Victrola Time

Lyrics

Science hasn't recorded it yet...
And I don't want bennies....jellies.... (2)

I said MDMA years!
You can't feel, you can't feel Victrola
Victrola teller, Victrola teller (3)
From '28 from '16,
Victrola,
DMA years,
Stop!
J-j-just stop
J-just can't
Just can't
Post meth and DMA years
The pre non-MDM and net years
The post meth MDMA years (4)
The pre- non- MDM and meth years
The post meth and also DMA years
The MDMA years
The pre- black eyes and tears of today years
The post-meth MDMA years
MDMA years...
Can't feel I could cry
Joy
The pre- black eyes and tears of today years

Notes

1. This song was originally an instrumental called "Damflicters," which was apparently recorded at the time of Ersatz G.B. It was reworked and released in its present form as "Victrola Time" on the single "Night of the Humerons," with a live version of "Taking Off" on the b-side, and subsequently appeared on Re-Mit.

The initial single release was on Record Store Day, 2012, hence "Victrola Time" (thanks to harleyr for pointing this out).

Although Victrolas are sometimes erroneously associated with the old model stereos with a large external speaker horn, the latter are acutally Victors; the Victrola was designed with an internal horn, concealed within the cabinet, as this was thought to be a more visually appealing design that would harmoniously fit in with the other furniture in a home. Thus, the name "Victrola" specifically indicates a stereo model that does not have an external horn. The first Victrolas were made in 1906, and RCA continued the line, in one form or another, until the early 1970s.

"Victrola Time" features MES hitting a glass with a spoon to produce a distinctive bell-like sound.

"Pre-MDMA Years," also on Re-Mit, shares some of its lyrics with this song.

2. "Bennies" is slang for Benzedrine, or amphetamine sulphate. "Jellies" can refer to Temazepam, a sleep aid which reportedly has a euphoric effect when injected. Perhaps these are being eschewed in favor of MDMA (see below)...

3. Teller means plate or disk in German, and MES, who loves to mangle the language (or any language, really), could possibly be using it to make reference to a record, although it wouldn't be idiomatic. On the other hand, according to Steve, "Teller (plates, dishes) is also a german slang term for dilated pupils under the influence of drugs, especially LSD and MDMA."

4. MDMA stands for 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, the chemical name for the empathogen commonly known as "ecstasy" or, in powdered form, "molly."

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More Information

Victrola Time: Fall Tracks A-Z

Comments (16)

1. harleyr | 04/07/2013

The Night of the Humerons single was released on Record (Store) Day... hence Victrola Time.

2. Zack | 06/03/2017

'"Victrola Time" features MES hitting a glass with a spoon to produce a distinctive bell-like sound.'

Do we know for certain that's what that sound is, or is this just speculation?

3. bzfgt (link) | 19/03/2017

Zack, I did not make it up but I no longer remember where he said this. It actually smacks of the kind of thing a journalist may have said rather than MES, in fact, and I can't swear that's not the case. But I know I got it from a source like that and not from a FOF-er or something, i.e. someone presenting it as fact.

4. dannyno | 20/03/2017

Reformation! has the specific statement that,

MES plays the glass hit with teaspoon which he smashed immediately after the first take

But that's unsourced too. The suspicion would be that Ding is the source.

https://sites.google.com/site/reformationposttpm/fall-tracks/victrola-time

5. dannyno | 20/03/2017

And there's this 2015 post on the FOF by avsp:

Does the what sounds to me like an ansaphone message followed by a wine glass or bottle being struck several times at the end of Re-Mit's 'Victrola Time' count?

http://z1.invisionfree.com/thefall/index.php?showtopic=39681&view=findpost&p=22484190

6. dannyno | 20/03/2017

Maybe it's in this interview with Ding:

https://www.mixcloud.com/TonyThornborough/tony-thornborough-with-simon-ding-archer-salford-city-radio/

Haven't listened to it yet.

7. Martin | 24/03/2017

I listened and there's no mention of it.

8. Steve | 03/06/2018

"Teller" (plates, dishes) is also a german slang term for dilated pupils under the influence of drugs, especially lsd and mdma btw

9. Brian Scranage | 08/06/2019

1916

Victor discontinues the too-expensive Victrola XVIII, and replaces it with the more reasonable ($250.00) Victrola XVII.

1928

The Credenza is replaced with the slightly smaller VV 8-35. The popularity of electrically amplified radio/phonographs is sharply reducing sales of acoustic models.

More on the history of Victrola and the Victor Talking Machine Company here: http://www.victor-victrola.com/Timeline.htm

10. jensotto | 24/11/2019

Lyrics reminds og Alexander Shulgins books, or development of certain scenes.

Title: BBC Genome has one result for Victrola - 20 May 1962. Looking around we find the last mention of "Fra Lippo Lippi" on Third Programme. A poem by R.Browning, and a Norwegian band relasing albums from 1981 on.

11. Xyralothep's cat | 05/05/2020

May I suggest the opening is;

Science hasn't recorded-ed it, at all
Why no Benny, Jellies? (i.e. Benzedrine and Temazepam)

and the next line;

"post-net MDMA years" not "I said...."

12. bzfgt (link) | 14/06/2020

Huh....I don't know about "at all" but I see where you're getting it. "Benny, jellies" I'm kind of inclined toward jellies at least; I can hear "post-net" too, I'd like others to weigh in, I don't trust my ears and I can hear yours but I'm not confident it's wrong yet

13. dannyno | 21/05/2021

In the limited edition book The Future's Here to Stay by Graham Duff (2021), Duff quotes Greenway (p.115):

It started out as part of a soundtrack to an (unreleased) film Mark Kennedy... We re-recorded it amid the sessions for Ersatz GB. I'm not sure why it resurfaced on Re-Mit.

Says Duff:

When the vocal finally comes in at 01:10 Mark E. Smith delivers his first line in a high, strangulated voice: 'Science hasn't recorded it at all, why no Bennies? Jellies?': the street names for Benzedrine and Temazepam.

I wonder if the sound-similar to Ben and Jerries ice cream is intended?

14. bzfgt (link) | 22/05/2021

I've suspected "I don't wanna buy any johnnies" is wrong for a whlle....in light of that and re-listening, I think "I don't want bennies...jellies..."