When he was only 9 years old, his parents moved from the middle of nowhere to Germany, where he lived until he was 16. He moved to the U.S. to go to high-school and worked on a junkyard and a farm until he had enough money to buy a beat-up GrandAm (pictured on his debut album) and went on a half year trip across the U.S.
When he was 19, he moved back to Germany to study product design in Frankfurt. Bored by his school's design approach, he decided that designing spaceships for movies was much more fun and started to work as a production designer and 3D-animator in a german film company. He now lives in London where he runs hi-res! (hi-res.net), a graphic design company.
Clifford has been a classically trained pianist since the age of 8. When he was 13 he started to get into Thelonius Monk and Charlie Mingus and drove his piano teacher up the wall by trying to improvise on top of Rachmaninoff preludes.
He played in several bands, being influenced by both old school-jazz and nitzer ebb, but eventually decided that he could achieve more by himself. Actually, he never thought about releasing his material, until his girlfriend made him send a demo tape to his favourite label and a week later, sitting in an L.A. hotel room (now that's what I call
rock'n roll), he got a call from Ninja Tune. And so The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination was born...
Clifford released his debut album 'I Was Young and I Needed the Money' in October 1998 and went on an extensive tour through the UK, Europe and Australia. He has since written two soundtracks, performed all over Europe and played both the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague in 1999 and the first ever North Sea Jazz Festival in Capetown, South Africa, in March 2000.
His music has taken a sharp turn from the hyperactive beats of the first album into a more relaxed, accessible and more musical direction. it is essentially a soundtrack to an imaginative film. it emphazises on the contrast of 70's funk and 00's digital datamanipulation, or as Clifford describes it : "It's like playing pong on a dreamcast while listening to a curtis mayfield-CD with dropouts, or like wearing a really funky shirt with lots of pens and a calculator in the shirt-pocket... " Whatever that means.
Next year will see the release of his new album "Shift!" and the single "The 10th Victim" and, of course, his own website.
Upon the conclusion of this text, dear reader, consider investigating the enigmatic Mr. Florian Schmitt.
Deliver the Weird
The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing was gwan and I was jammin' round my gate
Started friending for a Jack but had no cash
I had no choice to piggy-bank or trash
It was me and my bold self with five bags of coppers
Splashed out on the counter at PJ Patel's
He's far from happy with my method of pay
It's money, ain't it? I ain't begging you jack
And mood I'm in, I might just give you a slap
I grip my Jack's and I leave in peace
As I stepped through the door he heard the kiss of my teeth
Minding my own business, rolling down the street
I swear I heard a female voice call my name
I stopped for a second loud as Charmaine
Some sis I used to park with from way back when
We weren't on no bone tip, just real good friends
We on some hug up and kiss, boy she looking neat
Head to toe in new gowns and two new gold teeth
I said, "What you want?" And she says, "This and that
Well, come around my yard and let's crack this six-pack"
Back at my yard we heavy chilling, killing time
Exchanging views and getting thoughts off the mind
For three whole hours everything was cool
Around quarter to twelve they took the strangest twist
I'm looking in her face, I swear it looks off
She's sweating like she dipping in some horse's trough
Then she flips out, screaming quick, I hit a last
Trying to kick this brown but it's busting my arse
Seems like the planet gone mad
What you staring in my face for?
I told you dudes, I can't save ya
What the frigg is with this strange behavior?
Strange behavior
Charmaine the headstrong, proud Miss Missy
Fell for the local fluff dealer, she were living the high life
Sitting in the luxury's lap
Little did she know she were braving a trap
'Cause the thug that she loved was a two-bit thug
The notes that she speed with were dripping blood
She were mesmerized by the rude boy charm
Two years had passed, she thought she's safe from harm
But the past has strange way of rearing its head
Just when she think it were dusted and dead
It's like petrol bombs come flying through the window
'Cause there's a ten grand price on his life
Ready to be cashed when his heartbeat ceases
All that he tried, he can't get no peace
Cause he's running from the beast, running from the crims
After all's said and done it's the beast that wins
Whyil in on borrowed time, soon to get nabbed
Two keys of fluff that he just did grab
When her man got nicked, Lord knows she couldn't cope
Started hitting the bottle, started tying the rope
Now she's trapped in the chains of the oldest trade
Flashing her vag' in my face and I'm far from keen
I don't want got business with no drugsman's queen
Nahmean?
Seems like the planet gone mad
What you staring in my face for?
I told you dudes, I can't save ya
What the frigg is with this strange behavior?
Strange behavior
Seems like the planet gone mad
What you staring in my face for?
I told you dudes, I can't save ya
What the frigg is with this strange behavior?
Strange behavior
Seems like the planet gone mad
What you staring in my face for?
I told you dudes, I can't save ya
What the frigg is with this strange behavior?
Strange behavior
What the frigg is with this strange behaviour?
The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination's song Deliver the Weird tells a story of a person who gets caught up in some strange events after a chance encounter with an old friend. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about a time when they were short on cash and had to splurge on Jack using the five bags of coppers they had. They then bump into an old friend, Charmaine, who invites them over to her place for drinks. Everything seems to be going well until Charmaine suddenly flips out and the singer realizes that she's involved with a dangerous drug dealer.
