"Forty-Four" is fittingly the 4th song from The Residents "Black Barry" Suite. It is best known for being featured in their live show Cube-E , which toured internationally between 1989 and 1990. This song acts as the beginning to Black Barry's story. Even though both Buckaroo Blues and The Baby King are mostly covers, this suite features the most original music with this song being only partially inspired.
History[]
In a similar vein to their Eskimo album, The Residents did their research while making Black Barry. Although not confirmed, it is speculated that this song is heavily inspired by a blues standard of the same name. This song's lyrical scheme is very similar to The Residents' version. The Wikipedia page for the blues standard describes the lyrics as "played on the differing interpretations of the phrase 'forty-fours'—the train number 44, the .44 caliber revolver and the 'little cabin' on which was the number 44, presumably a prison cell". This song's popularity and significance among African Americans in the 1900s almost undoubtedly led to The Residents' "Forty-Four."
Background[]
This song acts as the beginning to Black Barry's story. Most of the Cube-E show is meant to be interpreted but The Residents still wanted to tell the story of a man and his struggles living in slavery and a post civil war U.S. as a African American. Barry (portrayed by The Singing Resident) tell us about how the number 44 seems to follow him wherever he goes. He lived on a dead end on street 44, He owns a 44 revolver, after finding his wife in a store with another man he runs out the door and see "Engine 44". After such a extremely hard day he decided to take his woes to the "Voodoo Queen" when he remembers that today is his birthday. Unsurprisingly and ironically he happens to be "44 years old today".
It is unknown exactly when this song was made and there is sadly no studio recording of it. It was played live in every single Cube-E show once it was fully developed on July 21st, 1989. It was first released alongside a live recording of Buckaroo Blues on a UWEB cassette exclusive. This tape famously excludes the 3rd act of the show but was released on the "Cube-E pREServed box" giving this tape a CD release for the first time in over 30 years.
Legacy and Our Finest Flowers[]
This song actually has quite a legacy and has been revisited by The Residents several times after Cube-E. It was first revisited by them for their 20th anniversary album "Our Finest Flowers", where it was retitled to "Forty-Four No More". With this being a newer from them, it isn't combined with other songs like many other tracks of off Our Finest Flowers. In 1997, as part of their "Disfigured Night" performances, The Residents reused the lyrics from "Forty-Four No More". Then, in 2010, a rarities CD was released that featured Forty-Four No More. In 2014, the song would appear live again as part of their "Shadowland" performance as an encore. With the song being the beginning of Barry's story, it fit Shadowland perfectly.
This live performance inspired Charles Bobuck to revisit the song himself in 2016 as part of "Bobuck Plays The Residents". Finally, in 2025, as part of their 3rd "Leftovers" installment, The Residents finally released a track called "Cryptic Beds". This instrumental was made for the soul purpose of being background music for interviews. On this track, The Residents can be heard jamming on Forty-Four in the studio. This track has been known about for a while because it appeared in a 1990 interview with Homer Flynn, but this was the first time the song was properly released.
One of the more unknown releases of this song is on the compilation album "Adventures in Numb4rland". This is a project by Alan Dunn where they discuss the history of numbers in music and this album is all about the number four. The "Our Finest Flowers" version was chosen for obvious reasons.
This song is referenced quite often amongst fans because of its iconic line about birthdays. Its not unusual for fans on their birthday to listen to "Birthday Boy" and scream "TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY...IM 44!"
Lyrics[]
I used to live on a dead end street With a too small woman With two big feet. The house was always dark, We was always poor. The number outside was 44.
One day bad blood slipped in my mind Sucked on my soul, made me blind I thought my baby lied, so I opened up the drawer Pulled out my bullets and my 44.
Forty Four, Forty Four I can't hear that number no more. Forty Four, Forty Four Don't make me hear that number no more.
I found her in the store with a preacher man Who laughed when she slapped the gun out' my hand. A train went by as I ran out the door. The number on the engine was 44.
Ridin' that train to New Orleans, Takin' my tears to a Voodoo Queen. I just can't live like this no more Today's my birthday ... I'm 44.
Forty four, forty four years old today. Nobody wants me ... So I'm goin' ( gwan ) away. Forty four, forty four years old today And I'm bad and I'm mad Get outta my way. I'm forty four, forty four years old today. [1]
Forty-Four No More[]
Once I lived on a dead end street With a little bitty woman With big ol' big feet. It was always dark, We was always poor. The number outside was 44.
One day bad blood creeped in my mind Sucked on my soul and made me blind I thought she lied, so I opened the drawer Pulled out my bullets and my 44.
Forty Four, it was Forty Four He couldn't stand that number no more. Forty Four, it was Forty Four Don't wanna hear that number no more.
I found her in the store with a preacher man Who laughed when she slapped the gun out' my hand. A train went by as I ran out the door. The number on the engine was 44.
I rode that train to New Orleans, And took my tears to a Voodoo Queen. I couldn't live like that no more It was my birthday... I was 44.
Forty Four, he was Forty Four He couldn't stand that number no more. Forty Four, he was Forty Four Don't wanna hear that number no more.
Releases[]
- Buckaroo Blues & Black Barry (1989) [Version 1]
- Cube-E - Live In Holland (1990) [Version 2]
- Our Finest Flowers (1992) [Version 3]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 2]
- Disfigured Night (1997) [Version 4]
- Cube-E (2006) [Version 5]
- Beautiful Eyes (2010) [Version 3]
- Adventures in Numb4rland (2012) [Version 3]
- Shadowland (2015) [Version 6]
- Bobuck Plays The Residents (2016) [Version 7]
- Cube-E Box (2020) [Version 1] [Version 2] [Version 4] [Version 6]
- Shadowland: Live in Fribourg, Switzerland (2024) [Version 8]
- Leftovers Again?! Again!?! (Again) (2025) [Version 9]
Versions[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1989 Live Version
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Live from Holland unedited (3:00)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Our Finest Flowers version (3:36)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Disfigured Night at The Fillmore (2:53)
- ↑ Live in Amsterdam (2:57)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shadowland Live 2014 (4:23)
- ↑ Charles Bobuck version (3:30)
- ↑ Shadowland: Live in Fribourg, Switzerland (3:07)
- ↑ Cryptic Beds