I have always loved list songs. My favorite list song ever is "Let me find out" by 5th Ward Weebie. With PCB (short for Panama City Beach), I channeled my time spent in the Florida Panhandle staying at a house a block from Front Beach Road in the Bid-A Wee neighborhood. PCB is the only place I've ever seen Christian karaoke in a bar with parents drinking and children watching. I've seen hookers with sleeping babies in car seats run into houses returning in 20 minutes to breastfeed. 30 years ago, PCB was full of young Russian and Ukraine women. My friend sold the house but this song lives and so does Alvin's Island. This is one of the few songs I made with my son Riley. Anthony Cuccia is also a co-writer.
" Her attitude required a major adjustment".
lyrics
What does that tell you when your mother names you Bepa
What does that tell you when you shop at Piggly Wiggly
What does that tell you when you’re mistaken for Ivanka
What does that tell you when you change your name to Vera
What does that tell you when your halter top falls off
What does that tell you when life’s a walking shadow
What does that tell you when you miss Vladivostok
Spit the cole slaw spit the cole slaw
Panama City was a paradise to Vera
The Vera ingenuity the vera brainpower
Walking on the front beach sucking on her thumb
What does that tell you when you pretend to be a Christian
What does that tell you when you pretend to be chaste
Spit the coleslaw spit the cole slaw
Vera bought a new Schwinn and rode on the front beach
Vera blew kisses at the boys and the soldiers
What does that tell you when you work at Alvin’s Island
The t-shirts ,towels sun dresses sunglasses
Shot glasses, shells, sunscreen, beach toys,
Stan the manager had years at Alvin’s Island
Vera called him Crackerstan she thought she was funny
She took him in the dressing room and showed him her bikini
Crackerstan thought his foolish heart would explode
Spit the cole slaw, spit the cole slaw
What does that tell you when she started to be late
What does that tell you when she came to work loaded
What does that tell you when Crackerstan had enough
He had enough he had enough he had enough uff uff
Her attitude required a major adjustment
What does that tell you when Vera found a boyfriend
What does that tell you that Cletus was his name
What does that tell you that he dropped her at the movies
What does that tell you that she slept through Wonder Woman
Vera walked the front beach sucking on her thumb
She found her way to Mike’s for Apalachicola oysters
Cletus drove up in her van with baggies of Dilaudid
Some rifles and some hand grenades talking to a policeman
What does that tell you about his immigration problems
What does that tell you about the lack of decent Russian food
What does that tell you that Cleetus took Vera?
To meet a modern major general in the Bid- a wee hood
Vera rode her Schwinn past the blazing stars,
Rain lilies, crepe myrtle, azalea, and milkweed
What does that tell you about her gardening skills
What does that tell you that she lived a charmed life
Cleetus made deliveries and waited in the van
Vera returned with cash and cuts on her hands
But Cleetus didn't notice he took the cash and pocketed
All but three 20s which irritated Vera
And caused her to gouge his eyes with her thumbs
She shoved him out of the van and drove away
Leaving Cleetus with a short walk back to the front beach,
What does that tell you that she parked her van at a 7/11
What does that tell you that she was crying in the bathroom
Applying band-aids on her long sticky fingers
What does that tell you that Cletus tried to jack her
What does that tell you that Vera wasn't buying
He grabbed her round the shoulders - pulled her by her hair
She kicked him in the groin, cut his face with her nails
What does that tell you that she went back to Crackerstan
Back to Alvin’s island where Crackerstan toiled
He toiled - Crackerstan toiled
Vera asked for help and Crackerstan obliged
He produced a shiny Ruger automatic
What does that tell you that he waved the gun
What does that tell you that he started quoting Scarface
What does that tell you that Cleetus came to the door?
Crackerstan dialed 911 and played with his little friend
Cleetus made small talk about Richard Spencer.
The beach police drove up, and Cleetus hit the back door
What does that tell you that Vera hugged the cops,
What does that tell you that they each got boners?
What does that tell you that Vera had the Cleetus stash
What does that tell you that she split it with the cops
What does that tell you that the cops found Cleetus
Walking on the front beach whistling at bikinis
That didn't whistle back
Walking on the front beach whistling at bikinis
That didn't whistle back
Cletus explained, “Too hot the eye of heaven shines
Lest the wise world should look into your moan,
And mock you with me after I am gone.”
his attitude required a major adjustment
Oh vera the hurricane is coming
Oh vera spring break is going wild
Oh vera there was war in Vietnam
Oh vera see this picture of my mom
What does that tell you when your mother names you Bepa
What does that tell you when you shop at Piggly Wiggly
What does that tell you when you’re mistaken for Ivanka
What does that tell you when you change your name to Vera
What does that tell you when your halter top falls off
What does that tell you when life’s a walking shadow
What does that tell you when you miss Vladivostok
Spit the cole slaw spit the cole slaw
credits
from Mushroom Crowd,
released January 25, 2023
Mark Bingham- gt, vocals, yodels, percussion
Riley Bingham - bass
Anthony Cuccia - synth, percussion, drums
Oliver the dog - dog bounce
Doug Trammall- inspiration
A personal, poignant record from the Belfast DJ and producer, dedicated to a close friend of his who passed away last year. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 10, 2019
UK percussionist and producer Tom Buford contrasts minimalist electronic experiments with vast soundscapes shaped by classical and jazz. Bandcamp New & Notable May 2, 2024
The excellent Barcelona label House of (S)PUNK is back with a five-song comp showcasing the local hardgroove scene. Bandcamp New & Notable May 1, 2024
