Spencer Must Die

Lyrics

(1)

JJK Mel
Scent of Vichy (2)
....expensive
JJK Mel
A.K.A. M.E.L.P/B.L.E.
Speciality
Superb sunflowers
From the outskirts
The melodic experience
Amplified
Over centuries
Raspberries in tins (3)

M.E. M.E.L.
Speciality
Superb sunflowers
From the outskirts
Melodic experience
Amplified
Over centuries
Raspberries
Ordinance special extra (4)

Radiator
Sean Connery
Mine zine
To purchase with its compliments
Violence goes all fragmented zinc slinip
Amberdash
Je que attacks
JJK Mel
Speciality superb sunflowers
From the outskirts
Amplified up the centuries
Raspberries intense
Spence
Thoughts on the antique
Grade road fast
Bungee jumping
In so..... 

 

 

Notes

1. This was co-written with the Simon Spencer of the Manchester production duo Inch (sometimes incorrectly called D.O.S.E., which is, however, a title Spencer sometimes used for his own productions), who is presumably the "Spencer" of the title. Sadly, he actually did die in 2003, by choking on vomit, à la Jimi Hendrix, at the Glastonbury festival. Smith's relationship with D.O.S.E. was (perhaps predictably) rocky, and they seem to have broken with one another fairly quickly.

Antoine comments: "This was first played live as 'Spencer Must Die' on September 24th, 1997, less than a month after Princess Diana Spencer died. On top of the beef with Inch, this may also have inspired the title change? Pre and post-cog!"

I have no idea what's going on in the lyrics and, as if this wasn't enough, here's the Peel version, courtesy of Reformation, complete with a couple of notes:

The Peel Session version of this track has been phonetically translated [TAF note: I think this means "transcribed," they certainly aren't translated] by Mark as follows. Note that "Force ten gale" and "depressive gale" also appear in "4 1/2 Inch."  
 
Zarquag ["Duck quack" has also been suggested here!]
And den zinc
Grab yer
Uh... am bedang
Coup de gart
Dat
The house that crack built (i)
Den all pig pig pig
Zarquag
Bend zinc
Aaaaaaahhhhh!
Ahhh-aaaaaaahhhhh bedaz!
Yer bedang hub-a-gehalser
The house that crack built
Yeah, yeah
Mum
Mum le mum
He mumbled... mumbled
Ig! Neeh!
Summer
Gale
A force ten depressive gale
A force ten pressive - uh! - depressive gale (ii)
Uh!
Spencer!
[Threatening voice] Spencer...
Zarquag
Den-den-den-din-den-den
Ig
Howzer
Ig
The Fall
The Fall
D. O. S... (iii)
(Inaudible talking during the longest fade-out *ever*)
 
Notes
 
(i) Refers to the song "Crackhouse" [TAF Note: "Crackhouse" is an unreleased Fall song also featuring D.O.S.E.]
 
 
ii. These lines also appear in "4 1/2 Inch."
 
 
(iii) Refers to D.O.S.E.....
 

 

And Zack took a stab at the "Masquerade" single (live) version:

 

Amberdash [And for that?]
Specialty
And refined
Bungee jumping
Mumble mumble
A W L

You make me smile
Once in a while
Flowers in apprehence
Raspberry sunset
Force ten gale approaching
Twig like
Turn back
Turn back
Four half inch
Turn back
Four half inch
Shout back
Tag zap
Spence

 
^

2. Vichy is a brand of deodorant.

^

3. From Martin:

7 December 97 Junction, Cambridge:


- "Agent Mulder. Raspberries in tins and strawberries." (amended lyrics to "Spencer Must Die")

Agent Mulder is a character on TV show The X-Files

And according to Dan, Season 2, episode 7 of The X-Files, first broadcast in 1994 and titled "3," has Mulder examining a tin of raspberry sauce at one point.

