to a stroke, and his friends Jane and someone else who played a prank on him while he was recovering. During a rainstorm that caused flooding across the lawn, Jane and her accomplice constructed an impaled dummy with Frank's hand in place of its nose and positioned it on the lawn for Frank to find. Unfortunately, Frank suffering from memory loss stumbled upon the dummy and was traumatized by the sight, causing him to forget even more about his past. The lyrics describe Frank's current state, he walks unnaturally on one leg, and watches other people pass by him without truly grasping the situation. The song ends on a sad note, with Frank feeling lost and forgotten, unable to remember the love he once shared with his friends.

Line by Line Meaning

Jane alone and someone else
Two people, including Jane, moved together

Set out across the lawn
They started walking on the grassy area

After the rapid rain
Following an episode of heavy rain

With floods they brought along
They had caused some flooding due to the rain

And underneath the stupid moon
During a moonlit night

Impaled upon their prank
Frank became the victim of their practical joke

Made a mess of Frank
They played a trick that upset Frank

His hand was where his nose should be
Frank's body parts were rearranged by the pranksters

His head stuck up his ass
Frank was humiliated and embarrassed

He walked on one leg naturally
Frank was forced to walk awkwardly due to the prank

And watched the bipeds pass
Frank observed as people walked by him