Cut…

A post in final_girl‘s journal made me want to post lyrics to a song I used to have on a mix tape. So that led me to google which in turn led to something interesting:

We all know that Pavement played the “what is it they’re saying again?” card with some famouly obscure and convoluted lyrics. An attempt to locate the lyrics to “Cut Your Hair” turns up the following examples:

1
Darlin’ don’t you go and cut your hair
Do you think it’s gonna make him change?
I’m just a boy with a new haircut
And that’s a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle, hit me wearin’ muzzles
Hesitate to die, look around, around, the second drummer’s drowned
His telephone is found

Music scene is crazy, bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don’t remember lies
I don’t remember what
But I don’t care, I care, I really don’t care
Did you see the drummer’s hair?

Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!!
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you-
Bitch, rant down to the practice room
Attention and fame so
Career, career, career….

2
Darlin’ don’t you go and cut your hair
Do you think it’s gonna make him change?
“I’m just a boy with a new haircut”
And that’s a pretty nice haircut
Charge in like a puzzle
Hitmen wearing muzzles
Hesitate you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found

Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don’t remember a line
I don’t remember a word
But I don’t care, I care, I really don’t care
Did you see the drummer’s hair?

Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot when songs are bought
And so are you
Let’s run down to the practice room
tension and fame
a career
career, career, career

I like the use of quotation marks

3
Darlin’ don’t you go and cut your hair
Do you think it’s gonna make him change?
I’m just a boy with a new haircut
And that’s a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle
Hit men wearing muzzles
Hesitate you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found
Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don’t remember a line
I don’t remember a word
But I don’t care, I care, I really don’t care
Did you see the drummer’s hair?
Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot when songs are bought
And so are you
Face right down to the practice room
tension and fame’s our career
career, career, career

And finally one that seems to be trying to incorporate every variable

4
stop it!)
Darlin’ don’t you go and cut your hair
Do you think it’s gonna make him change?
“I’m just a boy with a new haircut”
And that’s a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle thoughts are like a puzzle
Hit men wearing muzzles Hidden and wearin’ muzzles
Hesitate you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone was found

Music scene’s crazy
Bands start up each and every day
(cool guitar sound here)
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don’t remember a line
I don’t remember a word
But I don’t care , I care, I really don’t care
Did you see the drummer’s hair?

Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot when songs are bought
And so are you
Face right down to the practice room
Attention and fame’s a career
Korea, chorea, career

Most of the rest of the sites seem split between the three top versions.
There’s something nice about all these variables in an age that feels overly defined – I mean it’s easy enough to listen to the song istelf to check the version you’re posting.

I don’t know what this means in any larger sense, but it tickles me.

0 Comments +

  1. Reminds me of scholarly editions of Shakespeare plays, in which you can compare the text of the first folio with that of the second quarto in order to get a better sense of what the original line might have been.

  2. i loved that Pavement album. (sigh).

    i love even MORE the “korea/chorea/career” slippage. that’s just brilliant.

    was it the david byrne post that led you toward this?

    hey, i’ve got something kind of personal i want to ask you advice on — okay if i drop you an email?

  3. It was -I wanted to post the “songs mean a lot, etc” part but when i went to look it up I encountered the Roshamon effect.

    Of course you can email me at any time it takes your fancy.

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