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monkey choke

from cat soup by bushytunes

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about

I wanted to get an almost Russian feel to this one, as the tune and chords I came up with seemed to point that way.

So: I arranged for one of Russia’s finest session guitarists, Yuri Patelski, a man I met working in my local Lidl store (where I was furtively buying up their entire supply of Ibuprofen by coming back to the store again and again using various disguises) to come and play on this song.

The fool turned up with an electric guitar but no amp, so I got him playing rhythm on his electric guitar, recorded acoustically, to teach him a lesson. And I wouldn’t let him play a lead break either, though he tried to sneak some blues in at the end of the session. I tried improvising some lyrics but Yuri kept sneering and glowering at me, so I had to work some out on paper a bit smartish.

Here we have the story of Gus whose desire to buy a giraffe leads to Pet Shop Pete shooting off on his raft, red scarf donned. The lyric rhymes throughout and there are rhymes inside the rhymes. (I was trying to be a clever clogs here and I’m pleased with the result)

I added the thought, ‘you can never know what is round the corner’, and the song was anchored down very nicely indeed

Why the song is called ‘monkey choke’ is a mystery to me. I can only think to blame my terrible handwriting.

Did you warm to this Anglo-Russian collaboration? Should I pay Yuri off and find a new place to shop?
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lyrics

Hoi!

Gus was set on buying a pet
And he wanted a giraffe
I said to Gus, “Now, please don’t rush
Did you check with your other half?”
Gus said, “I did ask her
But she was in the bath
I assumed her silence was
A ‘yes’ on her behalf”

Life can be a carnival at best
Choose your playmates for the cosmic test
Because you can never know
What is round the corner
You can never know
What is round the corner

At the pet shop, pet shop Pete
“Sorry, no giraffes”
Gus was sad, he didn’t get mad
But he wasn’t about to laugh
Pete said, “Tell you what though
I’ve got this Friesian calf
It’s been here about a year
So I’ll cut the price in half"

Life can be a carnival at best…

Then Gus said, “The calf looks dead
Pete, are you having a laugh?"
Pete said, “Sorry, but I’ve got to go”
Dashed off with his red scarf
He ran to the Harbour
Shot off on his raft
We should have guessed that Pete was stressed
And he’s wandered off his path

Life can be a carnival at best...

Hoi...
.

credits

from cat soup, track released May 20, 2013

license

all rights reserved

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bushytunes Christmas Island

Once upon a time there was a crazy idea: to create, record and upload a musical track every day for a year. And the idea floated round and round the planet, looking for a place to call home. After a long time of searching and wishing and watching, the idea chose to make a nest in the brain of a bushy fellow, coming to his aid and guiding him out of the doldrums, back to a magical pathway... ... more

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