The Service (AKA, He Also Serves) is a two-part suite from The Residents' 1988 album 'God In Three Persons'
Background[]
The song details the show that Mr X puts on for the public, showcasing The Twins, beginning with how he gains the attention of the public after a parade of the twins, announcing that they can heal anyone wounded.
He collects the payment from all those wanting to be healed and ties a copper wire, which ended in a clamp, to each of their chins.
When the Twins arrive, Mr X placed the clamp onto the conjoined part of the twins, and a doughnut of light appeared from it and began to enlarge, spitting fire across the room.
The fire spreads to the audience, who are all, healed.
The song started out as a suite, which appears in its original 2 part form on the Soundtrack Album
In 1992 the song was re-recorded for 'Our Finest Flowers', with the new title 'He Also Serves' This new version was significantly shorter, with abridged lyrics.
The song was re-recorded a third time for the 2001 film 'Icky Flix', and then was performed on the subsequent tour.
It was next performed live as part of the Talking Light tour from 2010 to 2011, it was added to the setlist in February of 2010 and was removed from the setlist March of 2011, and as such appears on neither the 2010 Talking Light rehearsal CD, or the Bimbo's CD & DVD.
In 2015 the song was re-recorded by Black Tar & The Cry Babies for their EP, The Season Of The Witch.
The song was then revived for the 2020 God In Three Persons mini-tour.
Lyrics[]
He really loved them He really cared...
So I pushed and pushed and pushed them, through the towns and through the bushes And the word was spreading like a lie. "Come and see the holy two-some. They can heal and they can do some things that no one ever did before." And so they came for holy healing, both the belching and the squealing, and the ones who maybe just were bored. Down the aisle they slowly paraded, when I smiled and masqueraded as the kindly keeper of the touch. Kneeling them along a line, I taped a tiny piece of pine upon the chin of each and every one. And then from this a copper wire stretched across a tubeless tire and ended in a round and reddish clamp. Then at once the fees were taken, and the apprehension shaken for the twins would silently appear. Full of life and love and smiling knowing not that all the while I too was smiling to myself inside.
Silently I stood between them holding up the crimson gleaming circle with the ends now pried apart. Then I lifted up the cover softly like it was my lover and I felt them shudder as they sighed. As I clamped the metal on it, something like a liquid donut shimmered as the holy union flexed. Then the people screamed and shouted, as the donut grew and sprouted little bitty dust balls made of fire. And these soon enough descended down the lines that finally ended at the screams of joy and pain and fear. For soon the cripples would be walking and the dummies would be talking but no one knew exactly how or why.
He Also Serves Lyrics (Abridged)[]
Come and see the holy two-some.
They can heal and they can do some Things that no one ever did before.
He really loved them, he really cared.
Silently I stood between them Holding up the crimson gleaming Circle with its ends not quite in line.
A-then I lifted up the cover Softly like it was my lover And I felt them shudder as they sighed.
As I clamped the metal on it, Something like a liquid doughnut Shimmered by the holy union side.
Then the people screamed and shouted, As the doughnut grew and sprouted Little bitty dust balls made of fire.
And then these soon enough descended Down the lines that finally ended At the screams and unbelieving cries.
For soon the cripples would be walking And the dummies would be talking But no one knew exactly how or why.
Releases[]
- God In Three Persons (1988) [Version 1]
- God In Three Persons Soundtrack (1988) [Version 2] [Version 3]
- Our Finest Flowers (1992) [Version 4]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 2] [Version 3]
- Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (1997) [Version 4]
- Icky Flix (2001) [Version 4] [Version 5]
- Icky Flix Live (2001) [Version 6]
- RMX (2009) [Version 7]
- Talking Light Live (2010 - 2011) [Version 8] [Version 9]
- Series One [Select Releases]
- Series Two
- Series Three
- Serie Four
- Season Of The Witch (2015) [Version 15]
- Black Tar and the Cry Babies (2019) [Version 15]
- G3P Ephemera (2019) [Version 16]
- God In 3 Persons (2020) [Version 17]
Versions[]
- ↑ 1988 Studio Version (5:22)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 1988 Instrumental Version Pt 1 (2:54)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 1988 Instrumental Version Pt 2 (1:33)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 1992 'He Also Serves' Version, FT Tony Janssen (2:46)
- ↑ 2001 'He Also Serves' Studio Version (2:39)
- ↑ 2001 'He Also Serves' Live Version (3:19)
- ↑ 2006 'He Also Serves' RMX (2:51)
- ↑ 2010 Live Versions
- ↑ 2011 Live Versions
- ↑ 2010 Live Version, February 10th, (3:49)
- ↑ 2010 Live Version, February 12th (4:25)
- ↑ 2010 Live Version, February 13th, (4:18)
- ↑ 2010 Live Version, February 15th (4:38)
- ↑ 2010 Live Version, February 16th (4:15)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 2015 'Black Tar' version, (4:15)
- ↑ 1987 Demo Version (3:55)
- ↑ 2020 Live Version (5:20)