Allmusic had this to say about the Residents: "Over the course of a recording career spanning several decades, the Residents remained a riddle of Sphinx-like proportions; cloaking their lives and music in a haze of willful obscurity, the band's members never identified themselves by name, always appearing in public in disguise -- usually tuxedos, top hats and giant eyeball masks -- and refusing to grant media interviews. Drawing inspiration from the likes of fellow innovators including Harry Partch, Sun Ra, and Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, the Residents channelled the breadth of American music into their idiosyncratic, satiric vision, their mercurial blend of electronics, distortion, avant-jazz, classical symphonies and gratingly nasal vocals reinterpreting everyone from John Philip Sousa to James Brown while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of theatrical performance and multimedia interaction.
It was commonly accepted that the four-member group emigrated to San Francisco, California from Shreveport, Louisiana at some point in the early '70s. According to longtime group spokesman Jay Clem -- one member of the so-called Cryptic Corporation, the band's representative body -- they received their name when Warner Bros. mailed back their anonymous demo tape, addressed simply "for the attention of residents". Finding no takers for their oddball sounds, the Residents founded their own label, Ralph Records, for the purposes of issuing their 1972 debut "Santa Dog", released in a pressing of 300 copies which were mailed out to luminaries from Frank Zappa to President Richard Nixon. Their debut full-length, 1974's "Meet the Residents", reportedly sold fewer than 50 copies before the group was threatened with a lawsuit from Capitol Records over its cover, a twisted, dada-esque parody of the art to "Meet the Beatles".
The follow-up, 1974's neoclassical excursion "Not Available", was recorded with the intention of its music remaining unissued; locked in cold storage upon its completion, only a 1978 contractual obligation resulted in its eventual release. 1976's "The Third Reich 'N Roll" was the next official offering, a collection of pop oldies covers presented in a controversial jacket portraying Adolf Hitler clutching an enormous carrot. After a 1976 concert in Berkeley, California which cloaked the Residents behind an opaque screen, wrapped up like mummies -- the most famous of only three live performances mounted during their first decade of existence -- they issued an abrasive 1977 cover of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", which became an underground hit on both sides of the Atlantic at the peak of the punk movement. As the decade drew to a close, the group released a flurry of recordings, further building upon their growing cult following; among them were 1978's "Duck Stab", 1979's "Eskimo" (purportedly a collection of native Arctic chants) and 1980's "Commercial Album", a compilation of 40 one-minute "pop songs" that aired on San Francisco radio only because the Residents played them during the advertising time they bought.
In 1981 the Residents embarked upon their "Mole Trilogy", a prog rock collection of albums -- 1981's "Mark of the Mole", 1982's "The Tunes of Two Cities" and 1985's "The Big Bubble" -- recounting an epic battle between a pair of tribes named the Moles and the Chubs; a lavish, multimedia tour, "The Mole Show", followed. In the interim, the group also mounted another ambitious project, the "American Composer" series, although only two of the projected titles -- 1984's "George & James" (a reinterpretation of songs by George Gershwin and James Brown) and 1986's "Stars & Hank Forever" (celebrating John Philip Sousa and Hank Williams) -- ever appeared. Instead, in the wake of financial and corporate difficulties which resulted in the creation of a New Ralph label, the Residents issued the one-off "God in Three Persons" (a talking blues outing), and 1989's "The King and Eye" (a reinterpretation of Elvis Presley standards).
After losing control of the Ralph label as well as their back catalog, the Residents regained the rights to their music in 1990 and began reissuing long-out-of-print material as well as the new "Freak Show", a meditation on circus sideshows and carnival dementia. Four years later, Freak Show was reissued as a CD-ROM, marking the group's first leap into the new digital interactive technology; "Have a Bad Day" followed in 1996, and included the soundtrack to the CD-ROM game "Bad Day on the Midway." In 1997, the band celebrated their silver anniversary with the release of the career-spanning overview "Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses". "Wormwood: Curious Stories From the Bible" followed the next year, with "Roadworms" (songs from Wormwood as performed in the stage show) being issued in mid-2000. They followed that up with the awesome "Icky Flix" DVD, an incredibly detailed collection of their videos that featured both old and new soundtracks, 5.1 Digital Stereo Surround sound, countless hidden videos and in-depth histories of each individual track. That was followed by another one of their rare tours, which saw them incorporate the DVD into their live act and bring out guest singer Molly Harvey for some truly creative duets. The "Petting Zoo" retrospective followed in the spring of 2002, acting as a budget sampler for new fans and giving old fans something to tide them over while several high concept projects neared completion. The first was "Demons Dance Alone", a complicated pop album that hearkened back to the catchier material from "Duck Stab" and the "Commercial Album". That was followed in 2002 by a live retrospective called "Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town" that contained 3 cd's and a DVD, and a further look at their past via remasters and remixes put out by EuroRalph (including a remix of their previously unreleased and notorious "Warner Brothers Demo"). A DVD of the Demons Dance Alone tour came out in 2004 and another new project, "Animal Lover" was released in 2005."
Summer of 2006 brought the internet download project, The River of Crime: Episodes 1-5. River of Crime was their first project with Warner Music Group's Cordless label. Following the success of "River of Crime", The Residents launched their weekly Timmy video project on YouTube. In 2007 they did the music for the documentary "Strange Culture" and also released a double instrumental album, "Night of the Hunters". On the Fourth of July, 2007, the planned October release of their latest project with Mute Records, The Voice of Midnight (a music theater adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann's short story Der Sandmann), was announced on their website.
On the 21st of May 2008 they announced on their website that their first North America tour since "Demons Dance Alone" for a project entitled "The Bunny Boy" is set to begin on October 9th in New York — later an earlier date was added for Santa Cruz. Soon, it was announced that the tour will also include Europe, starting November 13th. On June 3rd, the Residents.com website boasted the planned release of "The Bunny Boy" which was released on September 1st. The website had posted information in which Foxboro claimed this would be a Farewell Tour; it was later revealed that this was nothing more than a mistake by Foxboro.
In October 2017, Hardy Fox identified himself as both the anonymous primary composer and producer for The Residents as well as the pseudonymous Charles Bobuck.
Hardy Fox died on October 30, 2018.
Bury Me Not
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These words came slow and mournfully
From the bleedin' lips of the youth who lay
On his dyin' bed at the close of day
He moaned in pain while over his head
The shadows of death grew thick like lead
He thought of his home and family that night
"Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie
Where the wild coyotes howl over me
In a narrow grave, just six by three
Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie"
"In dreams I've listened to the well-known words
Of the wild prairie winds and the songs of birds
I think of the table where my mama put flowers
And the scenes I loved in those long lost hours"
"It matters not I've often been told
Where the body lies when the heart grows cold
Oh grant, oh grant this wish to me
And bury me not on the lone prairie"
"I've always wished to be laid when I died
In a little churchyard on the green hillside
By my mama's grave please let mine be
And bury me not on the lone prairie"
"Oh, bury me not", and his voice stopped there
But we took no heed of his dyin' prayer
In a narrow grave, just six by three
We buried him there on the lone prairie
The song "Bury Me Not" by The Residents is a cover of a traditional western folk song also known as "The Cowboy's Lament". The song tells the story of a dying cowboy’s final words, begging not to be buried on the lone prairie where the coyotes howl over his grave. The cowboy, with thoughts of his family and home in his mind, wishes to be buried in a little churchyard on the green hillside, near his mother's grave. He believes that it matters not where the body lies, but rather, where he would like to be buried.
The lyrics of the song paint a melancholic picture of a cowboy’s dying wish. The cowboy is coming to terms with his imminent death, and is contemplating the life he's lived and the things he's lost. He longs for a peaceful resting place near his family and loved ones. The cowboy’s request is simple yet poignant and invokes a sense of sadness and longing.
Overall, the song is a beautifully written expression of love and longing for the simpler times, a tribute to the American West where cowboys and pioneers roamed free, searching for a better life. The message of the song resonates today, capturing the essence of the human condition and the need for love and belonging in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie
The dying youth pleaded not to be buried in the desolate prairie.
These words came slow and mournfully
He spoke with sadness and pain.
From the bleedin' lips of the youth who lay
The youth, bleeding and dying, spoke these words.
On his dyin' bed at the close of day
He spoke these words as he lay dying at the end of the day.
He moaned in pain while over his head
He cried out in agony as the shadows of death loomed above him.
The shadows of death grew thick like lead
The imminent approach of death felt overwhelming.
He thought of his home and family that night
His mind turned towards his loved ones and the comforts of home in his final moments.
As the cowboys gathered to watch him die
The onlookers watched as the youth drew his last breath.
Where the wild coyotes howl over me
He did not wish to have his body exposed to the sounds of scavengers in the lonely wilderness.
In a narrow grave, just six by three
He desired a traditional burial with a proper plot and headstone.
In dreams I've listened to the well-known words
He remembers the familiar sounds he took comfort in from home and his past life.
Of the wild prairie winds and the songs of birds
He longs for the familiar sounds of the outdoors that bring him peaceful memories.
I think of the table where my mama put flowers
He reflects on his childhood memories of his mother and her care for their home.
And the scenes I loved in those long lost hours
He remembers the places and moments that brought him the most joy, but which are now gone forever.
It matters not I've often been told
He has heard that it doesn't matter where a body is buried once they have passed away.
Where the body lies when the heart grows cold
Once the heart stops beating, the location of the body no longer matters.
Oh grant, oh grant this wish to me
He pleads to have his last wish granted.
I've always wished to be laid when I died
He has always wished for a proper burial when he passed away.
In a little churchyard on the green hillside
He desires to be buried in a peaceful graveyard with a view of the surrounding hills.
By my mama's grave please let mine be
He wishes to be buried near his mother to bring him a sense of comfort and connection even in death.
And his voice stopped there
The youth died before he could finish speaking.
But we took no heed of his dyin' prayer
The cowboys ignored his understanding wishes and buried him in the way they saw as fitting.
We buried him there on the lone prairie
They buried him in the desolate wilderness he had begged not to be buried in.
Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
glamourvictims
Wow that sounds amazing! Thanks for doing this.
Edo Marinus
Haunting.