Creature With the Atom Brain
Roky Erickson Lyrics


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Creature with the atom brain
Creature with the atom brain
Why is he acting so strange
Do you think he's one of them?

Threw the doll right down
Ripped it's guts off
And threw it on the ground
Creature with the atom brain
Creature with the atom brain

VOICEOVER:

"I told you I'd come back! Remember Buchanan?"

"But you're not Buchanan!"

"I don't look like him, but I am him.
Don't you recognize the voice Jim?
I promised to see you die, and I will!"

"Hey boss let us in! Boss man, let us in that door!"

"Get in the automobile! Get in the automobile! The automobile!"

No one stitches like that
No one stitches like that
Creature with the atom brain
Creature with the atom brain

VOICEOVER:

"Today's big story centers around the killing
Of District Attorney McGraw, whose body was
Found in his garage, murdered.

Dr. Walker is under the impression that these crimes
Were being perpetrated by dead men charged with atom
Rays, which gives them superhuman strength and makes
Them impervious to bullets.

Well, if you want to believe that story you can."

Creature with the atom brain
Creature with the atom brain
Why is he acting so strange




Do you think he's one of them?
Creature with the atom brain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roky Erickson's "Creature With the Atom Brain" are filled with obscure references and cryptic messages that leave a lot of room for interpretation. The song revolves around the titular creature, an enigmatic figure that seems to be causing mischief and mayhem wherever it goes. The singer is puzzled by the creature's behavior and wonders if it's one of "them", that is, one of the group responsible for the sordid crimes that are sweeping the city.


The first half of the song focuses on the creature's violent tendencies. It tears apart a doll and throws its innards on the ground, suggesting a profound disdain for conventional values and morals. The chorus repeats the creature's title and questions why it's "acting so strange", alluding to a sense of otherness and alienation.


The second half of the song features a voiceover that introduces the character of Jim Buchanan, a man who apparently died but has now come back to life. The voice claims to be Buchanan himself, or at least a version of him, and threatens to kill Jim. The voice then urges someone to get in the automobile and drives away. The last verse returns to the creature, whose actions are still puzzling and unnerving.


Overall, "Creature With the Atom Brain" paints a surreal and unsettling portrait of a world where the boundaries between life and death, reality and hallucination, are constantly blurred.


Line by Line Meaning

Creature with the atom brain
The monster has a brain that has been altered by atoms, making it superhuman and unstoppable.


Creature with the atom brain
The monster has a brain that has been altered by atoms, making it superhuman and unstoppable.


Why is he acting so strange
The monster's behavior is bizarre and frightening, causing alarm among the observers.


Do you think he's one of them?
The observers are wondering whether the monster is part of a group composed of similarly altered beings.


Threw the doll right down
The persona threw the doll to the ground with force.


Ripped it's guts off
The doll's interior was violently removed after being ripped open.


And threw it on the ground
The doll was then discarded onto the ground.


I told you I'd come back! Remember Buchanan?
The artist is declaring his return and asking the listener to recall a character named Buchanan.


But you're not Buchanan!
The listener is pointing out that the artist is not Buchanan.


I don't look like him, but I am him.
The artist asserts that he is, in fact, Buchanan despite his dissimilar appearance.


Don't you recognize the voice Jim?
The singer questions whether the listener recognizes his voice, suggesting that they have interacted before.


I promised to see you die, and I will!
The artist declares his intention to cause the listener's death.


Hey boss let us in! Boss man, let us in that door!
The singer's subordinates are asking to be let inside through the door and addressing their 'boss'.


Get in the automobile! Get in the automobile! The automobile!
The singer is urgently instructing the others to enter the car.


No one stitches like that
The persona is marveling at the precision and skill displayed in the stitching of some object.


No one stitches like that
The persona is marveling at the precision and skill displayed in the stitching of some object.


Why is he acting so strange
The monster's behavior is odd and alarming, causing confusion and fear among the observers.


Do you think he's one of them?
The observers are questioning whether the monster is part of a larger group of atomically altered beings.


Creature with the atom brain
The monster continues to cause fear and chaos with its superior intelligence and strength.


Creature with the atom brain
The monster continues to cause fear and chaos with its superior intelligence and strength.




Contributed by Riley A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@SitlerHQ

RIP Roky. This was the song that drew me towards you. Fly high.

@dixgun

such a great song

@SunnysFilms

RIP Roky Erickson. Thank you for making my Halloween seasons awesome.

@terminalpictures

Hard to find a better Halloween album than this one.

@kakstin

Tom Waits's 'Bone Machine' is the only comparable "Halloween album" I can think of.

@craigdamage

Thanks for the tunes Roky. You can't be replaced. R.I.P. brother.

@HypermaxZ

The entire album is fucking solid.

@isaacturner-hall4551

Saw the Elevators, the Sidewalks, years ago, played some bass with Lee Pence before I went to Vietnam, then he had a band called Bolla Hooker in Austin, didn't get to see him, don't know if Cal Stanton was drumming. Cal died. Lee died. They were fantastic players, people and friends. I was lost for a long time. I wish I could have found them after I found myself again. Steven Richard Turner

@TheBabypod

If I remember correctly, 1955 black and white movie "Creature With the Atom Brain" scared the shit out of me when I saw it. I would have been 7 yr old. Love those old B&W B sci-fi movies.

@drewgrows7765

I noticed that movie is here on YT. Is the song related to the movie?

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