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.
Edweena
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming into column nation is a gracious thing
A stirring and a whirring and a broken widow(er)'s pain;
It's causing easy ought to just leave a lust alone
But when a friend has shrunken skin where do you throw the bone?
(The matter that's been spoken to's a fragrant little thing
It's open and was known to need a token diamond ring.)
Young Girl:
Confusing grace with outer space.
Chorus:
To please the breeze you freeze the seize,
Combat disease and bend the knees;
And if explicit matters naught,
Extend the grin -- but don't get caught.
Now Uncle Remus, Uncle Remus, where have you been we say
(We saw the end of Uncle mend and turn into into today).
But now they say there's room no more for such a friendly friendly whore
Uncle Remus:
Yes, Easter Island isn't my land coming home once more.
Chorus:
But a sentence existing inside of a rhyme
Is only just a token left spoken in time
Uncle Remus:
Can tomorrow be more than the end of today?
Young Girl:
Or do posies just bloom for the feel of a may?
Investing space without a place;
Confusing grace with outer space.
Chorus:
The way is a never for severing two,
(For) beginnings are endings for all but a few.
The Residents' song "Edweena" is a complex and enigmatic piece of music that requires a deep interpretation. The song begins with a chorus that talks about the idea of being part of a "column nation" and how it causes pain to some. The lyrics then question the concept of investing space without a place, and the idea of confusing grace with outer space. The chorus advises bending the knees, but not getting caught. The lyrics then shift to a conversation between Uncle Remus and the young girl about the end of Uncle mend and whether tomorrow can be more than the end of today. The song ends with the chorus stating that beginnings are endings for all but a few.
The song is dense and full of imagery that seems to be open to interpretation. The chorus seems to be about the difficulties of being part of a group, where sometimes it's easy to ignore the pain of others. The chorus also touches on the idea of investing in something that doesn't have a place, which could be interpreted as trying to belong in a world that doesn't have a clear purpose. The conversation between Uncle Remus and the young girl could be interpreted as a discussion about the cyclical nature of life and whether it's possible to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Coming into column nation is a gracious thing
Joining a group of people can be a kind and welcoming experience.
A stirring and a whirring and a broken widow(er)'s pain;
The process of joining can be confusing and uncomfortable, especially for someone who is grieving.
It's causing easy ought to just leave a lust alone
It might be easier to avoid temptation or desire, but that's not always the best choice.
But when a friend has shrunken skin where do you throw the bone?
When a friend is struggling or suffering, it can be hard to know how to help them.
(The matter that's been spoken to's a fragrant little thing
The topic of conversation is delicate and pleasant.
It's open and was known to need a token diamond ring.)
It's a topic that's been discussed before and might require a romantic gesture.
Investing space without a place;
Trying to make something meaningful without having the right environment or resources.
Confusing grace with outer space.
Mistaking elegance or poise for something alien or unfamiliar.
To please the breeze you freeze the seize,
Sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice something in order to fit in or be accepted.
Combat disease and bend the knees;
Fighting illness requires humility and perseverance.
And if explicit matters naught,
If details don't matter.
Extend the grin -- but don't get caught.
Try to appear happy or content, but don't let anyone know that it's not genuine.
Now Uncle Remus, Uncle Remus, where have you been we say
Asking where someone has been or what they've been doing, specifically addressing Uncle Remus.
(We saw the end of Uncle mend and turn into into today).
Uncle Remus used to be in better health and spirits, but things have changed for him recently.
But now they say there's room no more for such a friendly friendly whore
But apparently there is no longer a place for someone who is outgoing and sociable.
Yes, Easter Island isn't my land coming home once more.
Uncle Remus doesn't feel like he truly belongs anywhere.
The way is a never for severing two,
Once two things or two people are connected, it's difficult to completely separate them.
(For) beginnings are endings for all but a few.
Most things that start must eventually come to an end.
Can tomorrow be more than the end of today?
Is it possible for things to improve or change in the future?
Or do posies just bloom for the feel of a may?
Or do good things happen only for a short period of time and never last?
Contributed by Christopher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ResidentMich
The whole album demands at least 5 listens so you can follow each individual element and then after this work, relax and accept genius.
Primo Stracciatella
Right, so many individual elements on so many levels, the sounds, the melodies, the voices, all partly not seeming to go together, different speeds... I can't put it in words, you did it better, and you're right when you talk about genius.
I discovered the Residents 40 years ago and have always been a big fan of unusual, off-the-beaten-track music. I'm also a decade-long fan of bands like CAN, and MAGMA, and creative artists like Captain Beefheart, Brian Eno, even Laurie Anderson and Miles Davis' fusion-jazz period in the early 70s.
michael greenwood
well put
TheHeavyMetalBrony
4:32-5:15 and 7:41-8:16
Such calm segments, my favourite parts of the song.
Simon Penny
it was an instant favorite of mine when it came out and it still stands up. Just thrilling.
Triturate
i have this on vinyl its amazing
Frank Brinkmann
The very first appereance of the Mole on the Cover Art. A Masterpiece in my Opinion. Don't know if Homer did this, knowing he will do it in the Future again. But it turns out again in the Artwork of 'Tunes of two Cities' again and I really like the way he and the others did it. This is art!
Carl Howard
I don't think I've listened to this in 35 years.
solaria
ur cool
Alessandro Anacreonte
This is so amazing and so... disturbing...