Lyrics:
The Fucked Up Blues [Version (a)]:
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
Well, the beans have been bakin' upon the camel's hump
Like a voodoo curse in an old lady's purse, confetti on my grave
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
I woke up on the futon and my boots were on fire
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
Well, the beans have been bakin' upon the camel's hump
Like a voodoo curse in an old lady's purse, confetti on my grave
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
I got the fucked up blues, I got the fucked up blues
Lord what can you do about the fuckin' fucked up blues?
I woke up on the futon and my boots were on fire
The Song:
This song is another instance of Beck adapting and rewriting traditional musical styles to contemporary points-of-view. Describing them as "fucked up" is a fully modern (and youthful) twist on the blues. This is much like Beck's turning a Woody Guthrie tune into a song about robbing McDonald's ("Mexico") or his rewrite of the Carter Family's "Sad and Lonesome Day" as "Today Has Been A Fucked Up Day." It's a juxtaposition Beck enjoys using in his songs, both lyrically and musically.
The most interesting part of "The Fucked Up Blues" is the fine harmonica solo in the middle of the song.
This song is another instance of Beck adapting and rewriting traditional musical styles to contemporary points-of-view. Describing them as "fucked up" is a fully modern (and youthful) twist on the blues. This is much like Beck's turning a Woody Guthrie tune into a song about robbing McDonald's ("Mexico") or his rewrite of the Carter Family's "Sad and Lonesome Day" as "Today Has Been A Fucked Up Day." It's a juxtaposition Beck enjoys using in his songs, both lyrically and musically.
The most interesting part of "The Fucked Up Blues" is the fine harmonica solo in the middle of the song.
Live:
Played live 2 times:
Earliest known live version: March 26, 1994
Latest known live version: March 15, 2000
On March 26 1994, the only known live version of this song was played. It's from one of the first shows of the Mellow Gold tour. The sound quality is not very good at all. Beck played the song alone on an electric guitar. He improvises some new lyrics among the usual chorus, but they're hard to decipher. The "voodoo curse" line was changed to something like: "Like an old ????? / Dead man fell off the furniture." A few lines later, "Lord, what can you do...?" is replaced with this fantastic line, "My mind is a distortion pedal and you're stepping down on it, the batteries exploding." He ends the song with some brief, fast rapping, which I think may be part of "One Foot." The crowd cheers enthusiastically, someone near the taper even calling for "Steve Threw Up"! They must be knowledgeable Beck fans over there at Duke.
Really this song, as it is on Golden Feelings, would be a wonderful framework for Beck to improvise and play on stage. It doesn't seem to have lasted in his sets much past these early days though. There was at least one time though. On March 15 2000, after improvising some cliches like "what's going on?" and "word to your mother," he started in on "The Fucked Up Blues." It's a new melody, and is pretty much just Beck going "I got the fucked up blues" softly, over and over. It's kinda nice. :-)
Played live 2 times:
Earliest known live version: March 26, 1994
Latest known live version: March 15, 2000
On March 26 1994, the only known live version of this song was played. It's from one of the first shows of the Mellow Gold tour. The sound quality is not very good at all. Beck played the song alone on an electric guitar. He improvises some new lyrics among the usual chorus, but they're hard to decipher. The "voodoo curse" line was changed to something like: "Like an old ????? / Dead man fell off the furniture." A few lines later, "Lord, what can you do...?" is replaced with this fantastic line, "My mind is a distortion pedal and you're stepping down on it, the batteries exploding." He ends the song with some brief, fast rapping, which I think may be part of "One Foot." The crowd cheers enthusiastically, someone near the taper even calling for "Steve Threw Up"! They must be knowledgeable Beck fans over there at Duke.
Really this song, as it is on Golden Feelings, would be a wonderful framework for Beck to improvise and play on stage. It doesn't seem to have lasted in his sets much past these early days though. There was at least one time though. On March 15 2000, after improvising some cliches like "what's going on?" and "word to your mother," he started in on "The Fucked Up Blues." It's a new melody, and is pretty much just Beck going "I got the fucked up blues" softly, over and over. It's kinda nice. :-)