Monday, October 20, 2008

where are all the squirrel songs?



We live near Princeton, famous for it's black squirrels. Oh yeah, and there's a university there, too.

21 comments:

Blimpy said...

The floor is littered
With woodchips and apple cores
And hulls of acorns
There is a chattering sound

Because they were squirrels; real squirrels.
(And there were thousands)
This isn't some kind of metaphor,
Goddamn, this is real

"Squirrel Song" by Shellac

GarethI said...

Apart from A Squirrel And I (Holding On... And Then Letting Go) off the new Mercury Rev album, I don't own any.
In fact, I saw more black squirrels in 90 seconds in Ottawa than I've bought records about squirrels in three decades. Maybe it should be Maddy's theme when she wants a really quiet week.

ToffeeBoy said...

We'd be in for some passionate discussion, though!

treefrogdemon said...

awww...cute! My test for whether an actor is really American, if they're doing an English accent really well, is how they pronounce 'squirrel'...James Marsters I would ponder on, thinking Spike would never ever have occasion to say the word. Then he DID! (I should point out that this was in the days when search engines were rubbish.)

steenbeck said...

Have you seen this, TFD? Cate Blanchett and Cate Blanchett in Coffee and Cigarettes--there's a part where she talks about the pronunciation of the word "Squirrel"

I saw the Squirrel Nut Zippers at the Roseland Ballroom. What a fun show!! I don't think they have any songs about squirrels, though.

steenbeck said...

Hey....Little Acorns...White Stripes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz4dVof3mTc

how could this happen?
she told me that late
one autumn day
when she was at her lowest,
she watched a squirrel
storing up nuts for the winter
one at a time

he would take them to the nest
and she thought if that squirrel
can take care of himself
with the harsh winter coming on so can i.

once i broke my problems into small pieces
i was able to carry them,
just like those acorns,
one at a time]

Take all your problems
and rip 'em apart

Carry them off
in a shopping cart
and another thing you
should've known from
thestart
the problems in
hand
are light than at heart

be like the squirrel, girl
be like the squirrel
give it a whirl, girl
be like the squirrel

treefrogdemon said...

steenbeck, no I haven't! (But now I must.) I wonder if Australians pronounce it differently...and do they even HAVE squirrels? Nilpferd! Are there squirrels in NZ?

DarceysDad said...

Funnily enough, I'm uploading Edie Brickell's Oak Cliff Bra as I type for my suburbia thread:

"A station wagon honks and swerves
and almost hits a squirrel.
The squirrel gets crazy-eyed
and zippers back and forth across the pavement,
Talk about close calls"

TracyK said...

"This little squirrel I used to be Slammed her bike down the stairs.
They put silver where her teeth had been,
Baby Silver Tooth, she grins and grins.."

Blimpy said...

@tracyK - brilliant song!!! nice work!!! i haven't heard it in ages, but just reading those lyrics brought it all back!

as i was dl'ing shellac's squirrel song from limewire, i noticed a song called "red squirrel" by fleet foxes, but it doesn;t appear to be on the album of theirs i have.. .

steenbeck said...

Oops! I meant to post a link to the Cate Blanchett...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDj7In0uIiU

Blimpy said...

both albini and donnelly pronounce it "squirl"

May1366 said...

I believe Akon's had a few records out.

DarceysDad said...

@ May1366 - *GROAN!* With gags like that I could fast lose any sympathy for your team's plight.

Anonymous said...

How are you getting on with the new Mercury Rev, Gareth? I'm getting there slowly, but have to keep telling myself that it's not Supertramp. Haven't listened to the free album at all yet.

May1366 said...

DsD - 'ave an 'eart, mister. Me and the nippers've got a long hard winter ahead of us - gentleman like you wouldn't begrudge us a cheap laugh before we come up before the Arse, would yer?

nilpferd said...

Seeing as squirrels aren't much good for eating and don't prey on any other animals, I guess nobody thought it was worth introducing them. There aren't that many nuts around either, outside of towns.
But NZ is one of the worst examples worldwide of what happens when you introduce, accidentally or otherwise, inappropriate plants and animals to a pristine habitat, and this has led to the destruction and near extinction of a number of unique species. We've had everything, from sneaky-rats-creep-in-off-ships to I-know,-lets-fill-the-landscape-with-yummy-rabbits and, later, hey,-I'll-bet-some-ferrets-will-get-rid-of-our-rabbit-problem.

Customs officials are briefed accordingly- we once brought a set of (ceremonial) scottish swords in to Auckland and were expecting at least a cursory glance, but they were more worried about the mud on my hiking shoes.

GarethI said...

I'm getting my head around it, Shoey, but much more slowly than Deserter's Songs. I wasn't expecting them to do a record with such strong roots in dance music…

Luke-sensei said...

@tracyk

Good call on a great song. I never realised that was the lyrics though, I always thought it was:

"that little GIRL I used to be..."

Anonymous said...

Southern boys by Kate and Anna McGarrigle:

"Buttered grits is fayre for breakfast
And if you like, and your aim is good, maybe a squirrel"


I've only ever seen red squirrels over here; guten Appetit!

TracyK said...

I always wanted to be Tanya D, dontcha know! Their Sheps Bush concert I wore a black crop top with BELLY written across my midriff in eyeliner. Gail was right in fron tof me, I could see her squinting at me, trying to read it pressed up against the barrier.
And Nilpf, my brother, just emigrated to Rangiora outside of Christchurch shipped his German Shepherd and cat over and customs just fell in love with Izzy (the dog). Can't wait to go oevr and run along those wide, wide beaches with her.