You’ll never wait so long/
Here comes your man.

There is a classic antidote that the only people who bought a Velvet Underground record ended up becoming a musician. Meaning–their albums never sold well, but years later, every band listed them as an influence.

A similar thing happened with The Pixies. They exploded because Kurt Cobain said it was his favorite band. Others in the 90s Seattle grunge scene said they, too, were influenced by The Pixies. Their legend has grown from there.

“Here Comes Your Man” is The Pixies most popular song. It is probably not indicative of the sound of the rest of their catalog, but it is their most catchy. The lead electric guitar part leaves the most immediate impression. The riff repeats throughout the song with only a slight variation. And that’s okay. It really is that good that we want to hear it over and over again.

The guitar has a sound that is similar to the sound of the early Beach Boys. It’s ‘surfy’– it is hard to articulate what makes that sound. It has the heavy reverb on the guitar, an upbeat tempo and relatively light mood.

The most unique characteristic of The Pixies sound is the experimentation with different volume levels throughout the song. That was used quite a bit in classical music, but not as much in rock before The Pixies.

Black Francis’ vocals are outstanding. We can hear his versatility. The vocals start relatively clean but at times during the chorus they can sound raw and filled with angst and emotion.

To say the lyrics are cryptic is an understatement. There are a bunch of hobos around a train (or boxcar). It is cold, they are lined up for food and waiting for their drug dealer. Then there is an earthquake. Francis wrote the song when he was only 14 so perhaps a little grace is required in the lyrics department.

Here Comes Your Man Lyrics

Outside there’s a box car waiting
Outside the family stew
Out by the fire breathing
Outside we wait till face turns blue

I know the nervous walking
I know the dirty beard hangs
Out by the box car waiting
Take me away to nowhere plains

There is a wait so long
(So long, so long)
You’ll never wait so long

Here comes your man
Here comes your man
Here comes your man

Big shake on the box car moving
Big shake to the land that’s falling down
Is a wind makes a palm stop blowing
A big, big stone fall and break my crown

There is a wait so long
(So long, so long)
You’ll never wait so long

Here comes your man
Here comes your man
Here comes your man
Here comes your man

There is a wait so long
(So long, so long)
You’ll never wait so long
Here comes your man

written by Charles Thompson / Black Francis

Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh/
Psycho Killer…

The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” stretches the genre of rock in many ways. Most wouldn’t call it rock—something closer to punk, new wave or avant garde, but these delineations are mostly boring. The Talking Heads are thought of as an 80s band because they had one of the first real big hits on MTV with “Burning Down the House”. “Psycho Killer” was released in 1975.

Any song that strays from typical subjects of love, relationships and firsthand experience is worth taking a look at. A song about a killer is simply more interesting, as the area is less explored. There are two songs on this list that also explore this space: Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer”.

“Psycho Killer’s” has so many unique aspects that contribute to its unique sound. The sound is primarily driven by the pounding baseline and David Byrnes unique voice—it is almost a-melodic. The guitar work is unique as well: crisp harmonics in the intro to a heavily distorted sound at the end takes you for quite a ride. Of course, the French lyrics add to the mystery.

One of the more interesting aspects is his line: “fa fa fa fa fa fa fa”. For whatever reason, in most English songs we usually say “ba ba ba ba ba ba ba” or “la la la”.  No idea why, but that change creates a dissonance. And this song is about a person who is disconnected from society, so that dissonance connects well with the lyrics.

We don’t get many details about the killer, other than he seems like a malcontent who feels he is above it all. He is intelligent and looks down on others. In the French verses he admits to killing and seems to relish in remembering the experience. The song seems to be a sort of warning to others not to cross him as he’s a live wire.

You’ll love this live performance of Psycho Killer: It is great performance art.

Psycho Killer Lyrics

I can’t seem to face up to the facts
I’m tense and nervous and I can’t relax
I can’t sleep ’cause my bed’s on fire
Don’t touch me, I’m a real live wire
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh

Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh
You start a conversation, you can’t even finish it
You’re talking a lot, but you’re not saying anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?

Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya

Ce que j’ai fait, ce soir-là
Ce qu’elle a dit, ce soir-là
Réalisant mon espoir
Je me lance vers la gloire, okay
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We are vain and we are blind
I hate people when they’re not polite
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?

Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh

French Translation:

What is it?
What I did, that evening
What she said, that evening
Fulfilling my hope
Headlong I go towards glory… OK

Songwriters: Chris Frantz / Chris Franz / David Byrne / Tina Weymouth

But both girl and boy were glad/
‘Cause one kid had it worse than that.

How many bands and songs truly sound unique? Very few. The Crash Test Dummies have one of the most unique sounds in rock music. “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” is their hit; it is truly a once-in-a-career song. The name comes from the humming of lead singer Brad Roberts during the chorus. It is kind of like if Hey Jude was named “Na, na, na, na, na, na na”.

This song is polarizing due to the novel sound of the vocal, but the meaning and the message of the song is pretty universal. The song is about three young teens and their “otherness” compared to their peers. The first two cases involve kids with minor physical deformities but are probably pretty traumatic experiences when these are discovered by their peers.

Note that we hear nothing about the kids’ emotional reactions, or lengthy descriptions about how bad their life is. The song is a bit emotionally detached in that way. Most of the emotion comes from the times we imagine our younger selves—and the struggle to fit in…middle-school seems like such a confusing time.

These first two kids have it bad, but another has it worse.

The third character is different in another way. He looks normal, lives a seemingly normal life, though his parents are strict. However, his family attends a type of evangelical church that involves radical practices like being possessed by the spirit and perhaps speaking in tongues.

It is hard to imagine what psychological problems this might create in a young man, but the Crash Test Dummies are certain that this kid has it the worst of the three. The Crash Test Dummies argue that the psychological trauma from witnessing and being a part of this religion is more damaging to a child than a car accident or physical deformity.

The sound of the song is solemn. We get a feeling that the narrator feels for these outcasts and perhaps experienced being an outcast as a child. Since we can’t control accidents or physical deformities and how children react to other children who have these, this essentially becomes a song about bad parenting and anti-religion. These are choices that are made by the parent and they can be avoided. That is the real tragedy.

Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm Lyrics

Once there was this kid who
Got into an accident and couldn’t come to school.
But when he finally came back,
His hair had turned from black into bright white.
He said that it was from when
The cars had smashed so hard.

Once there was this girl who
Wouldn’t go and change with the girls in the change room.
And when they finally made her,
They saw birthmarks all over her body.
She couldn’t quite explain it,
They’d always just been there.

Mmm mmm mmm mmm,
Mmm mmm mmm mmm.
Mmm mmm mmm mmm,
Mmm mmm mmm mmm.

But both girl and boy were glad,
‘Cause one kid had it worse than that.

‘Cause then there was this boy whose
Parents made him come directly home right after school.
And when they went to their church,
They shook and lurched all over the church floor.
He couldn’t quite explain it,
They’d always just gone there.

Mmm mmm mmm mmm,
Mmm mmm mmm mmm.
Mmm mmm mmm mmm,
Mmm mmm mmm mmm.

written by Brad Roberts / Thomas Kolk