Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was a… Read Full Bio ↴Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein (25th September 1930 – 10th May 1999) was an American poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books.

Silverstein's passion for music was clear early on as he studied for a while at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. As a songwriter, Silverstein kept a low profile but cast a long shadow. He tended to shun publicity and even photographers. Nonetheless, his musical output included many songs which were hits for other artists. Most notably, he wrote the music and lyrics for "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash (for which he won a Grammy in 1970); "One's on the Way" (which was a hit for Loretta Lynn), and "The Unicorn Song" which, despite having nothing to do with Ireland nor Irish culture, became the signature piece for The Irish Rovers in 1968 and is popular in pubs all over the world to this day. He wrote the lyrics and music for most of the Dr. Hook songs, including "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", and the cautionary song about VD, "Don't Give a Dose to the One You Love Most". He also wrote many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, including "Marie Laveau", "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", and "Tequila Sheila". The song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan",] recorded in 1979 by Marianne Faithfull and later featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise, was also by Silverstein.

Scum Of The Earth
Shel Silverstein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There was a group called called Scum of the Earth
And they say they got their birth
In a basement bar on Greek Street down in Soho.
The bass man he smoked grass,
And the drummer he kicked ass,
And the lead guitar ate speed while everybody boogied.

The drummer's name was Mavis

He was a twice convicted rapist.
Th
Now one night Scum of the Earth
They was playin' for all they was worth.
Guitar screams and wails and cymbal crashes
Louder, faster and higher
'Til their electric cords caught fire,
And the whole damn band was burned to a pile of ashes.

And The Scum of the Earth they just keep boogyin' on.
Higher and higher until the fire

Was burned out and gone
And The Scum of the Earth they just keep boogyin' on.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Shel Silverstein's song "Scum of the Earth" tell the story of a band with a rather unbecoming name that originated in a basement bar in Greek Street, Soho. The band consisted of a bass player who smoked marijuana, a drummer who was twice convicted of rape, and a lead guitarist who used speed while playing music. The band members played loudly and energetically, with the electric cords eventually catching fire, causing them all to burn to a pile of ashes.

The song is not only about music but also about the power of music to create a feeling of freedom and transcendence. The band members played their music without any regard for social norms or expectations, and this defiance was conveyed through the intense emotions and energy present in their music. The song suggests that music can provide an escape from the mundane and a vehicle for self-expression.

Overall, the song "Scum of the Earth" is an ode to the power of music to provide a sense of liberation and self-expression. Despite the band's unsavory reputation, their music continues to live on, carrying their spirit and energy through the ages.

Line by Line Meaning

There was a group called called Scum of the Earth
The band known as Scum of the Earth existed

And they say they got their birth
They claim to have formed themselves

In a basement bar on Greek Street down in Soho.
They formed in a Greek Street basement bar located in Soho.

The bass man he smoked grass,
The bassist smoked marijuana

And the drummer he kicked ass,
The drummer was great at his job

And the lead guitar ate speed while everybody boogied.
The lead guitarist consumed amphetamines and everyone danced.

The drummer's name was Mavis
The drummer was named Mavis

He was a twice convicted rapist.
He had committed two rapes and was convicted for them.

Now one night Scum of the Earth
On a particular night, Scum of the Earth band

They was playin' for all they was worth.
Played with all their hearts.

Guitar screams and wails and cymbal crashes
The guitar sang and cried while the cymbals banged.