The Night GG Allin Came to Town

Doctor wrote:
I was disappointed to realize that this thread wasn't actually about GG Allin… 


Me too.  I tried to steer it that way and was successful for a bit……
What is it about those lyrics that are so homophobic?

Bob


Bob goes to church every Sunday
every Sunday that the fish ain't bitin'
Bob never have to have dinner with the Preacher
cos' Bob never bothered gettin' married

He likes to drink a beer or two every now and again
He always had more dogs thn he ever had friends

Bob ain't light in the loafers
He might kneel but he never bends over

Bob takes care of his Momma
She's the only one he lets call him Robert
She don't drive anymore so he takes her to the store
and keeps her yard lookin' just like she wants it

Every week at the beauty shop Bob's Momma hears
that another woman's paid 'nother man disappears


Robert ain't exactly scared o' women
He's just got his own way o' livin'

Bob's still gotta antenna on a pole
2 channels come in 2 more comin' through
He used to watch the news but he don't anymore

Ain't none of it new it's the same as before
He figures all any of it's any good for's
keepin' averybody bored till there ain't nobody
like Bob anymore

Bob takes care of his Momma
She's a mess but he feels like he oughtta
a big a mess today as bob will say
"she's a big un and she's gonna be a lotta"

He likes to drink a beer or two every now and again
He always had more dogs than he ever had friends

Bob ain't light in the loafers
He might kneel but he never bends over
i know people hate hearing about the gay issues in life, and on here.  and unless you are gay, i can understand why you would not care or even think this is a fuss of a matter even making a print over.  i feel, and believe me i know how to know that i could be wrong, that this is an observation about a gay man . . . from a straight man feeling sorry for him . . . for being gay.  the stereotypes and sly references are there:  never being able to get married, taking care of the mother, beauty shops, rumours from women, "hoping there aren't people like bob anymore".  it is about a man who wrote a song who thinks that gay people hate being gay people.  that their life is somehow useless as someone with only two channels.  i'm still trying to understand the "he might kneel, but won't bend over" line.  i guess that is a crack at some of these "straight guys" who will let a guy suck their dick, but there ain't no way they're a fag.  oh yeah, and bob doesn't have any friends.  clearly the writer of this feels sorry for gay people, and why would they want to be gay at all if this is "their life."  the end.
As someone who grew up somewhat sexually confused in small town, red state America, I can totally relate to the climate and environment that Bob lives in.

However, how is feeling sad for Bob homophobia? My take is that Cooley is simply painting a picture of the life of  a closeted gay man in small town America. Is Cooley the one wishing for no more Bob's?  The lyrics below are hard for me to decipher, but maybe it's Bob feeling sorry for himself? Maybe he (the narrator, who is not necessarily Cooley) is wishing for a day when a gay country Southern man doesn't feel the need to be in the closet?

Ain't none of it new it's the same as before
He figures all any of it's any good for's
keepin' averybody bored till there ain't nobody
like Bob anymore


This isn't the only song that Cooley's written that has a closeted character. Zip City has one too. And though Cooley wrote it where the narrator is the lead character, it's pretty clear that 30-something Cooley is not the narrator himself (or if he is, it's a tale told from when he was a teenager 20 years prior), but only playing the role of the narrator.


Your Daddy was mad as hell
He was mad at me and you
As he tied that chain to the front of my car and pulled me out of that ditch that we slid into
Don't know what his problem is
Why he keeps dragging you away
Don't know why I put up with this shit
When you don't put out and Zip City's so far away

Your Daddy is a deacon down at the Salem Church of Christ
And He makes good money as long as Reynolds Wrap keeps everything wrapped up tight
Your Mama's as good a wife and Mama as she can be
And your Sister's puttin' that sweet stuff on everybody in town but me
Your Brother was the first-born, got ten fingers and ten toes
And it's a damn good thing cause He needs all twenty to keep the closet door closed

