By their own assertion, they achieved their unique sound in part by striving to get unnatural synthesizer-like sounds using only what instruments they had available (acoustic ones). To that end they routinely used muffled and de-tuned instruments, and often to striking effect, tape loops / manipulation. The two released four full length albums, one collection, various songs on compilation albums, and several self-produced demos. They were "discovered" by The Residents when Brian dropped off a tape at Ralph Records headquarters in San Francisco, during a visit to the U.S. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo.
By 1989, the collaboration had lost its steam, and the duo disbanded after recording a sea shanty, "Haul on the Bowline," which appeared only on a Ralph various artists release. Brian/Renaldo contributed to sporadic recordings in the 1990s. In 2006 upon the launch of the new Renaldo & the Loaf web site, the duo were reunited for the first time in the better part of two decades.
Websites:
http://www.turkeyworld.org/renaldoloaf/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/ollehollehrotcod
http://www.myspace.com/thedarkeningscale (The Loaf)
http://www.myspace.com/renaldomalpractice (Renaldo)
Honest Joe's Indian
Renaldo and the Loaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Homer's deranged
Joe's got a goat
Joe's gotta go
Joey!
Joe has a ball
Joey!
Stew the red shoe
Ow! Stew the red shoe!
Are you goin' to the conga, Joe?
Boom boom, Crash crash.
The Renaldo & the Loaf song "Honest Joe's Indian" is a perplexing and abstract piece of music, filled with nonsensical lyrics and clattering instrumentation. The opening lines, "Home on the range, Homer's deranged," set the tone for the song's strange and surreal imagery. The line can be interpreted in a few different ways - "Home on the range" could refer to the famous American folk song about cowboys, and "Homer's deranged" could be a reference to the Greek poet Homer, or simply a pun on the word "home."
The song then introduces the character of Joe, who has a goat and needs to go somewhere. The repeated refrain of "Joey!" adds to the song's nonsensical atmosphere, as the listener is left to wonder exactly who Joey is and what his significance is. The line "Glued to a wall, Joe has a ball" is similarly confusing - is Joe literally glued to a wall, or is the line a metaphor for feeling stuck in a situation but still finding enjoyment in it?
The line "Stew the red shoe, ow! Stew the red shoe!" is another example of the song's nonsensical lyrics. It's unclear what "stew the red shoe" could mean - is it an inside joke or reference, or is it simply a string of words that sound interesting together? The final lines of "Are you goin' to the conga, Joe?/Boom boom, crash crash" don't offer much clarity, either. Overall, "Honest Joe's Indian" is a song that's open to interpretation and invites the listener to make their own meaning out of its chaotic, surreal imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
Home on the range
Joe is in a familiar place
Homer's deranged
Joe is in a place that has been driven to madness
Joe's got a goat
Joe has a pet goat
Joe's gotta go
Joe needs to leave
Joey!
Exclamation of excitement for Joe
Glued to a wall
Joe is unable to move
Joe has a ball
Joe is having fun
Joey!
Exclamation of excitement for Joe
Stew the red shoe
An expression of frustration or anger
Ow! Stew the red shoe!
Exclamation of pain and frustration
Are you goin' to the conga, Joe?
Asking Joe if he is going to a party or event
Boom boom, Crash crash.
Sound effects, possibly indicating chaos or destruction
Contributed by Gabriel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.