The Dickies' style was campy and humorous with obvious influences from the Ramones. They were extremely popular in the UK and had a top 10 hit with "Banana Splits (Tra La La Song)" in 1979; oddly enough, many of their lyrics were about aspects of Southern California life not easily decipherable to those unfamiliar with the region, in songs like "Waterslide", "I'm A Chollo", "Manny, Moe and Jack", and "(I'm Stuck in a Pagoda with) Tricia Toyota", which is about a local TV news anchorwoman.
Drug problems slowed them down considerably in the 1980s, but they have continued playing and recording sporadically to the present day. In 1988 they did the theme music for the cult classic movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
Former Dickies guitarist Steven Fryette, who laughingly claims to have been one of the few who "survived" being in The Dickies, now designs and manufactures guitar amplifiers from his FRYETTE Amplification studios in Burbank, California. His FRYETTE (formerly VHT) amps are known worldwide, and have been used by many of today's top Heavy Metal and Rock touring acts, including Helmet, Danzig, Prong, Children Of Bodom, and many others.
Hair
The Dickies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why I'm a hairy guy
I'm hairy noon and nighty night night
My hair is a fright
I'm hairy high and low
Don't ask me why
Coz he don't know
It's not for lack of bread
Gimme a head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining streaming gleaming flaxen waxen
Won't you give me it down to there
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby there daddy everywhere mama mommy
Hair
Flow it show it long as I can grow it my hair
Let it fly in the breeze
And get caught in the trees
A home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas a hive for bees
A nest for birds there ain't no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my hair
I want it long straight curly fuzzy
Shaggy snaggy ratty matty
Oily greasy fleecy shining
Gleaming streaming flaxen waxen
Knotted polka-dotted
Twisted beaded braided
Powdered flowered and confettied
Tangled spangled mangled and spaghettied
Oh say can you see my eyes if you can
Then my hair's too short
Down to here down to there down to where it stops by itself
You never have to cut it it stops by itself...
The Dickies's song "Hair" is all about the singer's hairy appearance, which seems to perplex his companion. The first verse sees her asking him why he's so hairy, to which he retorts that he doesn't know either. He further explains that it's not because he's lacking in money, akin to the grateful dead, but it's just something that he can't explain.
The following verse sees the singer fantasizing about having long hair, of the sort that shines, gleams, and flows down to there. He wants his hair to be shoulder-length or longer, and he wants it everywhere. The way he describes his hair is with absolute awe and admiration. He wants it to fly in the breeze and get caught in trees, making it a home for fleas, a hive for bees, and a nest for birds. He wishes it to be everything from straight to oily, braided to flowered.
The final verse sees the singer's fascination going a bit too far, claiming that his hair is so long that if you can see his eyes, then it's too short. Basically, the song is all about somebody who loves their long and fuzzy hair, and it highlights the obsession in a lighthearted and humorous way.
Line by Line Meaning
She asks him why
A woman asks a man why he has so much hair on his body.
Why I'm a hairy guy
The woman is curious why the man has more hair on his body than usual.
I'm hairy noon and nighty night night
The man has hair all day and night and it's always visible.
My hair is a fright
The man's hair causes distress and fear in others.
I'm hairy high and low
The man has hair all over his body.
Don't ask me why
The man is not sure why he's so hairy.
Coz he don't know
He doesn't know why he's so hairy.
It's not for lack of bread
Having a lot of hair is not related to being poor.
Like the grateful dead darling
This line seems to not have any meaning, possibly just added as a filler.
Gimme a head with hair
The man wants lots of hair on his head.
Long beautiful hair
The man desires long, beautiful hair.
Shining streaming gleaming flaxen waxen
The man wants hair that is shiny and attractive.
Won't you give me it down to there
The man wants his hair to be very long, possibly down to his waist.
Shoulder length or longer
The man wants his hair to be longer than his shoulders.
Here baby there daddy everywhere mama mommy
The man wants hair on different parts of his body, such as his head, beard, etc.
Hair
The man loves hair and wants more of it.
Flow it show it long as I can grow it my hair
The man wants his hair to grow as long as possible and be visible to others.
Let it fly in the breeze
The man wants to let his hair flow in the wind.
And get caught in the trees
The man wants his hair to be long enough to get caught in trees.
A home to the fleas in my hair
The man acknowledges that having long hair may attract fleas.
A home for fleas a hive for bees
The man's hair could possibly host other insects like bees.
A nest for birds there ain't no words
The man's hair can be a nesting place for birds.
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my hair
The man thinks that his hair is beautiful and amazing.
I want it long straight curly fuzzy
The man wants his hair to be long, straight or curly, and have some texture.
Shaggy snaggy ratty matty
The man wants his hair to be messy with some knots and tangles.
Oily greasy fleecy shining
The man wants his hair to be greasy but shiny.
Gleaming streaming flaxen waxen
The man wants hair that's shining and smooth.
Knotted polka-dotted
The man wants his hair to have knots and dots on it.
Twisted beaded braided
The man wants his hair to resemble braids or knots with beads.
Powdered flowered and confettied
The man wants to add some glitter, flowers, or confetti to his hair.
Tangled spangled mangled and spaghettied
The man wants his hair to be tangled but still look stylish like spaghetti.
Oh say can you see my eyes if you can
If someone can still see his eyes, then his hair is too short for his liking.
Then my hair's too short
If his eyes are visible, then his hair is too short and he wants it to be longer.
Down to here down to there down to where it stops by itself
The man wants his hair to grow as long as possible, but he doesn't want to cut it when it reaches a specific length.
You never have to cut it it stops by itself...
The man wants his hair to grow indefinitely but stop on its own, without the need for a haircut.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Galt Mac Dermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
EbeanBB
Mi cancion favorita de los dickies.
Richard Solis
the fade out shot , starting w/ a Leonard close up.. .is grand
Mozart In The Basement
Best cover ever
Todd Schryver
Amazingly and astonishingly true! All les miserables out there, sometimes I just have to listen to nothing but the Dickies.To think they often played w the Ramones in their early years...it's tue commercial success that gets tue induction into tue RnR Hall o' Fame, but how arbitrary... Love the Ramones, but tue Dickies were much better when at their best. So much more creative and dynamic with a comparable sensibility.
nordantill81
my soundtrack to the 90ties
Alfalfa
@ricv64 I'm sorry. I had just uploaded it, but got the message, that it was banned worldwide due to copyright claims. So I deleted it a few minutes ago :-(
elderly poodle
I had the Cowsills album. I think this is better
ricv64
booby trap ?
Alfalfa
@eclectus69 Hm, why not? :) Let's see what I can do...
John M
Only 10? You're late.,.,,...