Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
Epizootics!
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all the veins ran out
When too much bone structure went missing
She thumbed the galleon Cacafuego
Forsook the eyebrows climbing into greasy black hairlines
Narcrotic leis yanked down around the melianomed ankles
Their putrid petals dropping, erasing the white shoes
Slabs of steam tables whiffing of onions and roses
Haunted Jacuzzis churning
All night the native bods squealing B-flat
Like choirs of pigs seeking revenge for stolen insulin
Blip, boost, bust, brother
That's how we copped a final
Reached this city without sound
Everywhere you turn
Bunkers of rubber hoses pronging up off the city's floor
Chirp, chime, clambaked, cups
Don't step on that rotting tartare
Just might bust your conk
Might lay your racket
Early black ickaroo
It's dense, tense
Unseen through, pound for pound
All the people,on the corners
Pushing each other around
Humping like buggers, touching like muggers
Pushing each other around
Adepocere in a zoot
Sloshing, karat, ballooning down the street
Thousand kilos simpy, forty stone send
Tips his skypiece, come to weigh me up
But I'm toned
Gut bucket
Ground grippers ready to trilly
Layin' down iron, togged to the bricks
Shh
Let's add a little shade
Try something apart from the hogshair
While Pope Julius affects his red slippers
Let Michelangelo tip-toe around in his dogskin boots
Shh
The powder on a chalky bosom
Rises and hangs in the air
Clouds crawling through protracted blue
Like souls of insects
From threshing haze
The scent of spider lilies
Sam P's bagged decapitation
Rotates to the ocean floor
Its nostrils are twitching and sniffing
Gabriel's gravy
Got your glasses on, gate
There's some mezz glimmers, a gammon V8
Twisters in the slammer
Frisking their whiskers
Till peola dim on the chime of black
It's dense, tense
Unseen through, pound for pound
Scratch and Jesus on the corner
Pushing each other around
Shoving like sluggers, touching like muggers
Pushing each other around
Snapping their caps, slidin' their jibs
Lampin' the brees, drapin' the trees
Oops, pardon the elbow
Let's just shift you over here
Sorry, I'm so clumsy
Take that accidently in the bollocks for a start
Seven brights jumped in port
Reached this city without sound
Kopasetic, on the corners
Pushing each other around
Everybody on the corners
Pushing each other around.
Joe below, hincty dicty
Slipped the pounders, fews and two
Knock me, boot me
Down in the land of darkness
Sweet Leilani, heavenly flower
The lyrics of Scott Walker's song Epizootics! present a surreal collage of images, ideas, and words that defy straightforward interpretation. The song seems to be a stream-of-consciousness narration that jumps from one idea to the next, creating a disjointed and chaotic landscape. The lyrics are filled with references to different cultures, places, and historical periods, which might suggest a critique of colonialism, globalization, or cultural appropriation. The opening lines mention a person named Maman Neigho who is frightened by Hawaiians, suggesting a sense of displacement, fear, or hostility. The lines "Forsook the eyebrows climbing into greasy black hairlines / Narcrotic leis yanked down around the melianomed ankles" evoke a sense of unease and discomfort, suggesting perhaps the clash of different cultural aesthetics or the commodification of cultural symbols.
The song then jumps to a scene of "slabs of steam tables whiffing of onions and roses" and "haunted Jacuzzis churning," which creates a sense of surrealism and absurdity. The lyrics mention "native bods squealing B-flat / Like choirs of pigs seeking revenge for stolen insulin," which is a striking image that seems to suggest how capitalism and colonialism exploit and dehumanize people. The chorus of the song repeats the lines "It's dense, tense / Unseen through, pound for pound / All the people, on the corners / Pushing each other around," which could be interpreted as a commentary on the social and economic inequalities that thrive in urban environments.
Overall, Scott Walker's Epizootics! presents a challenging and intriguing set of lyrics that resist easy interpretation. The song seems to be a jumbled and surreal collage of experiences, emotions, and ideas that evoke a sense of unease, dislocation, and critique.
Line by Line Meaning
Maman Neigho was frightened by Hawaiians
Maman Neigho was scared of Hawaiians
When all the veins ran out
When there was no blood left
When too much bone structure went missing
When too much of the bones were lost
She thumbed the galleon Cacafuego
She boarded the ship called Cacafuego
Forsook the eyebrows climbing into greasy black hairlines
She abandoned the eyebrows that were blending with greasy black hair
Narcrotic leis yanked down around the melianomed ankles
Dead leis were forcefully pulled down over dark-skinned ankles
Their putrid petals dropping, erasing the white shoes
The rotting flowers fell off, ruining the white shoes
Like a face being eaten by a jungle
Similar to a face being consumed by the jungle
Slabs of steam tables whiffing of onions and roses
Tables producing smells of onions and roses
Haunted Jacuzzis churning
Jacuzzis that were haunted and running
All night the native bods squealing B-flat
Throughout the night, the bodies of the natives were making a B-flat sound
Like choirs of pigs seeking revenge for stolen insulin
Similar to pig choirs wanting to get back at those who stole their insulin
Blip, boost, bust, brother
Shorthand for various situations
That's how we copped a final
This is how we made our final decision
Reached this city without sound
Arrived in this city quietly
Everywhere you turn
No matter where you look
Bunkers of rubber hoses pronging up off the city's floor
Rubber hoses sticking up from the ground like bunkers
Chirp, chime, clambaked, cups
Slang terms for various things
Don't step on that rotting tartare
Be careful to not step on the rotting tartare
Just might bust your conk
You might break your nose
Might lay your racket
You might be caught doing something wrong
Early black ickaroo
Early in the morning
It's dense, tense
The environment is compact and stressful
Unseen through, pound for pound
It's difficult to see through, but the weight is equal on both sides
All the people,on the corners
Everyone on the street corners
Pushing each other around
Physically forcing each other to move
Humping like buggers, touching like muggers
Engaging in sexual activity and physical contact
Adepocere in a zoot
The preservation of a body in formaldehyde while wearing a zoot suit
Sloshing, karat, ballooning down the street
Walking in a heavy, exaggerated manner down the street
Thousand kilos simpy, forty stone send
Extreme weight and a strong impact
Tips his skypiece, come to weigh me up
Tipping his hat as he approaches to check you out
But I'm toned
I'm in good physical shape
Gut bucket
An instrument or style of music that's lively and energetic
Ground grippers ready to trilly
Ready to play music that's rhythmic and energetic
Layin' down iron, togged to the bricks
Playing music with energetic intensity while dressed up
Shh
Quiet
Let's add a little shade
Let's calm down
Try something apart from the hogshair
Try something different
While Pope Julius affects his red slippers
Pope Julius putting on his red shoes
Let Michelangelo tip-toe around in his dogskin boots
Michelangelo walking around quietly in his boots made from animal skin
The powder on a chalky bosom
Powder on a pale-colored chest
Rises and hangs in the air
Floating in the air
Clouds crawling through protracted blue
Clouds moving slowly across the blue sky
Like souls of insects
Similar to the spirits of insects
From threshing haze
From the fog created by farming
The scent of spider lilies
The smell of a type of lily
Sam P's bagged decapitation
Sam P's head being cut off and put in a bag
Rotates to the ocean floor
Sinks to the bottom of the ocean
Its nostrils are twitching and sniffing
The nose is moving and smelling
Gabriel's gravy
A type of food made by Gabriel
Got your glasses on, gate
Are you paying attention?
There's some mezz glimmers, a gammon V8
There are some shiny things and a type of vehicle
Twisters in the slammer
Tornadoes in prison
Frisking their whiskers
Scratching their beards or searching for something
Till peola dim on the chime of black
Until it gets dark, signaled by the chiming of a clock
Scratch and Jesus on the corner
People on the street corners
Shoving like sluggers, touching like muggers
Pushing each other forcefully and touching each other inappropriately
Snapping their caps, slidin' their jibs
Adjusting their hats and moving their jaws
Lampin' the brees, drapin' the trees
Enjoying the weather and surrounding nature
Oops, pardon the elbow
Sorry about the accidental contact with my elbow
Let's just shift you over here
Let's move you to a different location
Sorry, I'm so clumsy
Sorry for being so uncoordinated
Take that accidently in the bollocks for a start
Getting hurt in the private parts by accident
Seven brights jumped in port
Seven people arrived in a port
Kopasetic, on the corners
Everything is okay on the corners
Everybody on the corners
Everyone is on the street corners
Pushing each other around
Physically forcing each other to move
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nitewars
I used to put "The Drift" on at dinner parties, just to see the moment where the conversation stops and everyone collectively asks, "what the hell is this?"
John Kane
Groovy dinner parties...need no explanation.
Tim Emm
My last boyfriend said he liked Scott Walker. I asked: 'Which kind of Scott Walker?' He wasn't aware of this material. He ended up loving both.
Nomis Nestral
Can't stop laughing; I used to use John Cale for similar effect.
Sonny Lopez
Krusty after Worker and Parisite: "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
Steve Brian
I did that with The Residents back in the 80s
coltraneole
How he went from 60s surf pop to 70s soft rock to this is beyond comprehension! That's one crazy trajectory. Fast and bulbous! Dig me?
John Kane
@Jong Bong 😆😆😆😆
Tom Hunscher
Indeed, I get the Beefheart reference, but Scott is more like an Ornette Coleman than the dadaist often tongue-in-cheek Beefheart.
Alpha Lax
@Zack Zallie i didnt even realize it the first time i read it lol