about
Back in college I'd come home on breaks and drink at a cozy little pub in Ellicott City, Maryland on Route 108 that no longer exists: the Allview Inn. And that little bar had a stained glass window with this toast inscribed:
"To Autumn sun, to wily quail,
To rod and gun, to golden ale."
And so I cribbed that forgotten verse and modified it for the opening chorale. The lyrics for this one date to about 1990, but the melody and riffs were re-written in early 2003, I'd bet.
Not much of a text, I suppose: horny men. But the title has a nice double meaning at least: trying to get laid, and how frenzied dogs tire themselves out pointlessly.
That little phony choir at the beginning is an idea I've had for a while, inspired by the old Crickets records. When you hear Buddy Holly's guys singing, they sound so quaint compared to later rock n roll back ups. Almost like they're singing in church.
Well in the 80s, having a black gospel choir sing on your record was de riguer. No one surely ever wanted to take a white suburban choir of middleagers and put them on a rock record, though. Just not cool, bro. And so of course I wanted to do it, but never did. This song has my closest approximation. I did the same effect at the end of the song "Some Alternative" on "Ever So Transient," too.
lyrics
"Chasing Tail"
(vonHummer)
To Autumn sun, to wily quail, to rod and gun to chasin’ tail…
Correct me, gents, if I aint squarely hittin’ the nail: every facet of our livelihoods is just a pretext for chasin’ tail,
To politics to Holy Grail, can’t beyond it: chasin’ tail…
Forgive us, ladies, we’re all snakes of invisible scale, maybe we may be behavin’ for now, but we’d rather be chasin’ tail,
To kingdom come, to blazing trail, can’t rise above it: chasin’ tail…
DNA cannot explain it all away, T&A, sells survival by display, DNA, I am a sucker for it every day, T&A is surely leading me astray…
Give me strength, Lord, that my humanity may prevail, grant me beauty to cover my beast: keep me successfully chasin’ tail…
Thru war and peace, thru sleet and hail, nothing shall stop us chasin’ tail….
credits
from
Sieve & Moor,
released May 14, 2003
vonHummer: vocals, bass drone, high guitar drone, bass and drum programming
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