Following an early incarnation as a relatively straightforward roots rock outfit, they morphed into a raucous, sleazy, tongue-in-cheek party band obsessed with sex and food; in fact, fried chicken became a crucial part of their live performances, whether it was used in eating contests or tossed into the audience. Southern Culture may play chiefly to an underground-rock audience, but their gonzo tributes to the South aren't as smug as some of their peers working similar territory, since the band has genuine roots in the area. Southern Culture on the Skids were founded by guitarist/singer Rick Miller in the college town of Chapel Hill, NC, in 1985. Growing up, Miller had split time between Henderson, NC, where his father ran a mobile-home factory, and Southern California, where his mother lived, and where he first discovered surf and rockabilly. After earning a degree in art from the University of North Carolina, Miller started the first incarnation of Southern Culture on the Skids with original lead vocalist Stan Lewis, bassist Leslie Lands and drummer Chip Shelbys.
Lewis brought a distinct Cramps influence to the band, although their style was still much more subdued than it would later become. This quartet lineup released an EP called Voodoo Beach Party on the local indie label Lloyd Street, followed later in 1985 by an eponymous full-length debut.As the band drifted more and more into country territory, co-founder Lewis split; two more members were added on accordion and pedal steel, but the band's new direction alienated much of its local following, and the first version of Southern Culture split not long after. In 1987, Miller regrouped with a new, smaller lineup featuring bassist and sometime vocalist Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman, both of whom had grown up together in Roanoke, VA. (Lewis, Land, and Shelby would later reunite as Stan Lewis and the Rockin' Revellers, and performed on a mostly local basis.) The new Southern Culture spent a few years honing their sound and releasing the very occasional single. Finally, in 1991, they returned to the LP format with Too Much Pork for Just One Fork, which was issued on the ill-fated Moist label.
Too Much Pork established the group's lyrical obsessions, and featured the first recording of their fried-chicken anthem "Eight Piece Box," a concert favorite.Southern Culture's next album, the rawer-sounding 1992's For Lovers Only, began to win them a wider following thanks to better distribution from the band's new label, Safe House. Among other fan favorites, it featured Huff's first major vocal showcase, a cover of the Jo Anna Neel country obscurity "Daddy Was a Preacher but Mama Was a Go-Go Girl." The half-live, half-studio EP Peckin' Party followed on Feedbag in 1993, as did the 10" Girlfight EP on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The more laid-back, country-flavored full-length Ditch Diggin' appeared on Safe House in 1994, featuring covers of the Louvin Brothers and Link Wray.
In 1995, Geffen subsidiary DGC signed Southern Culture on the Skids to a major-label contract, which was consummated the following year with Dirt Track Date. Although Dirt Track Date included re-recordings of several of the band's most popular past songs, it received generally enthusiastic reviews and sold over a quarter of a million copies.After another indie EP, this time the Mexican wrestling tribute Santo Swings!/Viva del Santo on Estrus Records, Southern Culture issued their second major-label album, Plastic Seat Sweat, in 1997, which marked the debut of new keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Chris "Cousin Crispy" Bess. However, they got lost in the shuffle of the big-time label mergers, and wound up without a record deal for a while. After regrouping with 1998's self-released, horror-themed Zombiefied EP, the band returned to action on TVT with 2000's full-length Liquored Up and Lacquered Down, which marked a return to the country-tinged sound of Ditch Diggin'. A brief recording hiatus followed, but the band returned in early 2004 with Mojo Box, recorded in Miller's home studio and released by Yep Roc. In 2007, the band released Countrypolitan Favorites, which contained covers of some of the most classic country and rockabilly songs. In 2010, they released their 7th studio album, The Kudzu Ranch, deriving its title from the ranch where the songs were recorded, and the kudzu engulfing parts of its acreage.
Camel Walk
Southern Culture On The Skids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your special outfit for me, please?
Yo ye pharoahs, let us walk
Through this barren desert, in search of truth
And some pointy boots, and maybe a few snack crackers.
baby, you make me wanna walk like a camel.
Who's in charge here?
where's my Captain's wafers?
Don't go around hungry now, the way you eat that oatmeal pie,
Makes me just wanna die, baby!
You make me wanna walk like a camel.
walk!
