Squirrel Nut Zippers, featuring original and founding members Katharine Whalen, Jimbo Mathus, Chris Phillips, Je Widenhouse and Stuart Cole. On tour the band will be performing material from the entire catalogue. In addition there is usually a live performance with their celebrated animated video for the song The Ghost of Stephen Foster (beautifully done by the folks from the Simpsons).
Squrirrel Nut Zippers was also a candy popular in the 30's
The band still rejoices at the difficulty people have pigeonholing their unmistakable sound. A perpetually evolving, hybrid-stew of Southern roots traditions, blues and jazz, the Zippers were aptly tagged "'30s punk" by one critic. They have always flirted with a muse most concerned with ghosts, love gone wrong, fever-dreams and stories unearthed from days past. Centered around the beguiling vocals of Katherine Whalen and the anachronistic windup toy that is Jimbo Mathus, the Zippers promise to both charm and confound.
Since 2002, the members have kept themselves more than busy. Katherine Whalen has released several solo albums, most recently the critical favorite Dirty Little Secret. Jimbo Mathus has also released several acclaimed solo records, all while working as musical director for legendary blues musician and Grammy winner Buddy Guy. Phillips was enlisted as composer for the Comedy Central TV show Lil’ Bush and spent time touring with the Dickies. Widenhouse has performed throughout the country with his traditional jazz combo the Firecracker Jazz Band. Not to be outdone, Cole has written Dancing to Morocco, a travel guide of dark and dusty bars in Northern Africa, and has been performing extensively with Dexter Romweber. The band performed around 50 shows in 2007, and has just begun a series of summer tours. Look out for a new live record late in 2008, and a new studio record in 2009.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Sales & Radio:
¨ Over Three Million Records Sold!
¨ Breakthrough single “Hell” Top 10 at Modern Rock.
¨ Video in Heavy Rotation at MTV
¨ Prairie Home Companion Performance
¨ Featured several times on NPR’s Morning Edition
¨ Animated video by The Simpson’s producers
Television Performances:
¨ Sesame Street
¨ Regis & Kathie Lee.
¨ Letterman
¨ Leno
¨ Conan
¨ Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve
¨ Sessions at West 54th
Tour:
¨ Performed at President Clinton’s Inaugural Ball 1996
¨ Performed at 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta
¨ Multiple Sold Out National Headline Tours.
¨ HORDE Tour 1997 with Neil Young
¨ Opened for Tony Bennett at Radio City Music Hall
Film & Television:
¨ Soundtracks & Placements in Blast From the Past and Flirting With Disaster
¨ Intel Commercial
¨ HBO - Six Feet Under
¨ Family Plots Theme
¨ Happily Never After
¨ Under The Sea Video release
Ghost Of Stephen Foster
Squirrel Nut Zippers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is what I told him as I gazed into his eyes
Rooms were made for carpets
Towers made for spires
Ships were made for cannonade fire off from inside them
Gwine to run all night, gwine to run all day
Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day no, no, no
Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day no, no, no
Met the Ghost of Stephen Foster at the Hotel Paradise
This is what I told him as I gazed into his eyes
Ships were made for sinking
Whiskey made for drinking
If we were made of cellophane
We'd all get stinking drunk quite faster
Gwine to run all night, gwine to run all day
Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day no, no, no
Gwine to run all night, gwine to run all day
Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah
The Squirrel Nut Zippers' song "Ghost of Stephen Foster" is a tribute to the famous composer of the same name. The song is filled with lyrical references to Foster's life and work, as well as other elements of American culture. The lyrics describe the singer's encounter with Foster's ghost at the Hotel Paradise, where he shares his thoughts and observations with him. The singer muses on the purpose of various things, like rooms and towers, and comments on the ways that people use them, such as firing cannons from a ship or drinking whiskey at a bar.
The chorus of the song is a reference to Foster's famous song "Camptown Races," which features the refrain "Gwine to run all night, gwine to run all day, I'll bet my money on the bob-tailed nag." The Squirrel Nut Zippers use this refrain to create a sense of energy and urgency in their song, which builds to a frenzied crescendo as they repeat the lines over and over again. Musically, the song blends elements of swing, jazz, and folk, creating a unique sound that fits the band's eclectic style.
