For each Swirling Eddies release, band members adopted pseudonyms for the liner notes; "Camarillo Eddy" (Terry Scott Taylor), "Berger Roy Al" (Tim Chandler), "Gene Pool" (Greg Flesch), "Arthur Fhardy" (Rob Watson), "Spot" (Jerry Chamberlain), "Hort Elvison" (David Raven) and, on later albums, "Prickly Disco" (Gene Eugene). These pseudonyms were dropped for their third album, Zoom Daddy.
The band released its debut album on Alarma Records in 1988 entitled Let's Spin!. 1989's Outdoor Elvis featured the band's first two radio hits, "Driving in England" and "Hide the Beer the Pastor's Here!". The title track included classic lines such as: "It's said he croons when the moon's above, singing tenderly 'Hunk of Burning Love.'" The band's documentary video, Spittle and Phlegm was released the following year.
The band's stage shows are rare and unusual, to say the least. Since the band was formed in the late 1980s, they have only performed about six or seven live concerts. In 1990, the band performed at The Cornerstone Festival in drag, belting out covers like "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar", The Animals' "We've Got To Get Out Of This Place", The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".
In 2004, the band began to work on their first album of original, new material in ten years entitled The midget, the speck and the molecule. The first new song to surface, a rough mix of "Giants in the Land," was made available in March of 2007 exclusively to people that preordered the album before it was finished. The recording sessions ended in May of 2007 and the album was released on July 23, 2007
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Mystery Babylon
The Swirling Eddies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've got the hat to fit it
She'll take us all to bed
What she wants, she can get it
Have you heard about the girl
The prettiest in the world
Have you heard about the girl
She wears her gold and pearls
And sits upon the water
And every boy and girl
Is drinking her elixir
Have you heard about the girl
The wonder of the world
Everybody wants a date
With Mystery Babylon
In scarlet, fine raiment
(glass of wine held high)
The harlot seeks payment
So lay us down to die
There's fear now in her eyes
I guess she knows what's comin'
They'll say she once was wise
So beautiful, so cunnin'
Have you heard about the girl
The prettiest in the world
Have you heard about the girl
Named Mystery Babylon
Everybody wants a date with Mystery Babylon
The Swirling Eddies's song "Mystery Babylon" is a satirical critique of the allure and eventual downfall of materialistic excess and moral decay. The lyrics describe a woman with a giant head who can have anything she desires. This woman is named Mystery Babylon and is considered the prettiest and most desirable woman in the world. She wears gold and pearls and sits on the water. Every boy and girl drinks her elixir, which represents the lure of materialism and wealth.
The song speaks to the idea that people will give up anything, including their morals and values, in pursuit of wealth and material possessions. The lyrics suggest that Babylon represents the corrupting influence of materialism and the high price that people pay for it. The line "lay us down to die" suggests that the pursuit of materialism leads to spiritual death.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got a giant head
She has an immense ego and sense of self-importance.
We've got the hat to fit it
We can flatter her and cater to her ego to get what we want from her.
She'll take us all to bed
She has a seductive power over others and can manipulate them sexually.
What she wants, she can get it
She is used to getting her way and will use any means necessary to achieve her goals.
Have you heard about the girl
The singer is asking if the listener is aware of Mystery Babylon and her power.
The prettiest in the world
The singer is referencing the allure and charisma of Mystery Babylon.
She wears her gold and pearls
She flaunts her wealth and status to impress others.
And sits upon the water
She holds dominion over others and their resources.
And every boy and girl
Her seductive power extends to all genders, ages, and types of people.
Is drinking her elixir
She has a way of making people crave and become addicted to her power and influence.
The wonder of the world
Her influence and hold over others is miraculous and awe-inspiring to some.
Everybody wants a date
Her power and allure are so strong that everyone desires to be near her.
In scarlet, fine raiment
She presents herself as an alluring and seductive figure, dressed in luxurious and provocative clothing.
(glass of wine held high)
She is often seen with wine or other intoxicating substances, adding to her seductive power over others.
The harlot seeks payment
She uses her sexuality to extract something from others, often money or power.
So lay us down to die
She will use and discard those who fall under her spell, sometimes leading to their demise.
There's fear now in her eyes
Mystery Babylon is starting to realize that her power is waning and that she is vulnerable.
I guess she knows what's comin'
The singer suggests he knows what will happen to Mystery Babylon and her power.
They'll say she once was wise
People will look back on her reign and see her as foolish or misguided.
So beautiful, so cunnin'
Mystery Babylon was both alluring and deceptive, using her charm to gain power and control over others.
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.