Peaches & Cream
By: Beck Hansen

Written by: Beck Hansen

Versions:
  1. Peaches & Cream (4:53)
    Available on Midnite Vultures.
    Credits
    Beck Hansen: Arrangment (Horns), Guitar, Hand Claps, Keyboard / Synthesizer, Mix, Producer, Programming, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
    Justin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass, Hand Claps, Percussion
    Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Hand Claps, Keyboard / Synthesizer, Organ, Percussion
    Michael Patterson: Mix
    Mickey Petralia: Mix, Producer, Programming
    David Brown: Saxophone (Tenor)
    David Ralicke: Trombone
    Jon Birdsong: Trumpet
    Arroyo Tabernacle Mens Chorale: Vocals (Background)
 
Lyrics:
Peaches & Cream [Version (a)]:

Don't tell your right hand, baby, what your left hand do
You know those road check girls will make your brown breath blue
Oh oh oh, peaches and cream
You make a garbage man scream
It's such a dangerous dream
Peaches and cream
Peaches and cream

You look good in that sweater and that aluminum crutch
I'm gonna let you down easy, I've got a delicate touch
Oh oh oh peaches and cream
You make a garbage man scream
Come on girl, it's a dream
Peaches and cream
Peaches and cream

You're a torn out page from a best-selling book
Your home girl's on the line
But your daddy's off the hook
Where do we go now?

Give those pious soldiers another lollipop
'Cause we're on the good ship Menage A Trois
Oh oh oh peaches and cream
You make a garbage man scream
Such a delicate thing
Peaches and cream
Peaches and cream

You're the only dream I'm gonna need tonight
You're the only dream I'm gonna need tonight

Keep your lamplight trimmed and burning
Keep your lamplight trimmed and burning
Keep your lamplight trimmed and burning
Keep your lamplight trimmed and burning

Oh oh oh peaches and cream
You make a garbage man scream
Come on girl, it's a dream
Peaches and cream
Peaches and cream
You make a garbage man scream
Such a delicate thing
Oh oh oh peaches and cream
Peaches and cream
 
The Song:

"Peaches & Cream" is a song from Beck's 1999 album, Midnite Vultures.

Beck once said, "I like to go for sounds that seem out of place, external from the era. The scrambling of time, I think, is one of the affectations of '90s music, and it's something I enjoy. That's what drew me to hip-hop: The messages were so fresh and current, but then there would be a Coltrane saxophone or a Booker T bass line. And you'd realize that this kid from Brooklyn was making connections in the tracks that required more musical knowledge than what was available on the radio."

While I could probably put this quote on every Beck song, this deeper realization of musical styles and eras is the highlight of "Peaches & Cream."

The first, foremost influence is of course Prince. Beck's falsetto and sexy lyrics are certainly "Prince-like," as is the mix of soul and rock in the many layers of guitars and horns and synthesizers.

Lyrically, "Peaches" also pulls from many disparate sources, including:


So this song borrows from folk, blues, metal, soul. All in a rock song sung in a falsetto! There really is a lot of stuff in this track.
 
Live:

Played live 21 times:
Earliest known live version: November 1, 1999
Latest known live version: August 27, 2000

"Peaches" never really made it into live shows with very much frequency. It was a part of 21 Vultures shows in 1999-2000 (there were over 120 shows in this time).

"Peaches & Cream" made its live debut on November 1 1999 in Santa Ana, CA. This was the Midnite Vultures Kick-off Concert, though at that point, only two songs were actually being played for the first time (this one, and "Broken Train"). "Peaches" was definitely a highlight of the new Vultures songs that night (the album hadn't been released yet). Beck's confident falsetto was memorable, and the audience ate the song up, it's disjointed riff surprising and grooving the unfamiliar audience.

In fact, out of all the Vultures songs done on stage, "Peaches" may be my favorite. The guitar riff is more pronounced, sort of swirling and swarming around. Not only does Lyle Workman play the buzzing slide guitar, but Beck and Roger also join in on electric guitar. The wild stage performances really suit the song. Beck sometimes strains for the high notes, but that adds some tension. The band never played the song all that often, unfortunately. The best bootlegged version I've heard is from Munich on March 11 2000.

But I imagine that perhaps the band never quite agreed, since it was never played all that much. Perhaps it was a difficult one for Beck to sing on stage while running around with electric guitar?

They haven't tried it since 2000.