The rest of the song goes on to detail Charmaine's downward spiral and eventual entrapment into the drug trade. It's a cautionary tale of how one's choices and actions can lead to unexpected and dangerous outcomes. Through this story and its themes of drug use and violence, the song delivers a powerful message about the negative consequences of engaging in such activities.
Overall, Deliver the Weird is a thought-provoking and engaging song that tells a gripping story while also exploring some deep and relevant themes.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't quite remember the month nor date
I am unsure of the exact date this happened
Nothing was gwan and I was jammin' round my gate
I was just hanging out around my house with nothing particular to do
Started friending for a Jack but had no cash
I really wanted to have some liquor but didn't have any money
I had no choice to piggy-bank or trash
I had to either break my piggy bank or give up on the idea of buying liquor
It was me and my bold self with five bags of coppers
I brought five bags of coins to pay for my liquor
Splashed out on the counter at PJ Patel's
I placed my coins on the counter at PJ Patel's store
He's far from happy with my method of pay
PJ Patel was not pleased with me paying with coins
I shrug my shoulders, I'm like what can you say?
I was indifferent to PJ Patel's reaction and didn't know what to say
It's money, ain't it? I ain't begging you jack
I argued that coins were still money and I wasn't begging him for anything
And mood I'm in, I might just give you a slap
I was in a bad mood and threatened to hit him if he persisted
I grip my Jack's and I leave in peace
I grabbed my liquor and left without further incident
As I stepped through the door he heard the kiss of my teeth
I clicked my tongue as I left as a sign of irritation or annoyance
Minding my own business, rolling down the street
I was walking down the street, not bothering anyone
I swear I heard a female voice call my name
I heard someone call my name and thought it was a woman
I stopped for a second loud as Charmaine
I stopped and was as loud as Charmaine (whoever that is)
Some sis I used to park with from way back when
I ran into a female friend I used to hang out with in the past
We weren't on no bone tip, just real good friends
We were not romantically involved, just close friends
We on some hug up and kiss, boy she looking neat
We hugged and kissed, and she looked good
Head to toe in new gowns and two new gold teeth
She was wearing new clothes and had two new gold teeth
I said, "What you want?" And she says, "This and that
I asked her what she wanted and she replied vaguely
Well, come around my yard and let's crack this six-pack"
She invited me to her house to drink a six-pack of beer
Back at my yard we heavy chilling, killing time
We were hanging out, relaxing and passing time at my house
Exchanging views and getting thoughts off the mind
We talked about our opinions and shared our thoughts
For three whole hours everything was cool
We were having a good time for three hours
Around quarter to twelve they took the strangest twist
At around 11:45, things suddenly took a weird turn
I'm looking in her face, I swear it looks off
I noticed a change in her facial expression which seemed strange to me
She's sweating like she dipping in some horse's trough
She was sweating profusely, as if she had dipped in some horse's water trough
Then she flips out, screaming quick, I hit a last
She suddenly freaked out, screaming loudly and startled me
Trying to kick this brown but it's busting my arse
She was struggling and kicking, making it hard for me to restrain her
Charmaine the headstrong, proud Miss Missy
Charmaine was a strong-willed woman with a lot of pride
Fell for the local fluff dealer, she were living the high life
She got involved with a drug dealer and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle
Sitting in the luxury's lap
She was enjoying luxurious things
Little did she know she were braving a trap
She didn't realize she was in danger and headed towards a trap
The notes that she speed with were dripping blood
She was using money obtained through illegal means, likely causing harm to others
Two years had passed, she thought she's safe from harm
She believed that time had passed and the danger was over
But the past has strange way of rearing its head
The past has a tendency to come back and cause problems
Just when she think it were dusted and dead
Just when she thought the situation was solved and over
It's like petrol bombs come flying through the window
Suddenly, there was a violent and destructive attack
'Cause there's a ten grand price on his life
There was a ten thousand dollar bounty on the drug dealer's head
Ready to be cashed when his heartbeat ceases
The bounty would be paid when he was dead
After all's said and done it's the beast that wins
In the end, the evil and violent forces will always prevail
Two keys of fluff that he just did grab
The drug dealer was in possession of two keys of drugs
When her man got nicked, Lord knows she couldn't cope
When her partner was arrested, she was unable to handle the situation
Started hitting the bottle, started tying the rope
She turned to alcohol and contemplated suicide
Now she's trapped in the chains of the oldest trade
She's now trapped in the cycle of addiction and dealing with no way out
Flashing her vag' in my face and I'm far from keen
She propositioned me in a crude and unappealing way and I didn't want to be involved
I don't want got business with no drugsman's queen
I don't want to associate with someone involved in the drug trade
Seems like the planet gone mad
It feels like the world is out of control
What you staring in my face for?
Why are you looking at me like that?
I told you dudes, I can't save ya
I can't rescue you from the problems you're facing
What the frigg is with this strange behavior?
Why is there so much strange and unpredictable behavior around?
Strange behavior
This behavior is very unusual and unexpected
Strange behavior
This behavior is very unusual and unexpected
Strange behavior
This behavior is very unusual and unexpected
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FLORIAN SCHMIDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind