The song starts out with a bowling ball being rolled across the inside of a large 5 by 5 foot box (which was also used to create the thud noises in Cue). The bowling ball represents a pea being rolled under thimbles.
The song references a trickster performing the “shell game” scam, or “three shells...
[Chorus]
Neath the bougie a thimble rigger slyly rolls the pea
Bye the bye, the bye, the bye
Red is patchy, snows the silver
Bye the bye, the bye, the bye
Can't turn from a crotch in the darkness
To turn to the valley of a king
Ja-da, ja-da
Ja-da ja-da, jing jing jing
[Verse 1]
Wrapped in blankets then in blankets
Hear the germs pinging on the night wind
Cross the west coast to the west coast
To the west coast the Angelus begins
Eye for hand, dye y'et eye
Bye-t the negro, come on sucker
Anthrax Jesus, sack of the'b
Shawl for he'b, no bye the bye
Pulling out won't be slow
Sorry baby b' the needles
Another night I gotta pull
Muffle bye, no, bye the bye
By the bye, no, bye the bye
[Chorus]
Neath the bougie a thimble rigger slyly rolls the pea
Bye the bye, the bye, the bye
Red is patchy, snows the silver
Bye the bye, the bye, the bye
Don't think it hasn't been fun because it hasn't
Donje is Donje in the spring
Ja-da, ja-da
Ja-da ja-da, jing jing jing
[Verse 2]
Here the blankets, here come the blankets
They plunge like rays snapping down the night wind
Cross the east coast to the east coast
Scratch the air and blue burn, the Angelus begins
Pulling out won't be slow
Sorry baby, stuff the chancellor
Dreamed he mans, gathered yet
Bye the bye, no, bye the bye
Scaling comes, scaling comes
Red is patchy, snows the silver
Another night I gotta pull
Muffle bye, no, bye the bye
Bye the bye, no, bye the bye
Psoriatic was written by Bob Carleton & Scott Walker.
Psoriatic was produced by Peter Walsh & Scott Walker.
Scott Walker released Psoriatic on Mon May 08 2006.