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.
Mickey The Mumbling Midget
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was ten years old today
Mickey the mumbling midget
Somehow ran away
Mickey the mumbling midget
Was not in his cage
Mickey the mumbling midget
Soon would need a shave
Scratchy at some scabby sores and stretching as it
Yawned
It seemed to be uneasy as it looked up at the moon
She sensed the tension in the air and smelled a sweet
Baboon.
Pungent was the warm aroma drifting in the air
She hoped he would smell her heat and lick her
Silken hair.
Run Mickey run
Run Lassie
The lyrics to the song, "Mickey the Mumbling Midget" by The Residents, are cryptic and open to interpretation. The song starts off by introducing Mickey, who is a ten-year-old midget who has somehow run away from his cage. This line could be interpreted in many ways, but it suggests that Mickey was imprisoned or confined in some way. The lyrics then mention that Mickey would soon need a shave, which could be an allusion to his being a circus performer or sideshow attraction. The next few lines describe how Lassie, the famous dog, comes across something shapeless lying on the lawn. It is unclear what this shapeless thing is, but it seems to be in discomfort and uneasy. Lassie senses tension in the air and smells a sweet baboon. The lyrics then describe a pungent aroma drifting in the air and how Lassie hopes to be licked by someone with silken hair. The song ends with the repeated phrase, "Run Mickey run, run Lassie."
The song could be interpreted in various ways, but it could be a commentary on confinement, dehumanization, and animal rights. Mickey is referred to as a mumbling midget, suggesting that he is not treated with dignity and respect. He is also referred to as being in a cage, which could symbolize imprisonment or dehumanization. The shapeless thing that Lassie comes across could be a representation of any number of things, such as a disfigured human, a sick animal, or even an inanimate object. The pungent scent drifting in the air could be a symbol of corruption or decay. The use of Lassie, who is famous for rescuing people, could be a commentary on the need for someone or something to save us from confinement or oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Mickey the mumbling midget
Introducing a character named Mickey, who is both small in stature and has difficulty speaking clearly.
Was ten years old today
Today marks Mickey's tenth birthday.
Somehow ran away
Mickey has managed to leave the place where he is normally kept without anyone knowing how he did it.
Was not in his cage
Mickey's absence is noted because he is not found where he is normally kept, suggesting he may have escaped his confines.
Soon would need a shave
Given that Mickey is referred to as 'mumbling' and likely has speech issues complicating keeping himself groomed, it is believed that if he were found, he would be in need of a shave
Lassie looked at something shapeless lying on the lawn
Lassie, a dog, has spotted an unknown and unrecognizable form lying on the grass.
Scratchy at some scabby sores and stretching as it yawned
The form appears to be afflicted with some sores or rashes, causing it to scratch itself, and is subsequently shown yawning as if tired or uncomfortable.
It seemed to be uneasy as it looked up at the moon
The form looks distressed and uneasy, revealing its gaze upwards towards the moon, potentially giving rise to supernatural interpretations.
She sensed the tension in the air and smelled a sweet baboon.
Lassie has an acute sense of smell and picked up smells in the air, interpreting one of them as 'sweet baboon' . She feels tension in the air, perceiving a potentially perilous scenario.
Pungent was the warm aroma drifting in the air
An unpleasant or sickening odor wafts through the atmosphere.
She hoped he would smell her heat and lick her silken hair.
Lassie's thoughts take a turn towards her own desires, potentially interpreting the scenario as a romantic one in which she hopes to receive affection from another, perhaps a mate.
Run Mickey run
The chorus simply repeats the phrase 'run Mickey run', reinforcing the idea that Mickey is now free and should make haste towards safety.
Run Lassie
The chorus changes slightly, additionally exhorting Lassie to take action of some kind, implying that there may be some danger in the surroundings.
Contributed by Alyssa H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jimbo
on BUCKAROO BLUES: The Stampede
A true mirror of American culture. The Residents are a national treasure