Say, you don't think there's any way I can get that quarter
From underneath your pointy boot, do ya?
All I want is just one more oatmeal pie.
Little Debbie, Little Debbie!
I'm a'comin on home, baby, 'cause you make me wanna walk
Like a camel
The lyrics of the song Camel Walk by Southern Culture On The Skids are a humorous take on a few different themes. The singer asks their partner to eat a snack cracker in their special outfit, likely implying that they find their partner attractive. The next lines are a reference to ancient Egyptian culture and pharaohs, but intermixed with modern-day consumerism such as pointy boots and snack crackers. The singer then states that their partner makes them want to walk like a camel, likely alluding to the famously awkward and bumpy gait of camels. The verses are scattered with mentions of snack foods such as Captain's wafers and oatmeal pies.
The chorus of the song is the most memorable part of the lyrics, repeating the phrase "you make me wanna walk like a camel" multiple times. While the meaning of this is not entirely clear, it's likely that the singer is implying that their partner makes them feel silly and carefree, perhaps even like they are dancing like a camel. The final verse is a mix of absurdity and humor, as the singer asks if their partner can retrieve a quarter from underneath their pointy boot and then seemingly gets distracted by the thought of eating another oatmeal pie.
Overall, the song feels like a lighthearted and fun tribute to a partner's quirkiness and the silliness that can come from being in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, Would you eat that there snack cracker
Asking the partner to do something for the sake of love and intimacy
In your special outfit for me, please?
Requesting for a specific attire that makes the partner look attractive
Yo ye pharoahs, let us walk
Calling upon the listener to join a search for truth and other desires
Through this barren desert, in search of truth
Searching for enlightenment in difficult and uncharted territories
And some pointy boots, and maybe a few snack crackers.
Adding materialistic desires to the search for truth
baby, you make me wanna walk like a camel.
Expressing how the partner's love brings out unconventional behaviors
walk!
Commanding the listener to go forth with the unconventional behavior
Who's in charge here?
Questioning the authority or leadership present
where's my Captain's wafers?
Asking for a specific snack or food item
Don't go around hungry now, the way you eat that oatmeal pie,
Noticing the partner's eating habits and desires
Makes me just wanna die, baby!
Expressing love and admiration for the partner
Say, you don't think there's any way I can get that quarter
Asking for a monetary sum playfully
From underneath your pointy boot, do ya?
Suggesting the location of the quarter under the partner's boot
All I want is just one more oatmeal pie
Reiterating the individual's desire for the snack
Little Debbie, Little Debbie!
A reference to a popular snack brand (Little Debbie)
I'm a'comin on home, baby, 'cause you make me wanna walk
Returning home because of the partner's influence on behavior
Like a camel
Comparing the individual's behavior to that of a camel as a result of being influenced by the partner
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERRY GORDY JR, BERRY JR GORDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tinman7065
Yelling "HOOOOOOWEEEEEEE!!!! Little Debbie, Little Debbie!!!" at the vending machine in break room with 100 new coworkers will get you some funny looks. But I was hangry and forgot where I was.
@carlosspeicywiener7018
Except for the one guy who everyone else thinks is weird just nods, mutters something about captain's wafers and keeps mopping the floor.
@userjef909
@@carlosspeicywiener7018 Scruffy knows what's up.
@mememe152
hahahahahaahaaaaaaaaa yesssss
@rwaitt14153
Where you work sounds boring. Where I work they wouldn't get the reference but would share my enthusiasm for snack crackers and oatmeal pie.
@SpaceGhost999
I'd have been in corner like "WALK...like a camel" π€£
@staciecarverd8136
How this doesn't have more views is beyond me. This song, and band, are classics! And if you haven't watched or even listened to the live version of Voodoo Cadillac you're truly missing something,
@BiggerFatterBlog
YouTube is rigged. It is run by corporate filth.
@rixxroxxk1620
When your wifeβs name is Debbie and youβre a long haul truck driver, when I tell her βLittle Debbie, Little Debbie ima comin on home baby,β and she knows what Iβm talking about, all is right with the world.
@Gorcrows
This whole CD was on constant rotation in my fathers car for years. I still remember sitting in the little bucket flip down seats in my dads little red 87 nissan pickup and just yelling the lyrics and howling along with the song. Fun memories.