"The Big Bubble" is the title track from The Residents' thirteenth studio album The Big Bubble (the fourth part of the group's unfinished six part Mole Trilogy), released on Ralph Records in 1985.
In the fictional context of The Mole Trilogy, the song is performed by the band of the same name. It is one of the few songs on the album performed in the English language, with most other tracks by The Big Bubble being performed in the (banned) Mohelmot language.
The song was performed live on the group's 13th Anniversary Show live tour in 1985 and 1986 but has not featured in any of the group's live performances since.
History[]
Within the context of The Mole Trilogy and the world it takes place in, "The Big Bubble" was the first song written by four Mole/Chub hybrids known as Ramsey and Frank, performed by them along with their friends Paul and Alex. The song was recorded in their Leone family garage, and became a Chubland hit after the group raised enough funds to have the song pressed as a single.
Since the group were unnamed people began to refer to the band as The Big Bubble, and it stuck. The liner notes state that the album (produced by Black Shroud Records) features a re-recording of the song, with altered lyrics.
When The Residents brought their 13th Anniversary tour to the USA in late 1985, they added "The Big Bubble" to the set list, opening a 13-minute "Big Bubble Salute" suite of songs from the album. The song had not been performed on the preceding Japanese leg of the tour.
The song has not been performed live by the group since the conclusion of the 13th Anniversary tour. It appeared on the "Hit The Road Jack (Special Almost Dance Mix)" EP in 1987 as part of a medley with "Firefly", and was featured on the compilation album Louisiana's Lick in 1995.
Lyrics[]
Everybody buys the beat of the big, big bubble You know everybody now buys the beat of the big, big bubble I said everybody buys the beat of the big, big bubble You know everybody buys the beat of-a the big bubble
Sometimes those bubbles are there Sometimes those bubbles are not Sometimes those bubbles are there and- Sometimes they are not
But everybody buys the beat of the big bubble You know everybody buys the beat of the big bubble
Sometimes those bubbles are there Sometimes those bubbles are not Sometimes those bubbles are there And sometimes they are not Sometimes those bubbles are there Sometimes those bubbles are not Sometimes those bubbles are there And sometimes they are not
Everybody buys the beat of the big bubble Everybody buys the beat of the big, big bubble Everybody buys the beat Everybody buys the beat Everybody buys the beat of the big... Bubble
But now it's time for the bubble to be gone I said now it's time for the bubble to be gone Now it's time for the bubble to be gone Now it's time for the bubble to Now it's time for the bubble to Now its' time for the bubble to be gone
Credits[]
- The Residents: vocals, emulator, electric guitar
Releases[]
- The Big Bubble (1985) [Version 1]
- Live In The USA! 13th Anniversary Tour (1986) [Version 2]
- Hit The Road Jack (Special Almost Dance Mix) (1987) [Version 1]
- UWEB Box Set (1995) [Version 2]
- Louisiana's Lick (1995) [Version 1]
- The Tunes Of Two Cities & The Big Bubble (2005) [Version 1]
- 13th Anniversary Show - Ritz NY - Jan 16, 1986 (2010) [Version 3]
- 13th Anniversary Show - Cleveland (2014) [Version 4]
- Mole Box (2019) [Version 1] [Version 2]