In 1969 the band were all arrested for possession of marijuana and Roky was incarcerated in Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane where he reportedly underwent electroshock therapy and was placed on Thorazine amongst other controversial treatments. Many claim he has never been the same since. Sadly in the intervening years record execs and managers displayed the bad side of the music business and took full advantage of his condition often leaving him living in poverty while they hoarded all the cash.
In 2001 Roky's youngest brother, Sumner Erickson (ex-tuba player for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), was appointed his legal guardian and an improvement in Roky's faculties has been reported since, leading to a return to live shows.
An excellent documentary on Roky, "You're gonna miss me" (2005), chronicled his troubled life - his schizophrenia, incarceration for possession of a joint, and talented and eccentric family.
Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play
Roky Erickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such clear clear nights and clear days
Cause lightning never flashes our way
If you click your fingers applauding the play
Fat kings and queens all eating their grapes
Blood and blaspheme not upon the door drapes
Scream out for murder, scream out for hate
And from the horizons the wrath boot's not down
Clear skies sometimes the clouds so inviting
Such a friendly sound
Temples arising are not raked
Columns not shattered by any earthquakes
The seas and famine are all their own brake
If you click your fingers applauding the play
And from the horizons the wrath boot's not down
Clear skies sometimes the clouds so inviting
Such a friendly sound
The lyrics of Roky Erickson's "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play" are quite cryptic and require a bit of interpretation. The first verse seems to suggest that the singer is in a place where they never experience lightning, which could be a metaphor for never experiencing danger or harm - everything is always clear and calm. The act of clicking your fingers and applauding the play seems to represent a sort of complacency or acceptance of this stagnant peacefulness.
The second verse paints a picture of excess and decadence, with the "fat kings and queens all eating their grapes". The following line, "Blood and blaspheme not upon the door drapes", could suggest that this decadence is not without its costs, and perhaps there are things happening behind closed doors that are not quite as peaceful as the surface level suggests. The line "Scream out for murder, scream out for hate / If you click your fingers applauding the play" seems to suggest that this complacency and acceptance of the status quo allows for the perpetuation of violence and hatred.
The final verse could be interpreted as a commentary on the idea of utopia or heaven, where everything is perfect and there is no suffering. The line "Temples arising are not raked / Columns not shattered by any earthquakes / The seas and famine are all their own brake" seems to suggest that this idyllic place is somehow self-sustaining and immune to any sort of destruction or decay. Overall, the song seems to be a critique of complacency and the dangers of a stagnant, too-perfect society.
Line by Line Meaning
Click your fingers applauding the play
Applaud the show with a click of your fingers
Such clear clear nights and clear days
The weather is always pleasant and clear
Cause lightning never flashes our way
There are no storms or troubles to face
If you click your fingers applauding the play
If you appreciate the show, your troubles vanish
Fat kings and queens all eating their grapes
Those in power live luxuriously
Blood and blaspheme not upon the door drapes
There is no violence or sacrilege to be found
Scream out for murder, scream out for hate
Expressions of violence and hate are encouraged
If you click your fingers applauding the play
By appreciating the show, you are complicit in promoting hate
And from the horizons the wrath boot's not down
There is no punishment or retribution
Clear skies sometimes the clouds so inviting
The inviting skies contrast with the oppressive nature of the society
Such a friendly sound
The only friendly thing in this oppressive society is the sound of the clouds
Temples arising are not raked
Religious institutions are allowed to flourish
Columns not shattered by any earthquakes
The infrastructure is well-maintained and stable
The seas and famine are all their own brake
The society has enough resources to prevent widespread hunger and environmental disasters
If you click your fingers applauding the play
By applauding the show, you are supporting an oppressive society
And from the horizons the wrath boot's not down
There is no fear of punishment for those in power
Clear skies sometimes the clouds so inviting
The pleasant weather is a facade for a repressive society
Such a friendly sound
The only friendly thing in this oppressive society is the sound of the clouds
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Armchair Rambo
My favorite Roky song. It stands out in a terrific canon. A uniquely gifted person. Miss him and his total lack of artifice, aliens aside. Someone special we were lucky to know. The horror movie stuff has aged very well. Highly recommended!
mike hunt
Henry Rollins, Rolling Stone, April 20 1995: " Only Captain Beefheart or a Roxy Erickson could write something like "Click Your... " Mike Jagger couldn`t come up with that brilliant. Yet he`ll make $47 millions this year, while Roxy lives in a dump". Any misspellings are my fault!! My hat off to you, Mr. Rollins. Thank You , PhsycadelicRock for posting thi!!!
Rick MacDonald
Great tune, the Electric Six cover brought me here to check out the original. I'll have to explore more of Rocky's music.
APerfectMonster
Why does Roky not perform this song live nowadays? I miss this outstanding song at his conserts.
gizmo no
What a lick! šøš¤š¤
Curtis Elmore
the version i have is on a record (vinyl) called ""ROKY AND THE ALIENS""and this song is on there but MUCH MUCH heavier and way better it freaking rocked my worldi am a gen xer who grew up in rural tennessee listening to hank and metallica ..you know basic angry young man type metal plus some native country mixed in.....then one day i walked into a record store called treehouse records in mpls and heard this song and its changed my life .,well as much as a song can anyways ,it opened my eyes
mike hunt
RIP, Mr. Erickson.
petescurvy
This song is so kickin' hard ass!
St. O'Ned
All my heroes have obits....
Rest in Psychedelia, ROKY.....ā
NEOMASS
i cant hit like button more than once! Ā :(