Although most of the Squirrels material has been, technically speaking, cover versions, they are by no means a typical cover band. They have a theatrical stage sense derived from Alice Cooper and The Tubes (for a while in the mid-1990s, their stage paraphernalia included a working guillotine), and an approach to arrangements that Morgan has described as "… the Frankenstein method of song arrangement… 'Well, we like these verses, but the chorus on that song is way better. So we'll just graft it right on there, make a whole new beast.' We just start fooling around, and then we go 'Hey, this Alice Cooper song fits right on there, and to hell with the chorus. Let's put the chorus of "Runaway" by Del Shannon in there because it's better!'" (Krugman, 2000). (a royalty nightmare. ed.)
The Squirrels' single "Oz On 45" (1988) was a "Stars on 45"-style reworking of songs from The Wizard of Oz (and a fragment of a song about Oz by Mark Nichols). It was one of the 142 seven-inch records that British DJ John Peel had set aside in a box, to be grabbed if his house ever caught fire and he had to abandon the rest of his collection. (It had a typically eccentric B-side: Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again, Naturally".)
Perhaps the most widely respected Squirrels album is The Not-So-Bright Side of the Moon (2000), a song-by-song cover of the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon, described by Jim DeRogatis, of the Chicago Sun-Times as a "…brilliant through-the-looking-glass reimagining of Pink Floyd's classic…"
Hair
The Squirrels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm hairy noon and night, hair that's a fright
I'm hairy high and low, don't ask me why, Don't know
It's not for lack of bread, like the Grateful Dead
Darlin', give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair, shoulder length or longer
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas, (yeah) a hive to bees, (yeah) a nest for birds
There ain't no words for the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy
Ratty, matty, oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming
Streaming, flaxen, waxen, knotted, polka dotted
Twisted, beaded, braided, powdered, flowered and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied
They'll be ga ga at the go go when they see me in my toga
My toga made of blond, brilliantined, biblical hair
My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah, I adore it
Hallelujah; Mary loved her son, why don't my mother love me?
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
The Squirrels' song "Hair" is a humorous take on the cultural obsession with long hair during the 1960s and 70s. The song's protagonist is a "hairy guy" who just can't explain why he's so hairy. He wishes for a head full of long and beautiful hair like the singers of the era. The song's lyrics engage in wordplay and use a variety of adjectives to create imagery of different types of hair. From long and straight to knotted and braided, the song showcases a wide array of hair types and styles.
Despite the playful tone of the song, there is an underlying social commentary. The song highlights the pressure to conform to beauty standards and the societal expectation to fit in. The singer wishes for long and beautiful hair to be accepted and appreciated by others. The repeated chorus of "Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair" reinforces this message and serves as a reminder to be confident and proud of one's natural hair.
Overall, The Squirrels' "Hair" is a comical yet socially aware song that pokes fun at the obsession with long hair during the hippie era. The song is a testament to the power of music to critique and comment on societal norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
She asks me why, I'm just a hairy guy
The singer of the song is asked why he has so much hair
I'm hairy noon and night, hair that's a fright
The singer has a lot of hair that is untidy and unmanageable
I'm hairy high and low, don't ask me why, Don't know
The singer has hair all over his body for no apparent reason
It's not for lack of bread, like the Grateful Dead
The artist's hair is not a result of being poor like some members of the Grateful Dead
Darlin', give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
The artist desires long, beautiful hair on his head
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
The hair he desires is shiny and bright, like flax or wax
Give me down to there hair, shoulder length or longer
He wants his hair to be very long, at least reaching his shoulders
Here, baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy
He wants long hair all over his body
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Hair is the topic of the song and is mentioned frequently
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
The artist wants his hair to grow as long as possible and be displayed proudly
Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
He wants his hair to be so long that it blows in the wind and can get caught in trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
He doesn't mind having fleas in his hair as long as it's long and flowing
A home for fleas, (yeah) a hive to bees, (yeah) a nest for birds
He wants his hair to be a sanctuary for all kinds of creatures, including fleas, bees, and birds
There ain't no words for the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
His hair is so beautiful and wondrous that it cannot be described with words
I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy
He wants his hair to be in all different styles and textures
Ratty, matty, oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming
He wants his hair to be messy, oily or even greasy but shining and gleaming
Streaming, flaxen, waxen, knotted, polka dotted
He wants his hair to be long while showing some texture variation, like having knots or polka dots
Twisted, beaded, braided, powdered, flowered and confettied
He wants his hair to be braided or decorated with accessories like powder and flowers, very much showing his unique personality
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied
He wants his hair to be entangled with hoops, decorations, shiny things or even completely messed up like spaghetti
They'll be ga ga at the go go when they see me in my toga
When he wears his toga, people will be crazy for him.
My toga made of blond, brilliantined, biblical hair
His toga is made using blond, glittery, special or biblical hair
My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah, I adore it
His hair is styled like Jesus' hair and he loves it
Hallelujah; Mary loved her son, why don't my mother love me?
He is comparing his love of his own hair to Mary's love of Jesus, and wonders why his own mother doesn't appreciate his hair
Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair
He repeats his desire to have long hair that he can display proudly
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Galt Mac Dermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind