My Window

"My Window" (previously titled "Lake Mirage", then "Sweet Dreams") is a song by The Residents, first released on the group's 2005 album Animal Lover. It quickly became a fan favorite, and has been performed live a number of times.

In 2020, The Cryptic Corporation asked The Residents to curate a selection of their favorite songs from their own back catalog for a Spotify playlist titled "Residents' Personal Favorites"; This was one of 40 songs chosen.

History

The song dates back to 2001, when Charles Bobuck recorded sketches for a proposed album about the American Civil War, which was soon shelved in favor of the Demons Dance Alone album. A sketch rendition of the traditional folk ballad "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" was eventually revisited and fleshed out into "My Window".

• Note: "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" shares melodic material with another folk song covered in the Civil War sessions, "Lily of the West", which would in turn be fleshed out by The Residents into "The Monkey Man". No further connection between the two songs is evident.

The song was first previewed on December 30th, 2004, when a brief sample was posted on The Residents' official BOG news site, along with an excerpt of the accompanying story:

Here he comes again. He’s coming, he’s coming ...no he walked on past. He was pacing, grumbling, sighing, staring at the sky ...and looking at the pigeon ...a lot.

Live versions

The Residents performed the song live for the first time as the encore to the Bunny Boy live show.

The song was soon performed again on the 2010–2011 Talking Light tour, being also recorded for its associated studio album Lonely Teenager. Additionally, in 2010 the Czech art rock band Uz Jsme Doma performed the song on a special Residents tribute show with Randy Rose, singer of The Residents, on vocals.

Lyrics

Stephen said Little Ted was dead,
I read in a letter today;
The same for Monica's monkey he said,
quietly it passed away.

(Mister Coo Coo has fallen asleep)
His eyes were black and his beak was brown
(Mister Coo Coo has fallen asleep)
But soon his home will be underground

The wind was cold and the world was old
when I went to my window today;
The sky was dark as a hopeless heart
when I went to my window today.

The Pigeon

The pigeon was nervous. Some would say nervousness is the primary currency of a pigeon's internal existence, but even so, the bird was more than normally twitchy... perhaps even extraordinarily twitchy.

It had everything to do with the human. The man was also nervous and this was not his normal state. Here he comes again. He's coming, he's coming... no he walked on past. He was pacing, grumbling, sighing, staring at the sky... and looking at the pigeon... a lot.

Then there were the other pigeons. All of his friends and family. And one by one, they disappeared. He was coming again... two steps... three steps... FOUR!... no he's just getting his cup of tea. It wasn't the first time his friends had left. The human often took his favorite birds away for races or breeding. It had happened to the pigeon many times in the past, but the human never took them all, and they always returned.

And what about the dog... and the evil cat. They were gone, too. Even the two lovebirds, no longer twittering in their cage by the window. The pigeon was the only one left... him and the man. This was not good... not good at all.

It all started when the mailman brought that letter... and the human turned on his radio... and made some phone calls. Here he comes again... but this time he is getting closer... this time he's holding out his hands... this time... this time he's...

Radio Thoreau version

In 2013, Charles Bobuck launched his Radio Thoreau project with two singles, one of them being a live rendition of this song in Rennes, France, during the Bunny Boy tour. (The other single was a remix of "God's Magic Finger" off of the Roadworms album.)

Releases

• Animal Lover (2005)
• Animal Lover Instrumental (2008)
• El Año del Muerto (2009)
• Lost in a Vacant Lot (2010) (edit)
• Talking Light Live in Rehearsal, Santa Cruz, California (2010)
• Talking Light live downloads (2010–2011)
• Lonely Teenager (2011)
• Talking Light Bimbo's (2011)
• Ten Two Times (2013) (edit)
• Radio Thoreau (2013)
• dot.com (2017 reissue)
• Animal Lover (Evolution Edition) (2026)

See also

• The Bunny Boy (tour)
• Talking Light

External links and references

• Animal Lover at The Residents Historical