Careful with That Axe, Eugene
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:PointMeAtTheSky.jpg | |||||
| Single by Pink Floyd from the album The Early Singles | |||||
| A-side | Point Me at the Sky | ||||
| Released | 17 December 1968 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | 4 November, 1968 | ||||
| Genre | Progressive Rock Psychedelic rock | ||||
| Length | 5:45 | ||||
| Label | Columbia (EMI) (UK) | ||||
| Writer | David Gilmour Roger Waters Rick Wright Nick Mason | ||||
| Producer | Norman Smith | ||||
| Pink Floyd singles chronology | |||||
| |||||
| Zabriskie Point track listing | |||||
| |||||
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" is a Pink Floyd song. The studio recording is featured on Relics, while a live version can be found on Ummagumma. The song was originally released as the B-side of their single "Point Me at the Sky". Pink Floyd re-recorded the track for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni's film Zabriskie Point. The song is retitled "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" on the soundtrack album for the film.
Contents |
[edit] Composition
The music consists of a light organ based jam (using the "Egyptian" style organ that is so common of Rick Wright in this period), and an accompanying bass guitar playing just a tone and the same tone an octave above with a segue into the song's only lyrics: the title of the song whispered menacingly, and various screams by Roger Waters. Waters screams like this on many subsequent songs such as "Run Like Hell" and "Two Suns in the Sunset". In the heavier parts and later in the quieter parts as well David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals.
The song's performance on the Live at Pompeii includes the whispered words:
- "Down, down. Down, down. The star is screaming.
- Beneath the lies. Lie, lie.
- Careful, careful, careful with that axe, Eugene.
- The stars are screaming loud."
[edit] Live History
An embryonic form of the song was recorded 25 June 1968 at BBC Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel's Top Gear radio program 11 August 1968 with the title "Murderistic Women".
During the 1969 tour, it was performed as "Beset by Creatures of the Deep" as part of "The Man and the Journey" concept. From autumn 1969 till spring 1971 it was often played as a medley in conjunction with "Green Is the Colour".
During Pink Floyd's late 1972 European tour, the song was occasionally performed with a loud (and largely indecipherable) Pictish rant preceding the uttering of the song's title and its trademark scream. A particularly well-known example is the performance from the band's December 1972 concert in Zürich, and their concert on November 15, 1972 in Germany.
Pink Floyd last performed "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" in Oakland, California, on May 9 1977, as an encore. For this rendition, Rick Wright had to use a mini-Moog synthesizer in place of the Farfisa organ he used originally.
[edit] Alternative versions and References
- The song has been referenced in Dream Theater's song "Octavarium", from the album of the same name.
- This song is referenced also by Half Man Half Biscuit on their Back in the DHSS album. In "Time Flies By (When You're The Driver Of A Train)", Eugene is asked to be 'careful with that spliff'.
- In The Damned's "Nasty" where Dave Vanian sings "Careful with that axe you meanie". Pink Floyd's Nick Mason had produced The Damned's second album, Music for Pleasure.
- Phish also references "Careful with that Axe, Eugene" in their 1997 live release Slip Stitch and Pass during "Mike's Song".
- The song was covered by the punk rock band Stukas Over Bedrock on the Mystic Records 1984 Covers LP.
[edit] Personnel
- Roger Waters - Bass and vocalisations
- David Gilmour - Guitar and vocalisations
- Richard Wright - Organ and keyboard
- Nick Mason - Drums and percussion
it:Careful with That Axe, Eugene hu:Careful with That Axe, Eugene ru:Careful With That Axe, Eugene tr:Careful With That Axe, Eugene
