The band tour the U.S. frequently in a renovated vintage Green Tortoise bus, and their live performances have featured puppet shows, pseudo-scientific scholarly presentations, and performances by members of the Butoh group inkBoat. SGM's music has been categorized as anything from avant-prog to art rock to experimental metal to RIO (Rock In Opposition). Many reviewers have remarked that the group is altogether unclassifiable.
The band uses many homemade devices as instruments, such as the viking row-boat and the spring-nail guitar. Rathbun plays a stringed bass instrument of his own construction called The Log which uses piano strings and is perhaps 7 feet long; it is played with two sticks: one in the left hand generally used as a fret, another in the right hand striking the strings. Mellender's percussion instruments consist of restaurant kitchen equipment, trash can lids, and other "found" metal objects, in addition to traditional percussion instruments.
They've announced their imminent end, as their last concerts will be held early April around California. But 2011 will still see a new album, a movie and a live DVD.
Gunday's Child
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drill-day's child is full of grace,
Gun-day's child is breastless and blind,
Shell-day's child is out of its mind,
Bomb-day's child will always be dumb,
Cannon-day's child can never quite come,
But the child that's born on Battle-day is blithe and bonny and rotted away.
The Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's "Gunday's Child" is a powerful commentary on the impact of war on humanity. The song presents a series of rhyming couplets, each describing a different day of the week and the characteristics of a child born on that day. Each verse starts with a positive statement, such as "M-day's child is fair of face" or "Drill-day's child is full of grace." However, the second half of each verse reveals a dark twist, suggesting that war has corrupted even the most innocent and pure aspects of life.
The most striking example of this is in the line "Gun-day's child is breastless and blind." Here, the image of a newborn child without breasts or eyes is a brutal portrayal of the physical toll of violence. Similarly, "Shell-day's child is out of its mind" speaks to the psychological impact of war, suggesting that even children can be driven to madness by its horrors. The final verse is perhaps the bleakest of all, stating that the child born on "Battle-day" is "blithe and bonny and rotted away." This line is a devastating commentary on the true cost of conflict, showing how even the most beautiful and joyful things in life can be destroyed by war.
Overall, "Gunday's Child" is a powerful and haunting piece of music that speaks to the deep human toll of violence and conflict. Its vivid imagery and searing commentary make it a must-listen for anyone interested in the impact of war on society.
Line by Line Meaning
M-day's child is fair of face
The child born on Monday is beautiful
Drill-day's child is full of grace
The child born on Tuesday is graceful
Gun-day's child is breastless and blind
The child born on Wednesday is disabled, lacking sight and a mother's nurturing
Shell-day's child is out of its mind
The child born on Thursday is insane
Bomb-day's child will always be dumb
The child born on Friday will always be foolish
Cannon-day's child can never quite come
The child born on Saturday struggles to arrive, delayed or stillborn
But the child that's born on Battle-day is blithe and bonny and rotted away
The child born on Sunday is carefree and beautiful, but ultimately sacrificial and destroyed
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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