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.
Shorty's Lament
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That there was a Shorty and he could see
You could, you could tell that Shorty
Wouldn't always be short, so he said
"Protect yourself, Shorty, protect yourself"
Once the fever finds your soul
Something else will take control
Something says to me
But it can be indiscreet
And you tend to overheat
O'er the taste of soft and sweet
Something says to me
What can you do when something falls?
Walls close from somewhere, close from nowhere, like eyes
Can't, can't think clearly, I can't think
But I can't think clearly
Believe maybe you can, maybe you can help me
Bill, no, Willie, Willie, can you, doggone it, can you, Bill?
Can you, Will? Maybe Jay? No, no, he's, bye, Jay, bye
I've got this light behind my eyes
And believe me, it tells me what, what to do
But I doubt it, it says that if you can't win
Then there's no way you can lose
If nature hates both a vacuum then the vacuum cleaner too
Then it laughs, I don't know what this means
What can I do? I don't know
Love is, love is, love is, ahh
Love is, love is, love is, ahh
Love is, love is, love is, ahh
Love is expectation
Love is explanation
Love is exploitation, ahh
Somebody's getting somebody happy
Love is complication
Love is consummation
Love is concentration, ahh
Oh, goddamn it, I can't
Love is obligation
Love is insulation
Love is stimulation, ahh
It's always, 'have a good weekend'
Love is ruination
Love is accusation
Love is navigation, ahhh
Is anybody, is anybody driving?
Someone's gotta be, somebody driving?
I can't drive, I'm not, is anybody driving?
Somebody must be driving
Is anybody, is anybody driving?
Is anybody driving at all?
The Residents' song Shorty's Lament appears to be a conversation between two individuals, Willie and Shorty. The lyrics suggest that Shorty is shorter in height than most individuals, but Willie sees the potential for him to grow. As such, Willie advises Shorty to protect himself from the world and the difficulties that may arise. The conversation takes a darker turn when something ominous, represented by "something dark and from a bowl", appears to take control of Shorty's soul. Willie expresses concern for Shorty as he witnesses him struggle with this force, claiming that he cannot think clearly. The lyrics move on to mention love and its various forms, which could be interpreted as a distraction from Shorty's problems.
The song's ambiguous lyrics provide room for interpretation, but it seems to be an exploration of the human condition and the challenges we face. Shorty's struggle with "something dark" could represent mental health difficulties, addiction, or any number of personal demons. Willie's advice and concern may reflect the support we need from others when facing adversity. Furthermore, the lyrics on love's different forms suggest that it is a complex and multifaceted emotion that can be both a positive and negative force in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Once, there was a Willie and he could see
Long ago, there was a man named Willie who had good vision
That there was a Shorty and he could see
Willie noticed a man named Shorty who also had good vision
You could, you could tell that Shorty
It was easy to see that something was different about Shorty
Wouldn't always be short, so he said
Willie predicted that Shorty would grow taller someday and warned him
"Protect yourself, Shorty, protect yourself"
Willie advised Shorty to take care of himself and stay safe
Once the fever finds your soul
When you become passionate about something
Something else will take control
Your emotions may become overwhelming
Something dark and from a bowl
A mysterious force that comes from within
Something says to me
I have a feeling that something is going to happen
But it can be indiscreet
This feeling may not be entirely obvious or appropriate to share
And you tend to overheat
You may get too excited or worked up about things
O'er the taste of soft and sweet
Often, these feelings are triggered by pleasant experiences
What can you do when something falls?
What action can you take when something goes wrong?
Walls close from somewhere, close from nowhere, like eyes
It feels like you are being watched, trapped, or judged
Can't, can't think clearly, I can't think
It's hard to focus or make rational decisions
But I can't think clearly
Despite these challenges, I can't stop thinking about it
Believe maybe you can, maybe you can help me
I hope that someone else can help me or provide guidance
Bill, no, Willie, Willie, can you, doggone it, can you, Bill?
I am trying to remember the name of the person who gave me advice earlier
Can you, Will? Maybe Jay? No, no, he's, bye, Jay, bye
I am recalling the names of people who might be able to help me but realize they are not available
I've got this light behind my eyes
I feel like I have a beacon or guide within me
And believe me, it tells me what, what to do
This inner spirit gives me a sense of direction or purpose
But I doubt it, it says that if you can't win
Despite feeling guided, sometimes I doubt my own abilities or intuition
Then there's no way you can lose
This inner voice gives me hope that even if I don't succeed, there is still value in the experience
If nature hates both a vacuum then the vacuum cleaner too
There is a saying that suggests nature abhors a vacuum, but this may also mean that our attempts to fill emptiness may be rejected
Then it laughs, I don't know what this means
This observation confuses me and makes me question its relevance
What can I do? I don't know
Despite all this, I am still uncertain about what to do next
Love is, love is, love is, ahh
The following lines explore the different meanings and forms of love
Love is expectation
Love can be associated with having certain hopes or demands for others
Love is explanation
Love can also involve explaining ourselves, our feelings, and our desires to others
Love is exploitation, ahh
Love can sometimes involve taking advantage of others or being taken advantage of ourselves
Love is complication
Love can be complex, confusing, or difficult to navigate
Love is consummation
Love can be fulfilled by a physical or emotional connection
Love is concentration, ahh
Love requires focus and attention to be sustained
Love is obligation
Love can feel like a duty or responsibility to care for another person
Love is insulation
Love can be a protective shield that keeps us safe from harm
Love is stimulation, ahh
Love can energize and motivate us, driving us to be better
Love is ruination
Love can also be destructive, tearing down our sense of self or causing harm to ourselves or others
Love is accusation
Love can involve blame or accusations of wrongdoing
Love is navigation, ahhh
Love requires us to navigate through difficult waters in order to reach our destination
Is anybody, is anybody driving?
The final lines express a sense of uncertainty and doubt, questioning if anyone is really in control or if we are all just going along for the ride
Someone's gotta be, somebody driving?
Despite this, there is still some hope that someone else is at the helm
I can't drive, I'm not, is anybody driving?
Ultimately, the singer realizes they are not capable of driving themselves and continues to wonder if anyone is really in charge
Somebody must be driving
Despite the doubt, there is still a sense that somebody has to be in control
Is anybody, is anybody driving?
The song ends with the repetition of this question, suggesting a continued sense of uncertainty and existential questioning
Contributed by Nathaniel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnvoice815
This is what PROPER music is
SUPPOSED to sound like.
The Residents just beat everybody to it.
@MrGordongemmell
Exceptional musicians, i was hooked first time i heard them 30+ years ago.
@terrypussypower
The rhythm track on this is the business! You gotta love the Ressy's!
@savbavsalad
Been that man since Batman had a sidekick
@madahad9
This is one of early tunes I heard from my very first Residents CD and it was love at first hearing.
@terrypussypower
I remember hearing this for the first time during the intermission (funnily enough!) of "The Mole Show" in Edinburgh Queen's Hall in 1983. Still have my ticket!
@djphaks
Incredible track! Incredible song! Electric opera? Much better on vinyl than here/hear.
@therodentestcat
I love this.
I love the accordion in this, too.
@trillinflossin412
Marselle Music 2:34 smh
@gnchilds
That's a synthesizer, not an accordion.