Cardboard Faces
By: Beck Hansen

Written by: Beck Hansen

 
Lyrics:
Cardboard Faces [Version (a)]:

Cardboard faces blowin' away
Got no feelings, nothin' to say
Go till you're gone and you don't come back
Stay in the grey until the day turns black
Mmmmmmmmmm

Wake up in the kitchen with your pants on your head
Foot in the oven and your face in the bread
Beat a dead horse because you love to ride
Sleep in the engine and you don't wanna drive
Mmmmmmmmmm

Look to the dawn 'cause you know it's wrong
Quit your job and mowing along (a lawn?)
Standing in a corner with a quarter in hand
Looking for a woman that ain't got no plan
Mmmmmmmmmm
 
The Song:

"Cardboard Faces" sounds fairly raw and unfinished, mainly because Beck just hums for the chorus. The words are pretty great though, simple rhymes that are definitely Beck's style. These are the type of lyrics he filled Mellow Gold with... funny, strange, affecting blues. Captain Beefheart would be proud.

"Cardboard faces" in the first line also shows up in Beck's "One of These Days." It's a phrase I'm told originates from beat poet Charles Bukowski. It would not be a surprise if Beck picked something up from him.

A tape made in like 1993 collecting a bunch of random homemade songs refers to this track as "Cardboard Faces." (We had for a number of years called it 'Mmmmmmmmmm'.)