Lubricated Goat was formed by Stu Spasm (real name Stuart Grey). Spasm had previously been in bands such as Singing Dog with Nick Barker, and Salamander Jim with Tex Perkins. Upon returning from England, Spasm went to Perth to visit with Singing Dog drummer Brett Ford who was then playing in The Kryptonics with Peter Hartley.
While in Perth, Stu recorded side one of what later became the Plays The Devil’s Music EP at No Sweat Studios with Ford and Hartley. Side two was recorded in Adelaide on a 4-track with drummer Martin Bland (Bloodloss/Salamander Jim).
Lubricated Goat signed to Red Eye Records offshoot Black Eye Records. The band soon relocated to Sydney where Stu met Guy Maddison of the Greenhouse Effect (now in Mudhoney) and offered him the opportunity to play bass for Lubricated Goat. The majority of the band lived on Cleveland Street in an old run-down three-story mansion which was soon dubbed "Gracelands." The house was a creative haven for musicians and artists that were known to host art shows and nude discos.[citation needed]
In 1988, Lubricated Goat released its debut full length, Paddock Of Love, which featured the track "In The Raw". This song was later lip-synched to in the nude on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV program Blah Blah Blah, an event which created national media outrage. A documentary film has been made about the performance, also titled In The Raw, which explains how/why the band came to be nude in the first place.
Around this time there also was a line-up change, with Hartley and Ford sacked and replaced by guitarist Sir Charles Tolnay Esquire of Grong Grong and Gene, drummer of The Space Juniors. In 1989, the new lineup recorded the EP Schadenfreude and the full-length Psychedelicatessen.
Lubricated Goat had its back catalog re-released via Amphetamine Reptile Records in the United States, and on Normal in Europe, before making its first American tour in mid-1989. In 1990, Lubricated Goat commenced its first European tour, one that was plagued with tragedy via the stabbing of Spasm in Berlin in 1990 or 1991. The incident placed Lubricated Goat on hiatus.
Various incarnations of Lubricated Goat, often featuring only Stu Spasm, have since existed, recording material for Sub Pop, PCP, Sympathy for the Record Industry and REPTILIAN. Spasm also played in Crunt (which featured his then-wife Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland) and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins.
Albums:
* Paddock Of Love (Amphetamine Reptile [U.S.]/ Normal [Europe], 1988)
* Psychedelicatessen (Amphetamine Reptile [U.S.], 1989)
* Forces You Don't Understand (1994, PCP)
EPs:
* Plays The Devil’s Music 12" (Black Eye/ Amphetamine Reptile [U.S.], 1987)
* Schadenfreude 12" (Black Eye, 1989)
7" singles:
* "Meating My Head" (Sub Pop, 1989) (part of Sub Pop Singles Club, on yellow vinyl)
* "Bad Times" on Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets Volume Four (double 7") (Amphetamine Reptile, 199_) (4-way split with L. Goat, Boss Hog, Thee Mighty Caesars, Vertigo) (later appeared on the Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In The Streets Volumes 4-7 CD, on AmRep)
* "Shut Your Mind" (Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1992) (U.K.; on yellow vinyl)
* "Play Dead" (Sub Pop, 1993) (on red vinyl)
Compilation album
* The Great Old Ones (Reptilian, 2003 or 2004) (all re-recorded versions w/ new lineup)
Guttersnipe
Lubricated Goat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seen here beside a dustbin
A chance meeting with a fishbone bill
Gave her no time to draw up a will
Recovering after a car smash
I was force fed on unborn fowl
Someone said eggs were a symbol of death
I got a guttersnipe living in the gutter outside
Starring up at the sky in wonder
Meanwhile it's raining shit
So close your eyes and make a wish
Cats fucking on a broken glass wall
Wail with pleasure and pain
and all the kings hoses and business men
took great pleasure in removing the stain
I got a Guttersnipe e.t.c. ...
The lyrics of Lubricated Goat's song Guttersnipe are quite enigmatic and may be interpreted in different ways depending upon the listener's perspective. The opening line speaks of a "revolting junkie" who is depicted sitting beside a dustbin, possibly in a state of despair and hopelessness. The following line brings in a character called "fishbone bill" who seems to have had some fatal effect on the junkie. The enigmatic phrase "Gave her no time to draw up a will" hints at the suddenness of the encounter, leading to the possibility of a violent altercation.
The second verse narrates the story of the singer recovering after a car crash but is then force-fed on unborn fowl, which in turn is taken as a symbol of death. Here, the lyrics depict the singer's sense of alienation and confusion as they ponder over the meaning of existence. The phrase "pack up my bags 'coz I'm heading west" suggests a desire to escape, to move beyond the current situation and start afresh in a new location. The chorus brings in the character of the "guttersnipe" who is portrayed as a curious and innocent observer of the world, even in the midst of chaos and confusion. The line "Meanwhile it's raining shit" depicts the singer's frustration with the state of things, but the guttersnipe provides a glimmer of hope by encouraging the listener to "close your eyes and make a wish".
Line by Line Meaning
Revolting the junkie
The junkie is so disgusting that it is causing disgust and nausea in others who see them.
Seen here beside a dustbin
The junkie is currently located next to a garbage bin, indicating that they are living in very poor conditions.
A chance meeting with a fishbone bill
The junkie has encountered a dangerous situation, as fishbones can be sharp and cause injury.
Gave her no time to draw up a will
The junkie is in a precarious position and may not have time to make any arrangements or prepare for their death.
Recovering after a car smash
The artist has been in a car accident and is now in the process of recuperating.
I was force fed on unborn fowl
The singer has been given or made to eat a type of food that they find unpleasant or distasteful.
Someone said eggs were a symbol of death
There is a belief held by someone that eggs are associated with or represent death.
So pack up my bags 'coz I'm heading west
The artist is preparing to leave their current location and travel west.
I got a guttersnipe living in the gutter outside
The artist has observed a person living in a very poor condition in the gutter outside their location.
Starring up at the sky in wonder
The person living in the gutter seems to be looking up at the sky with a sense of awe or wonder.
Meanwhile it's raining shit
Despite the beauty or fascination of the sky, the surrounding environment is very unpleasant and dirty.
So close your eyes and make a wish
It may be better to ignore or avoid the current situation, and instead focus on positive thoughts or hopes for the future.
Cats fucking on a broken glass wall
There is a very dangerous and risky situation happening involving cats on a broken glass wall.
Wail with pleasure and pain
The cats seem to be experiencing both pleasure and pain as they engage in their activity.
and all the kings hoses and business men
The wealthy and influential members of society are observing or participating in this dangerous activity.
took great pleasure in removing the stain
The wealthy and powerful individuals took pleasure in cleaning up or covering up the aftermath of the cats' activity.
I got a Guttersnipe e.t.c. ...
Repeats the chorus about the person living in the gutter and their surroundings.
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GRS Meadloaf
This band remains incredible.
NINJA MASTER
bit of an old fave rave play LOUD