Ceramic Dog

A noise/funk/improv/heavy-rock band, featuring Marc Ribo… Read Full Bio ↴Ceramic Dog

A noise/funk/improv/heavy-rock band, featuring Marc Ribot (Cubanos Postizs, The Lounge Lizards, Shrek etc.), plus two young players on the New York/California underground improv/experimental rock scene, Shahzad Ismaily (Two Foot Yard, Secret Chiefs 3) on bass/electronics and Ches Smith (Good for Cows, Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, Ben Goldberg Quintet) on drums/electronics.

While the dense, distorted guitar-drums-bass may bring to mind the heavier psychedelic workouts of Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. this is unquestionably music of a more challenging and rewarding kind. The rhythms range from ecstatic funk to loping pulsations backbone closer to the noise music of Merzbow.

http://www.myspace.com/marcribotsceramicdog

When We Were Young And We Were Freaks
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

hazy eyed
lazy thigh
the sun beat down
what the hell did we ever have in common?
the boat was late
the first mate
he and i got so high
the sea got rough

i remember the time
we spent
on your spanish isle
when we were young
and we
were
freaks

cellophane bags
riches to rags
man we got busted

you did alright in jail
you turned out to be quite a punk

"listen man, people are fuckin' sleepwalking, they're just sleepwalking man!"

you and i live on different galaxies
mr and mrs

but i remember the time
we spent
down there on your planet
when we were young
and we
were
freaks

a wrong left turn left a bad sunburn on a dirty mattress for 72 hours
you didn't even have the strength left to scream out to scream out
"NO MORE NO MORE NO MORE!"
still have those handcuffs and those bloodstained black satin sheets
you guessed it right
sooner or later love comes to this

but i remember the time
we spent
in honeymoon city
when we were young
when we were young
and we

were
freaks

Overall Meaning

The song "When We Were Young And We Were Freaks" by Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog is a nostalgic look back at the wild times the singer shared with their friend. The lyrics describe lazy afternoons spent in the sun, getting high, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The chorus harks back to a time when they were young, carefree, and considered themselves to be "freaks."

The lyrics also take a turn towards darker territory when the singer describes getting busted and going to jail, as well as a disturbing image of a bad sunburn received from spending too much time on a dirty mattress while under the influence. However, even with these darker themes, the overall tone of the song is one of fond memories and a longing for the past.

The final verse seems to suggest that the singer and their friend have since gone their separate ways, living on different "galaxies" and with vastly different lifestyles. Yet, despite the distance, the singer still holds onto memories of their shared experiences and the bond they once had.

Line by Line Meaning

hazy eyed
Our vision was clouded, perhaps due to drug use or just youthful exuberance

lazy thigh
We were perhaps lounging or relaxing in a carefree manner

the sun beat down
The weather was hot and oppressive

what the hell did we ever have in common?
We couldn't fathom how we connected with each other given our vastly different backgrounds, interests or personalities

the boat was late
We were stuck waiting for something, perhaps a mode of transportation that didn't show up on time

the first mate
An official on the boat or any other service, perhaps a friend or acquaintance

he and i got so high
We consumed drugs that led us to an altered state of consciousness

the sea got rough
The weather conditions worsened, making the boat ride unstable and dangerous

i remember the time we spent on your spanish isle when we were young and we were freaks
We reminisce about the time we spent in a Spanish island when we were younger and had an unconventional streak about us

cellophane bags
A reference to drug paraphernalia or other material goods that may seem valuable but are ultimately disposable or perishable

riches to rags
A reversal of fortune, from a state of wealth or luxury to one of poverty or destitution

man we got busted
We got caught or otherwise faced consequences for our actions

you did alright in jail you turned out to be quite a punk
We acknowledge that someone we knew went to jail but emerged from the experience with a strong sense of identity or rebelliousness

"listen man, people are fuckin' sleepwalking, they're just sleepwalking man!"
A spoken statement expressing disillusionment with society or mainstream culture

you and i live on different galaxies mr and mrs
We think of ourselves as being so different or distant from each other, perhaps due to diverging life paths or ideologies

but i remember the time we spent down there on your planet when we were young and we were freaks
We recall a different time when we had a sense of camaraderie and identity despite our differences

a wrong left turn left a bad sunburn on a dirty mattress for 72 hours you didn't even have the strength left to scream out to scream out "NO MORE NO MORE NO MORE!" still have those handcuffs and those bloodstained black satin sheets you guessed it right sooner or later love comes to this
A vivid account of a traumatic or painful experience involving physical harm or confinement, but one that also brings to light the inevitability of suffering in matters of the heart

when we were young when we were young and we were freaks
A repeated assertion of our former identities and a nostalgic longing for a time and way of being that we can no longer have

Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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