Overall, "Ghost of Stephen Foster" is a clever and creative tribute to one of America's most famous musical icons. It pays homage to Foster's music and legacy, while also showcasing the Squirrel Nut Zippers' own musical talents and creativity.
Line by Line Meaning
Met the Ghost of Stephen Foster at the Hotel Paradise
I encountered the spirit of Stephen Foster at a luxurious establishment known as the Hotel Paradise.
This is what I told him as I gazed into his eyes
As I looked directly at the specter, I shared some thoughts with him.
Rooms were made for carpets
The purpose of a room is to accommodate carpeting.
Towers made for spires
Structures referred to as towers are constructed with spires in mind.
Ships were made for cannonade fire off from inside them
The design of ships is such that they can support the firing of cannons from their interiors.
Gwine to run all night, gwine to run all day
Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day no, no, no
The phrase 'Gwine to run all night' is followed by 'Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day no, no, no', indicating a constant state of motion and an absence of singing among the depicted group of women.
Ships were made for sinking
The fundamental nature of ships is to eventually sink.
Whiskey made for drinking
The intended use for whiskey is to consume it.
If we were made of cellophane
We'd all get stinking drunk quite faster
A hypothetical scenario is presented in which if we were made of cellophane, we would more quickly and easily become intoxicated from alcohol.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Bird, James Mathus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PatrickRsGhost
Not only is this done in the style of the classic Fleischer cartoons (primarily Betty Boop and Bimbo), but there are a few nods to the cartoons as well.
The live-action sequence at the beginning is similar to the live-action sequence of Cab Calloway and his band shown at the beginning of "Minnie the Moocher".
When the couple falls down the hole, the girl pulls her dress down to hide her undies. Betty does the same thing when she falls down the rabbit hole in "Betty in Wonderland". Unlike Betty, the girl in the video doesn't use a clothespin to anchor her dress.
When the couple lands in the basement (at around 2:14), the casket on the left side of the screen is that of the walrus Betty and Bimbo encountered in "Minnie the Moocher".
The wall made up of the hotel manager's face (at 3:19) is similar to some of the freaky backgrounds used in some of the Betty Boop cartoons such as "Minnie" and a few others.
Protip: Never watch classic Fleischer cartoons while you're sick. It can cause some seriously fucked up fever dreams.
Evan Fowler
Just saw them tonight. They played this on a projector during the song. The whole stage was blacked out. It was friggin' amazing. At the end of the show they all grabbed horns and marched into the crowd and jammed for like tne minutes with all of us bouncing and smiling around. It was the coolest show ever. e even had a conga line. I've never been to a show where the band asked the crowd to form a conga line. till now, that is.
Bill Davies
They are a great band. I've seen them twice and they are a lot of fun.
haley
i get to see them live tonight!!
Evan Fowler
@haley Man, it is weird as hell to see a comment that I made 14 years ago. Youtube is getting old and it's making me feel even older, lol. That's awesome, though! You'll have a blast. They remain one of the most fun live bands ever. Have fun!
NerdToday
@Evan Fowlerperhaps one of my favorite bands and I’m a gen z person they imprinted me to start my own swing revival band
cha5
This has got to be the best homage to the Fleischer Brothers style of animation I've ever seen, Nothing else comes close.
Snavels
With the Release of Cuphead, has that opinion changed at all?
cha5
@Snavels Not really, Cuphead just goes out of it’s way to be nihilistic more often than not.
Snavels
@cha5 Might I ask what that means? What do you mean it goes out of its way to be nihilistic?
cha5
@Snavels Basically the attempts at humor with Cuphead’s death and the meaninglessness of his life especially in the Goon Cartoon shorts, For me they just come up short and aren’t up there as a Fleischer homage in comparison with The Squirrel Nut Zippers ‘Ghost of Stephen Foster’ video.
I’ve just never cared for Cuphead basically.
The Netflix show though does have better animation I’ll admit, it just not for me.