George Duke's "Uncle Remus"
Bossk (R)
Have you heard George Duke's own version of "Uncle Remus"? In many ways,
it's way better than the original - a gorgeous soulful arrangement,
beautifully played and sung, but I get the feeling Duke doesn't quite
understand what he's singing. Instead of
We look pretty sharp in these clothes
Unless we get sprayed with a hose
It ain't bad in the day
If they squirt it your way
'Xcept in the winter
When it's froze
And it's hard if it hits
On your nose
he sings "UNLESS they squirt it your way", which takes the whole point out
of it! Hello, George? Of course it ain't bad if they DON'T squirt it your
way! Zappa wrote these lyrics, didn't he? I can't believe that George Duke
didn't understand them, but that what it sounds like on his album, and that
just tastes real bad, doesn't it?
--- Bossk (R) <wik...@mbox301.swipnet.se>
"Before, we were baking hard cookies, the Swedish way."
- Genevieve Reyes, plant manager at Pogens, Compton, California, 1992
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
hit with a hose in the day, but then the next line about winter doesn't make
as much sense, since Xcept doesn't follow logically from the previous
statement. Unless and Xcept mean basically the same thing in this verse.
it ain't bad
unless...
means it's nice in the day, unless they squirt you with a hose, then it
sucks.
However, I like just 'less cause it works well rhythmically. Zappa probably
didn't care much for diction, as long as the phrase went nicely.
--
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
YIPE***********S'Lilly***********YIPE
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
"You're really kinda stupid 'n' ugly, too"
-FZ, "Yo Mama"
Bossk (R) wrote in message ...
Lewis Saul
The credit is to Zappa/Duke. I'm inclined to cut George some slack. I
think his version is wonderful.
ls
Bossk (R)
> Perhaps the change is justified a tiny bit, I mean, it
> still sucks to get hit with a hose in the day, but then
> the next line about winter doesn't make as much
> sense, since Xcept doesn't follow logically from the
> previous statement.
That's right, and I don't think that does anything to justify the change. Of
course it sucks to be sprayed with a hose - but the point of this verse in
Zappa's version is that African-Americans ACCEPT the hosing "'Xcept in the
winter / When it's froze" - they're "moving too slow".
> Unless and Xcept mean basically the same thing in
> this verse.
That's all well and good, but beside the point. On APOSTROPHE ('), it's
"WHEN they squirt it your way", and in Duke's version, it's "'LESS they
squirt it your way".
> It ain't bad unless ... means it's nice in the day, unless
> they squirt you with a hose, then it sucks.
Well, of course it sucks to be sprayed with a hose. I know, and we all agree
on that. But in the original, the African-Americans bow their heads, keep
their noses to the grindstone and LET White America spray them with a hose:
It ain't bad in the day,
When they squirt it your way,
'Xcept in the winter,
When it's froze
See what he's singing? He's accepting the hose treatment, as long as it's
not winter. That's the point: he is "moving too slow" - of course he
shouldn't accept that kind of shit even in the summer. That's what is lost
in Duke's version, where it just plain sucks to be sprayed with a hose.
Which is also a point being made, of course, but a fairly obvious one that
has little to do with the rest of the song.
> Zappa probably didn't care much for diction, as long as
> the phrase went nicely.
Don't you mean "Duke"? Since Zappa's version makes more sense than Duke's,
I'd say that if somone cares little for diction here, it's Duke, not Zappa.
Bossk (R)
Oh, don't get me wrong, I think his version is wonderful too, better than
Zappa's ... I guess that's why it bugs me that he screws up the lyrics - I
WANT to love it with all my heart, but I can't quite make it. :)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
thought that african americans didn't have to take that crap. Stand up and
admit that it sucks to get hit with a hose, and don't just sit there. This
ain't the 70's anymore. Down with the hose.
--
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
YIPE***********S'Lilly***********YIPE
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
"You're really kinda stupid 'n' ugly, too"
-FZ, "Yo Mama"
Bossk (R) wrote in message ...
Bossk (R)
> My other stupid theory now that I think I get the point is
> that George thought that african americans didn't have to
> take that crap.
Yes, of course that is the point of "Uncle Remus".
> Stand up and admit that it sucks to get hit
> with a hose, and don't just sit there.
That has always been the point of "Uncle Remus"! Or do you think that on
APOSTROPHE ('), Zappa and Duke meant that African-Americans should be HAPPY
to be sprayed with a hose!?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
meaning to that they imply a sort of term of acceptance with the hose, then
yes, it does mean that.
Wait, what am I talking about? My new stupid theory is that the part about
it not being bad in the day has no relevance with the meaning of the song
uncle remus. I mean if frank says it's not that bad to get hit with a hose,
then that's his opinion. If George says that it's not bad UNLESS you get
sprayed, then that's his personal opinion, and I respect that, man. Neither
of them are saying it's all right. Nah, man, it's not cool.
--
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
YIPE***********S'Lilly***********YIPE
YIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPEYIPE
"You're really kinda stupid 'n' ugly, too"
-FZ, "Yo Mama"
Bossk (R) wrote in message ...
Bossk (R)
> My new stupid theory is that the part about
> it not being bad in the day has no relevance
> with the meaning of the song uncle remus ...
... which is really about a Remus Brannum, Zappa's real uncle. :)
> I mean if frank says it's not that bad to get
> hit with a hose, then that's his opinion.
No, because if you listen to "Wino Man", Frank's opinion is clearly that
he's an alcoholic, not that's it's OK to get hit with a hose ...?
--- Bossk (R) <wik...@mbox301.swipnet.se>
"There are 250 (or maybe 270, according to a new census) people in the USA."
- Miguel Amorim, alt.fan.frank-zappa, January 1999
NudeAdGuy
It ain't bad in the day
If they squirt it your way...
...as sort of a sarcastic comment, like hey, it's summer. If they're gonna
spray us with a hose, at least it's cooling us off.
Which then lends itself to the line:
...'cept ('less) in the winter, when it's froze.
I wouldn't want to be hit by half-frozen water in the middle of winter, either.
And I like George's version of "Remus" just fine, as well as his take on
"Echidna's Arf," which is on the same album.
TT
"This is the B-side of our platter, sports fans...and I'm singing just for you,
covered in sequins!" -- Viv Stanshall