Beatle Bones ‘n’ Smokin’ Stones lyrics

Originally appeared on Strictly Personal

Beatle bones ‘n’ smokin’ Stones
The dry sands fall
The strawberry mouth; strawberry moth; strawberry caterpillar
Strawberry butterfly; strawberry fields
The winged eel slither on the heels of today’s children
Strawberry feels forever

Yeah, roosters, ol’ glass roosters, stick to your race
In a drag-queen, live-wood farmhouse
Tractors are clawin’; the folks are crawlin’
Trees in a row climbing a coach and I blow rich
Red, blue, yellow sunset
Where I set and you set; and I’ve loved and you’ve loved
And I’ve seen and you’ve seen

Salt Man has just made his mark – and crumbled
The dark – the light – the dark – the day
Porcelain children see through white lights
Soft-cracker bats, Cheshire cats named
The Dark – the Light – the Dark – the Day

Blue veins through gray-felt tomorrows
Cellular sail-boat – ye ole feathered kind
Blow it into a pond swayin’ in circles
Red, blue, yellow sunset.
Where I’ve set and you’ve set; and I’ve loved and you’ve loved
What I saw and you saw
Strawberry feels forever

(1968)

6 Comments

  1. An unsubtle yet cool dig at the 60s British invasion from Mr Van Vliet.

  2. Totally wrong lyric. “Strawberry FIELDS Forever” is just one.

    1. Quite right. Amazing how long that’s been on here and no on has noticed!

      1. Author

        Not so fast! John French stated that it was “Strawberry feels forever” rather than the more expected “fields” as a very DVV play on words – twisting the Beatles lyric into a bizarre aphorism along the lines of “an elephant never forgets”. I love this subtle twist.

        “Strawberry feels forever” is almost certainly the correct lyric.

  3. I knew the guy who wrote out this interpretation. John Ellis. I met him in NYC c1987 – we’d been in contact by mail – he was the only serious Beefheart collector I knew of. I asked him how he got the lyrics to certain songs. He said he figured them out himself by listening.

    This lyric for Beatle Bones is pretty far off in places. It’s been circulating for years now and I think it needs to be updated. I suggest a better reading would be (I included Graham’s info above, re Strawberry FEELS):
    _____________________________________________

    Beatle Bones ‘n Smokin Stones
    the dry sands fall
    the strawberry mouth strawberry moth
    strawberry caterpillar strawberry butterfly
    strawberry feels
    ‘n all the winged eels slither on the heels of today’s children
    strawberry feels forever

    Yeah roosters oh glass roosters tend to your eggs
    in a (…) clean white wood farmhouse*
    tractors are clawin, people are crawlin
    Trees in a row, I’m in a coach and I approach
    red blue yellow sunset
    ‘n I’ve set ‘n you’ve set ‘n I’ve loved ‘n you’ve loved
    ‘n I’ve seen ‘n you’ve seen
    Chalk man has just made his mark and crumbled
    the dark the light the dark the day
    Porcelaine children see through white light
    so cracker bats
    cheshire cats named the dark the light the dark the day
    Blue veins through grey felt tomorrows
    sail your sailboat, yellow feathered kind
    blowin in from palms swayin in circles
    red blue yellow sunset
    well I’ve set ‘n you’ve set ‘n I’ve loved ‘n you’ve loved
    ‘n I saw ‘n you saw
    strawberry feels forever
    _______________________________________

    **early version said “white wood farmhouse” – LP version seems to say “bright red farmhouse”

    the bracketed word sounds like “chillin” but it’s impossible to make out

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