Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor (song)
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This article is about the song by The Pre-Residents. You may be looking for the 1970 demo album of the same name. |
"Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor" is a song composed and recorded by The Pre-Residents with early collaborator Roland Sheehan in summer 1970, and featured in two versions on their demo tape of the same name, compiled in July of that year.
The song, although occasionally referenced in Residents/Ralph Records promotional material, remained entirely unheard for many years; its first official release in any form was a short excerpt heard in the 2016 documentary film Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents.
A seven minute "concentrate" edit, titled "Rusty Concentrate", was featured on the limited edition vinyl compilation Leftovers Again?! in 2021; the concentrate contains both renditions of the title song with some short snippets from the rest of the demo.
History
"Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor" was composed in summer 1970 by The Pre-Residents with their friend and collaborator Roland Sheehan, a multi-instrumentalist who had recently appeared at the group's second-floor apartment in San Mateo, California, with a U-Haul trailer full of musical instruments.[1]
Sheehan had the idea for the song after he saw "this old, dark green '52 or '53 model Chevrolet pickup[...] packed full, over and above the height of the cab, with nothing but rusty coathangers" outside their window.[1] The song was spontaneously composed and recorded immediately thereafter, followed by a second song, "The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger", composed and recorded on the same afternoon.
In crafting the song's melody, the guitarist Sheehan created his own chords, in keeping with The Pre-Residents' instructions to avoid using his musical knowledge.[1]
The recording resulted in the 32 minute Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor demo tape, which features the group attempting two takes at the song, with improvised jams and covers between. The second take promptly segues into a cover of the song "Bo Diddley".
Release
Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor (as with all of The Residents' early demo tapes) remained unreleased for many years, as the group are known to be embarrassed by their early recordings.
An excerpt of the song was first officially released to the public in the 2016 documentary film Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents, however the song pointedly does not appear on the Theory of Obscurity Soundtrack sent to crowdfund participants around the time of the film's release.
Finally, in June 2021, a seven-minute concentrate was released as the opening track of the Record Store Day pREServed vinyl compilation Leftovers Again?!. This concentrate contains both the first and second versions of the song (minus the false start on the first version, and fading out before the second version's segue into "Bo Diddley"), with other short clips from the rest of the tape.
Lyrics
Folks, I wrote this song last night. I'm 'onna sing it right now, and dedicate it to all the millions o' young American ladies, girls, especially my 42-year-old baby sister, who've all died at the hands of one of these butchers. (Butchers!)
Rusty coathangers for the doctor 'Cause he's been doing somеthing he shouldn't oughta Hope he don't do it to his daughtеr And if he does he better have a big blotter
The doctor, he's a wonderful fellow (fellow) With his coathangers, he'll make you bellow (bellow) You will squirm and you will wiggle (wiggle) He'll take that thing right out of your middle (Ahhh, middle)
The doctor'll open you like a can of spam He'll take your money and say "thank you, ma'am" You'll beg and bleed like a dying lamb And into the ground your box they'll cram
The doctor, he's a wonderful fellow (fellow) With his coathangers, he'll make you bellow (bellow) You will squirm and you will wiggle (wiggle) He'll take that thing right out of your middle (Ahhh, middle) (Ahhh, middle)
Oh yes, right out of your middle He'll take that thing right out of your middle He won't fiddle, around with your middle He won't piddle...
List of releases
- Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor (1970, unreleased) [Version 1] [Version 2]
- Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents (2016) [Version 3]
- Leftovers Again?! (2021) [Version 4]
List of versions
See also
- The Delta Nudes
- Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor
- "The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger"
- Roland Sheehan
- Leftovers Again?!
External links and references
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Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor (1970) Side A |