Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Blue Randy
Available on I Just Started Hating Some People Today.
CreditsRecorded at: Third Man Studios
Dean Fertita: Bass
Jack White: Drums, Producer
Beck Hansen: Guitar, Vocals
Fats Kaplin: Guitar (Pedal Steel)
Randy Blau: Laser Tag
Lyrics:
Blue Randy [Version (a)]:
I was driving home in a Dodge Stratus
To the contaminated side of town
Where the shortwave radio playing songs of the century
And a big black cloud of asbestos
Was shadowing my demise
Where were you this morning, Little Randy?
Breakdancing in the food court by yourself
With the honor and your attitude
And your jeans full of prison food
There's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
I was lacerated by my indiscretions
I was sanitized by the pinefresh smell
Of a damsel in stonewashed denim
The way her sideways ponytail fell
Where are you this evening, Candy Apple Sweetheart?
Playing bass solos up on the sun
With your syntax in repose
And a clothespin on your nose
And a septic tank filled with all the stories you told
Well she called me up on a chainstore pay phone
She invited me up to a condo door
Way down in a neon parlor
To play laser tag with her cousin Rick
Where are you this morning, Blue Randy?
Doing capoeira up on the rooftop again
With your dry ice machine
And a fist full of creatine
There's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
Now there's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
I was driving home in a Dodge Stratus
To the contaminated side of town
Where the shortwave radio playing songs of the century
And a big black cloud of asbestos
Was shadowing my demise
Where were you this morning, Little Randy?
Breakdancing in the food court by yourself
With the honor and your attitude
And your jeans full of prison food
There's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
I was lacerated by my indiscretions
I was sanitized by the pinefresh smell
Of a damsel in stonewashed denim
The way her sideways ponytail fell
Where are you this evening, Candy Apple Sweetheart?
Playing bass solos up on the sun
With your syntax in repose
And a clothespin on your nose
And a septic tank filled with all the stories you told
Well she called me up on a chainstore pay phone
She invited me up to a condo door
Way down in a neon parlor
To play laser tag with her cousin Rick
Where are you this morning, Blue Randy?
Doing capoeira up on the rooftop again
With your dry ice machine
And a fist full of creatine
There's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
Now there's a police chalk outline where you last been seen
The Song:
"Blue Randy" is the name of a song Beck released on Third Man Records as a stand-alone single. Beck had been in Nashville working on new material at Jack White's studio, and on his final day there recorded this and "I Just Started Hating Some People Today" "spontaneously."
This calm pedal steel-flavored tune remind people of some of some of the old Stereopathetic highlights, like "Modesto." Whether that was an intentional attempt to do that style again, or just ended up that way, I do not know. Of course, "Blue Randy" is much more accomplished and not as lo-fi, but maintains a surreal charm.
As I said on "I Just Started...", I think these two songs on the single are related stories. They are Beck's version of a murder ballad. While "I Just Started" looks at before the murder, an escalation of emotions from frustration to anger to violence, "Blue Randy" seems to occur afterwards, when nothing is left of Randy but a police chalk outline.
The narrator seems to be driving away from in it in a Dodge Stratus (Beck discussed with Will Ferrell in a beck.com interview about how funny that car is), looking back at his sinful morning killing Randy, after a sinful evening with Randy's cousin, Candy.
Enjoy:
"Blue Randy" is the name of a song Beck released on Third Man Records as a stand-alone single. Beck had been in Nashville working on new material at Jack White's studio, and on his final day there recorded this and "I Just Started Hating Some People Today" "spontaneously."
This calm pedal steel-flavored tune remind people of some of some of the old Stereopathetic highlights, like "Modesto." Whether that was an intentional attempt to do that style again, or just ended up that way, I do not know. Of course, "Blue Randy" is much more accomplished and not as lo-fi, but maintains a surreal charm.
As I said on "I Just Started...", I think these two songs on the single are related stories. They are Beck's version of a murder ballad. While "I Just Started" looks at before the murder, an escalation of emotions from frustration to anger to violence, "Blue Randy" seems to occur afterwards, when nothing is left of Randy but a police chalk outline.
The narrator seems to be driving away from in it in a Dodge Stratus (Beck discussed with Will Ferrell in a beck.com interview about how funny that car is), looking back at his sinful morning killing Randy, after a sinful evening with Randy's cousin, Candy.
Enjoy: