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The Aging Musician is a song by The Residents from their 1994 album 'The Gingerbread Man'
Background[]
The song features a similar structure to the rest of the songs on The Gingerbread Man, a sung introduction introducing the character, and a spoken word outro, detailing their internal monologue.
The Aging Musician was a rock star many years ago, but now, lives alone with his dog. He refuses to accept modernity, and as such, modernity rejects him. The aging musician believes if he killed himself, he would regain the respect he no longer received.
Within his monologue he thinks about his inspirations, and how poorly modern computer artists stack up to them, and blames his failures on MTV.
His mind slowly turns to gun control, and how he rejects the idea of it, as he rejects musical modernity.
The song features Todd Rundgren on vocals.
It was performed live for the first time in 1997 during the group's week long residency at The Fillmore. This version remains faithful to the original, adding a spoken word intro for the story.
The song was re-recorded for the first time in 2001 for the Icky Flix DVD & album, and was performed on the subsequent tour.
In 2018 a cover of the song appeared on the official tribute/remix album I am A Resident! by Jeremy Maloney.
Lyrics[]
Run, run, run, run Run, run, run, run Run, run, fast as you can Run, run, fast as you can Run, run, fast as you can You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man
Once upon a time I played electric guitar And they said I was a rock and roll star Now nobody calls me on the telephone So I sit and watch my TV all alone
Maybe if I put a bullet in my brain They'd remember me like Kurt Cobain And the parasites on MTV Would wipe their eyes and act like they knew me
But I wouldn't be a hero I'd be dead Just a note beside a corpse that read If you like to pretend that you'll never get old You got what it takes to rock and roll
Jagger - he was a poet None of this three chords and a hairdresser crap I just need a couple of players With a couple of really good players I could have a band again go back on the road C'mere boy Play real music none of this computer crap Real music We could go big Whatever happened to music Now it's all about marketing and media coverage Goddamn MTV Everything was okay before MTV And gun control - like gun control's gonna stop anything A Trooper Mark III'll stop just about anything C'mere boy Schnauzer, where's Uzi? Is he outside? Nothing's right anymore not even TV Davy Crockett said it all If you're sure you're right then go ahead on Now nothing's right Goddamn MTV
Story[]
Once he winked, and the women would swoon. Once he lived in limos and watched the world through the darkest of glasses. Once he played and sang for millions around the world.
Now his primary relationship is with a pair of fox terriers. Now he collects guns instead of royalties. Now he watches TV constantly and still laughs at the old cartoons at sitcoms that formed the bulk of his obsolete and sadly naive values.
The aging musician feels betrayed by a culture that once embraced but no longer needs his simplistic songs praising the virtues and failures of true love. And if he could still evoke even a false belief in those songs, maybe he could still make it on the nostalgia circuit.
But it's so much easier to be bitter.
Credits[]
Performance: The Residents
Guest: T. Rundgren
Appearances[]
- Gingerbread Man (1994)[1]
- Louisiana's Lick (1995)[1]
- Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (1997)[2]
- Live At The Fillmore (1998)[3]
- Icky Flix (2001)[2][4]
- Icky Flix (Original Soundtrack Recording) (2001)[4]
- Petting Zoo (2002)[5]
- Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town (2002)[6]
- 1997: The Missing Year - The Fillmore Dress Rehearsal (Act One) (2009)[7]
- Icky Flix Live (2009)[8]
- Brava (2010)[6]
- GBM(i) (2011)[9]
- Interactive Media (1991-97 Game Design) (2014)[10]
- 80 Aching Orphans (2017)[1]
- I Am A Resident! (2018)[11]
Versions[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1994 Studio Version (4:51)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 1994 Studio Version Edit (2:30)
- ↑ 1997 Live Version (4:52)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 2001 Studio Version (2:30)
- ↑ 1994 Studio Version Edit (2:51)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 2001 October Live Version (2:27)
- ↑ 1997 Rehearsal Version (4:08)
- ↑ 2001 March Live Version (2:26)
- ↑ 1994 Demo Version (2:33)
- ↑ 1994 Studio Version Edit (0:41)
- ↑ 2018 Jeremny Maloney Version (3:05)
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Gingerbread Man (1994) Track listing |