^

4. Or possibly "ordnance."

^

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Comments (16)

Martin
  • 1. Martin | 30/01/2014
Pedantic request to remove the apostrophe in "it's", please?!
bzfgt
  • 2. bzfgt | 15/02/2014
Oh fuck yes, and arrgh. If you ever see any typos, please pipe up.
dannyno
  • 3. dannyno | 25/05/2014
Sad news story about Simon Spencer's death at Glastonbury in June 2003. The report follows the coroner's inquest in November the same year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3224860.stm
Zack
  • 4. Zack | 13/12/2016
I have always heard "zarquag" as "duck quack" - likely a comment on the synth sound, which is rather quacky on the Peel version.

The song was called "Spencer" on the 1996 Peel Session and "Spencer Must Die" on the Levitate album the following year. Perhaps the change in title reflects MES's frustration with his erstwhile producer.
Zack
  • 5. Zack | 15/02/2017
Here's my interpretation of the live version that appears on the "Masquerade" CD single #1. This version shares some lyrics with the album and Peel versions, which suggests that the song wasn't strictly a freeform improv every time it was performed. Also notice that the b-side version is two different live recordings spliced together! The first half was recorded 9 December 1997 in Bristol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbcVvCet_yY.

Amberdash [And for that?]
Specialty
And refined
Bungee jumping
Mumble mumble
A W L

You make me smile
Once in a while
Flowers in apprehence
Raspberry sunset
Force ten gale approaching
Twig like
Turn back
Turn back
Four half inch
Turn back
Four half inch
Shout back
Tag zap
Spence
harleyr
  • 6. harleyr | 21/08/2017
>>Raspberries inte-

Just listening back to an old live version and I believe he sings...

Raspberries in tents
bzfgt
  • 7. bzfgt (link) | 28/09/2017
Thanks Harley, I threw it in, we'll see if anyone objects. I'm sure I don't know.
Martin
  • 8. Martin | 02/10/2017
I'd need to listen again but in this live version MES sings "raspberries in tins"

7 December 97 Junction, Cambridge:


- "Agent Mulder. Raspberries in tins and strawberries." (amended lyrics to "Spencer Must Die")
dannyno
  • 9. dannyno | 02/10/2017
Martin, comment #8: "Agent Mulder. Raspberries in tins and strawberries"

Interesting. Season 2, episode 7 of the X-Files, first broadcast 1994 and titled "3", has Mulder examining a tin of raspberry sauce at one point.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170614060523/http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/3.
dannyno
  • 10. dannyno | 02/10/2017
Note #1: "he actually did die in 2003, according to one Fall online forum member"

There's a link to a BBC news story about his death in my comment #3, if you want to cite something other than "one Fall online forum member"!

Here it is again: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3224860.stm

In "The Fallen", Dave Simpson writes: "In 2003, Simon Spencer died of respiratory failure while waiting for a lift at the end of the Glastonbury Festival." This is not quite right according to the inquest verdict recorded in the BBC piece.
bzfgt
  • 11. bzfgt (link) | 18/11/2017
"Tins" seems more reasonable!
bzfgt
  • 12. bzfgt (link) | 18/11/2017
I'm sorry Dan, I don't know how I missed that. Maybe I intended to come back to it but that never happens unless there's another comment, so thanks for reminding me.

I also needed commas, the original comment could have been interpreted as saying Jimi Hendrix died at the Glastonbury festival...
bzfgt
  • 13. bzfgt (link) | 18/11/2017
DIdn't Zack or someone point out on a different song that the information about D.O.S.E. is wrong and that only refers to one of them? I'll see if I can figure out where that is.
bzfgt
  • 14. bzfgt (link) | 18/11/2017
OK, all sorted--I had to fix up 4 1/2 Inch a bit too.
dannyno
  • 15. dannyno | 20/11/2017
http://thefall.org/news/000912.html, interview with Simon Spencer by Odran Smith:


OS: Who exactly are D.O.S.E.? Is it just yourself and Keir Stewart.. and who is Val Hooligan?

SS: D.O.S.E. is me, and Inch is me and Keir, and Val Hooligan is Keir.
Antoine
  • 16. Antoine | 22/03/2018
Interesting to note that while the track did debut as 'Spencer' on the august 1996 radio session, it was first played live as 'Spencer Must Die' on September 24th 1997, less than a month after Princess Diana Spencer died. On top of the beef with Inch, this may also have inspired the tile change? Pre and post-cog!

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