Maybe it's the twenty-six mile drive from Zip City to Colbert Heights
Keeps my mind clean
Gets me through the night
Maybe you're just a destination, a place for me to go
A way to keep from having to deal with my seventeen-year-old mind all alone
Keep your drawers on, girl, it ain't worth the fight
By the time you drop them I'll be gone
And you'll be right where they fall the rest of your life

You say you're tired of me taking you for granted
Waiting' up till the last minute to call you up and see what you want to do
Well you're only fifteen, girl, you ain't got no secretary
And "for granted" is a mighty big word for a country girl like you
You know it's just your Daddy talking
Cause He knows that blood red carpet at the Salem Church of Christ
Ain't gonna ever see no wedding between me and you

Zip City it's a good thing that they built a wall around you
Zip up to Tennessee then zip back down to Alabama
I got 350 heads on a 305 engine
I get ten miles to the gallon
I ain't got no good intentions




walkonby wrote:
i know people hate hearing about the gay issues in life, and on here.  and unless you are gay, i can understand why you would not care or even think this is a fuss of a matter even making a print over.  i feel, and believe me i know how to know that i could be wrong, that this is an observation about a gay man . . . from a straight man feeling sorry for him . . . for being gay.  the stereotypes and sly references are there:  never being able to get married, taking care of the mother, beauty shops, rumours from women, "hoping there aren't people like bob anymore".  it is about a man who wrote a song who thinks that gay people hate being gay people.  that their life is somehow useless as someone with only two channels.  i'm still trying to understand the "he might kneel, but won't bend over" line.  i guess that is a crack at some of these "straight guys" who will let a guy suck their dick, but there ain't no way they're a fag.  oh yeah, and bob doesn't have any friends.  clearly the writer of this feels sorry for gay people, and why would they want to be gay at all if this is "their life."  the end.
dear charlie, mister japanese golfer,

your arguements are indeed valued, valid, and yes . . . thought provoking.  i like your interpretations of supposed lyrical meanings, and yes–me not knowing anything about coole or the band, besides the fact they rocked the house on saturday–what you said could indeed be true.  thanks!  ;)

"sexually confused in a red state small town"  that sounds like a great title for a john cougar mellencamp song.
;D  I did enjoy 5 songs or so, esp. Carl Perkins' Cadillac. Shona should never be allowed to sing, though!!! She is HORRIBLE!

Charlie wrote:
that's ok. a certain other boardie who was at DBT (first time seeing them) friday and M. Ward saturday thought that patterson sings all the truckers songs on record, and that cooley was stepping to the plate as a pinch hitter.  ;D
Apparently we're the only ones "lucky" enough to get the Cooley "solo" show…

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS RESCHEDULE REMAINING TOUR DATES THIS WEEK

The Drive-By Truckers will be rescheduling their remaining tour dates this week. Patterson Hood was forced to sit out of this past weekend's shows due to walking pneumonia and needs some more time to recuperate. The band sends their sincere apologizes. Your original ticket will be valid for the rescheduled shows. Anyone that is unable to make the new date may obtain a refund at the point of purchase.

The following dates are postponed:
Tue Feb 24    Lexington KY    THE DAME   
Wed Feb 25    Milwaukee WI    TURNER HALL   
Thu Feb 26    St. Louis MO    PAGEANT   
Fri Feb 27    Memphis TN    NEW DAISY   
Sat Feb 28    Tuscaloosa, AL    JUPITER BAR & GRILL   

Rescheduled dates:
Thu March 26 Lexington KY THE DAME
Fri March 27 Memphis TN NEW DAISY
SAT March 28 St. Louis MO PAGEANT

We're working on rescheduling Milwaukee and Tuscaloosa and hope to have news on those shows soon.
conspiracy song theories aside . . . it was a hell of a show, and i'm glad i was there.  i was almost certain i saw azag out front during the bloodkin/dbt break talking to a tall black guy with a scarf.  he was wearing a "contruction company" t shirt i think, with a beard and i think a hat.  i wanted to say hi, but wasn't sure if was him or not.  i felt bad enough staring at the guy for as long as i did.