Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Tasergun (3:52)
Available on Stereopathetic Soulmanure.
CreditsBobby Hecksher: Bass
Dallas Don Burnet: Drums
Rusty Cusick: Engineer
Beck Hansen: Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Gus Hudson: Producer - Tasergun (acoustic) (2:13)
Available on Fresh Meat + Old Slabs.
CreditsBeck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Lyrics:
Tasergun [Version (a)]:
I got a room down in Hollywood. The rent was cheap. It was this rooming house.
There was an old man who lived in the room next to me.
We shared a bathroom in the hall. He'd stare at me through a crack in his door.
The day I moved in, I was playing my guitar. He started banging on the wall with a boot.
Then he came out, started banging on my door, kicked it open.
"Watch out, son! I got a tasergun. Watch out, son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a mad dog with no tail. (teeth?)
He spent his pension in adult bookstores, bringing strange young men home.
He'd leave me notes in the bathroom accusing me of stealing his toilet paper.
Come out into the hallway, dressed up in a greasy bathrobe and try to start a fight.
He became known as the Electric Old Man and I still see him with his taser, coming at me.
"Watch out, son! I got a tasergun. Watch out, son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a pigeon with no wing.
I got a room down in Hollywood. The rent was cheap. It was this rooming house.
There was an old man who lived in the room next to me.
We shared a bathroom in the hall. He'd stare at me through a crack in his door.
The day I moved in, I was playing my guitar. He started banging on the wall with a boot.
Then he came out, started banging on my door, kicked it open.
"Watch out, son! I got a tasergun. Watch out, son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a mad dog with no tail. (teeth?)
He spent his pension in adult bookstores, bringing strange young men home.
He'd leave me notes in the bathroom accusing me of stealing his toilet paper.
Come out into the hallway, dressed up in a greasy bathrobe and try to start a fight.
He became known as the Electric Old Man and I still see him with his taser, coming at me.
"Watch out, son! I got a tasergun. Watch out, son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a pigeon with no wing.
Tasergun (acoustic) [Version (b)]:
I got a room down in Hollywood. The rent was cheap. The street was good.
But there was an old man who lived right next to me. He was so rich and he ain't inherit a thing.
The day I moved in, I got a weird feeling. I played my guitar. He hit the ceiling.
He ran out into the hall and he yelled,
"Watch out son! I got a tasergun. Watch out son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a mad dog with no teeth.
He left me notes, said all kinds of things: "You little creepy slob, why don't you get a job?"
"Why don't you cut your hair? Why don't you get out of here?
Why don't you move away? Why don't you just get lost?"
He spent his days down in adult bookstores, bringing home kind of weirdos
And blasting his tv back at me, so one day I got pissed.
We got into a fight. I kicked him in the nuts. He yelled with all his might.
"Watch out son! I got a tasergun. Watch out son! I got a tasergun."
He's a son-of-a-bitch, finger starting to itch. He's got the taser in his hand.
Mystery handjob.
I got a room down in Hollywood. The rent was cheap. The street was good.
But there was an old man who lived right next to me. He was so rich and he ain't inherit a thing.
The day I moved in, I got a weird feeling. I played my guitar. He hit the ceiling.
He ran out into the hall and he yelled,
"Watch out son! I got a tasergun. Watch out son! I got a tasergun."
He's on the loose. He's got the juice like a mad dog with no teeth.
He left me notes, said all kinds of things: "You little creepy slob, why don't you get a job?"
"Why don't you cut your hair? Why don't you get out of here?
Why don't you move away? Why don't you just get lost?"
He spent his days down in adult bookstores, bringing home kind of weirdos
And blasting his tv back at me, so one day I got pissed.
We got into a fight. I kicked him in the nuts. He yelled with all his might.
"Watch out son! I got a tasergun. Watch out son! I got a tasergun."
He's a son-of-a-bitch, finger starting to itch. He's got the taser in his hand.
Mystery handjob.
The Song:
"Tasergun" has two considerably different versions. The first is a wildly dynamic acoustic version on Fresh Meat and Old Slabs, the tape Beck made for his mother in 1993. Beck performs it by himself on a guitar, and his lyrics are less condensed, more free-form. The version on Stereopathetic Soulmanure is a more intriguing, rumbling song. The melodies are similar, but the presentation is so different!
Beck uses the music and words here really well together to paint a great portrait of the living situation and crazy next-door neighbor. It roams in the same neighborhood as "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs," and knowing that "Truckdrivin" is actually a true story makes one wonder about this one! It certainly does fit with Beck's history, but could just have easily also been complete fabrication. More likely it is a mix of truth and fiction.
The lyrics on the Stereopathetic version are a little more descriptive, and thus creepy, with new lines about the old man staring through a crack in his door, and his greasy bathrobe. Beck's line saying that "I can still see him with his taser, coming at me" is a great image, giving the story a more disturbing, haunting quality. The electric grunge feel and Beck's haunted vocals of this new version fit the new creepier lyrics, as well.
This version was one of the songs he recorded with a small band consisting of Dallas Don on drums and Bobby Hecksher on bass or guitar. The songs they did were all of similar slow grungy blues, including "Cut 1/2 Blues" and "Total Soul Future."
"Tasergun" has two considerably different versions. The first is a wildly dynamic acoustic version on Fresh Meat and Old Slabs, the tape Beck made for his mother in 1993. Beck performs it by himself on a guitar, and his lyrics are less condensed, more free-form. The version on Stereopathetic Soulmanure is a more intriguing, rumbling song. The melodies are similar, but the presentation is so different!
Beck uses the music and words here really well together to paint a great portrait of the living situation and crazy next-door neighbor. It roams in the same neighborhood as "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs," and knowing that "Truckdrivin" is actually a true story makes one wonder about this one! It certainly does fit with Beck's history, but could just have easily also been complete fabrication. More likely it is a mix of truth and fiction.
The lyrics on the Stereopathetic version are a little more descriptive, and thus creepy, with new lines about the old man staring through a crack in his door, and his greasy bathrobe. Beck's line saying that "I can still see him with his taser, coming at me" is a great image, giving the story a more disturbing, haunting quality. The electric grunge feel and Beck's haunted vocals of this new version fit the new creepier lyrics, as well.
This version was one of the songs he recorded with a small band consisting of Dallas Don on drums and Bobby Hecksher on bass or guitar. The songs they did were all of similar slow grungy blues, including "Cut 1/2 Blues" and "Total Soul Future."
Live:
I'm not aware of this song having ever been performed. Probably in the early early days though? You'd think.
I'm not aware of this song having ever been performed. Probably in the early early days though? You'd think.
Notes:
- Hecksher is an L.A. musician who has been in a number of groups, including Magic Pacer, Charles Brown Superstar, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the Warlocks. He was a part of the Poop Alley mix of artists that included that dog and Beck.