After an eighteen-year hiatus, the band announced their 2023 “Summer of Green” Tour, where they’d play the album “Animals” by Pink Floyd in its entirety. The Frog Brigade now features Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on the keyboard, and Paolo Baldi on drums, with the only original members left being Les Claypool on bass and vocals, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Skerik on the saxophone.
Buzzards of Green Hill
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade Lyrics
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They come from the city, out here to Green Hill
Driving like bastards
Stomping the throttle
The buzzards of Green Hill grow fat on road kill.
Little Fuzzy Wuzzy was a baby bear,
Little Fuzzy Wuzzy didn't have no hair,
But he didn't give a good hot damn.
Little Ruby had a purry kitty cat
Brother ran him off with a tee-ball bat
Out on the Green Hill the little kitty cat sat
'Til he met a '96 Dodge Ram.
Johnny come lately, all through the county
They come from the city, out here to Green Hill
Driving like bastards
Stomping the throttle
The buzzards of Green Hill grow fat on road kill.
Old John Donovon was drinkin' late
Took his car keys and taunted fate
Swervin' cross the interstate,
Crashed a mother and her son cold dead.
Took John Donovan hucked him in jail
He dipped in his wallet and posted bail
Headed back home before sunrise shine
And slept in his very own bed.
This little piggy won't cast a stone,
This little piggy won't pick the bone,
But these little piggies won't stand alone when justice needs to be fed.
Johnny come lately, all through the county
They come from the city, out here to Green Hill
Driving like bastards
Stomping the throttle
The buzzards of Green Hill grow fat on road kill.
The lyrics to "Buzzards of Green Hill" by Les Claypool and his Fancy Band speak to the issue of reckless driving, particularly by those who come from the city and venture out into the rural, country areas like Green Hill. The singer of the song seems to be calling out these "Johnny come lately" drivers who tear through the peaceful countryside, causing chaos and endangering both humans and wildlife. Specifically, the "buzzards" of the title metaphorically represent both the actual birds who feed on the roadkill left behind by these drivers and the reckless drivers themselves, who are just like scavengers looking for their next meal. There are also a few vignettes throughout the song, such as the story of Little Fuzzy Wuzzy, which speak to the same general themes of recklessness and disregard for others, both human and animal.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny come lately, all through the county
Latecomers from the city arrive to Green Hill
They come from the city, out here to Green Hill
City dwellers driving recklessly on the country roads
Driving like bastards
The city drivers are speeding and not following the rules of the road
Stomping the throttle
They are pushing down hard on the gas pedal to go faster
The buzzards of Green Hill grow fat on road kill.
The vultures of Green Hill are benefiting from all the animals killed by the speeding drivers
Little Fuzzy Wuzzy was a baby bear,
There was a young bear that was small and cute
Little Fuzzy Wuzzy didn't have no hair,
The bear was not yet grown enough to have hair
Little Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy was he
Despite his name, the bear was not fuzzy yet
But he didn't give a good hot damn.
The bear didn't care about his lack of hair
Little Ruby had a purry kitty cat
There was a girl named Ruby who had a cat that purred
Brother ran him off with a tee-ball bat
Ruby's brother scared the cat away with a baseball bat
Out on the Green Hill the little kitty cat sat
The cat sat on the hill by itself
'Til he met a '96 Dodge Ram.
The cat was hit by a car, specifically a 1996 Dodge Ram
Old John Donovon was drinkin' late
A man named John Donovan was drinking alcohol late at night
Took his car keys and taunted fate
He took his car keys and tempted fate by driving while drunk
Swervin' cross the interstate,
He drove erratically across the highway
Crashed a mother and her son cold dead.
He caused a fatal accident, killing a mother and her son
Took John Donovan hucked him in jail
He was arrested and thrown in jail
He dipped in his wallet and posted bail
He paid his bail with money from his wallet
Headed back home before sunrise shine
He returned home before the sun rose
And slept in his very own bed.
He rested in his bed at home
This little piggy won't cast a stone,
This person won't judge or criticize others
This little piggy won't pick the bone,
This person won't take advantage of the misfortunes of others
But these little piggies won't stand alone when justice needs to be fed.
But they won't stand idly by when justice needs to be served
Johnny come lately, all through the county
The latecomers continue to arrive in Green Hill
They come from the city, out here to Green Hill
More drivers from the city come to Green Hill
Driving like bastards
They are still driving recklessly
Stomping the throttle
They are still driving too fast
The buzzards of Green Hill grow fat on road kill.
The vultures of Green Hill continue to feast on the dead animals on the road caused by the reckless drivers
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LES CLAYPOOL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind