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.
Fine Fat Flies
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
not know what I was reaching for. I got up and started walking, but soon
found I was stalking prey that I could utilize for more than just an easy
conversation, or an evening's inspiration. Now the time was right for
something more. As I walked I thought of flies that stuck to sticky pecan
pies that people put upon the window sill, and how those fine fat flies
would feed until they satisfied their greed then buzzed about in panic
till they died. Knowing where my feet would take me if I kept on moving,
with some consideration never would fulfill its smiling smell. But there
was no hesitation in my step or in my making sure the door was quiet when
it closed. And as I walked into the darkness, I could sense a wakened
sharpness penetrating deep within the room. Then I touched her arm and
throat, and found beneath my hand a coat of moisture though the night was
not too warm. The other one was breathing deeply, so I thought he must be
sleeping, but then again I wasn't really sure. "Hold me tight and be my
master," someone whispered and I fastened fingers of my own around her
wrists which strangely were secure behind her as I began to mount and bind
her to myself wit force I could not hold. Then I seemed to hear a snicker
but I was so busy with her that I did not notice him until I felt him but
his hands around my throat and squeeze as if the sounds I made should not
escape into the air causing me to moan too loudly as I jerked on out the
fire that I no longer could control. I was first to see the flashing
blinding light of liquid lasing out arms, but my convulsions spread to my
writhing young companions who were lost in unabandoned cream that soon
would crack and fade away. Afterwards, when it was quiet and the bonds had
been denied, I told them that we should do this again. But I said it would
be wrong to play these games of weak and strong together without me around
to help them understand the dangers in it, for there were so many and they
simply were too young to understand.
The lyrics of The Residents's song Fine Fat Flies depict the story of someone who wakes up with a vague feeling of restlessness and starts walking aimlessly. However, their thoughts gradually spiral into a darker place as they recollect the image of flies getting trapped in sticky pecan pies and dying in a frenzy after overfeeding. The singer then realizes that they are like those flies, and their wandering will lead them to a perilous situation. They arrive at a rendezvous point with two other individuals, and the scene quickly turns into a sexual encounter that becomes increasingly violent. The singer feels a sense of power while dominating their partners, but the situation takes a turn for the worse when an unexpected third person enters the room and starts choking them. The story ends with the implication that the singer is not entirely remorseful and is willing to engage in such activities again in the future, albeit with stricter rules.
Overall, the song depicts a twisted and macabre reflection of human desires and impulses. The imagery of the flies trapped in the pie serves as a metaphor for the humans' insatiable greed and lack of control over their primal instincts. The characters' actions also highlight the themes of dominance and submission, power and vulnerability, and the blurred boundaries between pleasure and pain. The narrative takes a sinister tone towards the end, suggesting that the characters are too consumed by their desires to make rational and ethical decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Soon I woke when I was sleeping with a restless reaching feeling but did not know what I was reaching for.
I woke up with a sense of unease and longing but wasn't sure what I was searching for.
I got up and started walking, but soon found I was stalking prey that I could utilize for more than just an easy conversation, or an evening's inspiration.
I got up and started to act on my desires to take advantage of someone for more than just casual conversation or inspiration for my own purposes.
Now the time was right for something more.
I felt that the timing was right to act on my desires to exploit someone.
As I walked I thought of flies that stuck to sticky pecan pies that people put upon the window sill, and how those fine fat flies would feed until they satisfied their greed then buzzed about in panic till they died.
As I walked, I thought of how flies would greedily consume sweet pie until they died, comparing them to myself in my pursuit of exploiting someone for my own gratification.
Knowing where my feet would take me if I kept on moving, made me see myself exactly like those flies.
I realized that if I continued on this path, I would be no different from those greedy, doomed flies.
Drawn into a situation that with some consideration never would fulfill its smiling smell.
I found myself in a situation that, upon closer reflection, held little promise for true satisfaction or happiness.
But there was no hesitation in my step or in my making sure the door was quiet when it closed.
Despite any doubts or misgivings, I proceeded with determination to carry out my exploitative intentions without being detected.
And as I walked into the darkness, I could sense a wakened sharpness penetrating deep within the room.
As I entered the dark room, I sensed a heightened alertness or tension in the environment.
Then I touched her arm and throat, and found beneath my hand a coat of moisture though the night was not too warm.
I touched her and felt a layer of sweat on her skin, despite the coolness of the night.
The other one was breathing deeply, so I thought he must be sleeping, but then again I wasn't really sure.
I assumed that the other person in the room was sleeping deeply, but I couldn't be certain.
"Hold me tight and be my master," someone whispered and I fastened fingers of my own around her wrists which strangely were secure behind her as I began to mount and bind her to myself wit force I could not hold.
Someone whispered a request to me to control them, and I proceeded to restrain them against their will, unable to resist the force of my own desire.
Then I seemed to hear a snicker but I was so busy with her that I did not notice him until I felt him but his hands around my throat and squeeze as if the sounds I made should not escape into the air causing me to moan too loudly as I jerked on out the fire that I no longer could control.
I heard a laugh but was too preoccupied with my actions to pay it any attention until I felt someone's hands around my throat, choking me as if to silence my moans of pleasure and extinguish the passion I could no longer contain.
I was first to see the flashing blinding light of liquid lasing out arms, but my convulsions spread to my writhing young companions who were lost in unabandoned cream that soon would crack and fade away.
I was the first to witness the intense, overwhelming experience that followed, and my companions also succumbed to the ecstasy of the moment, which would soon pass and dissipate like evaporating cream.
Afterwards, when it was quiet and the bonds had been denied, I told them that we should do this again.
Afterward, when the passion subsided and the restraints were removed, I suggested that we repeat this experience in the future.
But I said it would be wrong to play these games of weak and strong together without me around to help them understand the dangers in it, for there were so many and they simply were too young to understand.
However, I acknowledged that it was wrong for us to engage in these power dynamic games without my guidance, as they were too inexperienced to comprehend the potential risks and negative consequences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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sfdog1369
Wouldnt Let Me Thumbs Up Good Tune Tho
899466
@sfdog1369 I'll do it for you! :D