Country Joe & the Fish

[Together Cover]Order

Together

Side 1:
  1. Rock and Soul Music (6:51)
  2. Susan (3:28)
  3. Mojo Navigator (2:23)
  4. Bright Suburban Mr. & Mrs. Clean Machine (2:19)
  5. Good Guys/Bad Guys Cheer (0:43)
     The Streets of Your Town (3:00)

Side 2:
  1. The Fish Moan (0:27)
  2. The Harlem Song (4:19)
  3. Waltzing in the Moonlight (2:13)
  4. Away Bounce My Bubbles (2:25)
  5. Cetacean (3:38)
  6. An Untitled Protest (2:45)

Rock and Soul Music

Hmm...
We'd like to take this opportunity now to play you a little thing that we learned from Mr. James Brown the King of soul music. Now this ain't soul music, mind you, this is rock music. But it's got soul to it, if you can dig that. And now the band would like to play a new riff they just learned, we call a sockin'-it-to-you riff. And it-uh goes something like this.

Alright — are you ready boys ?
Let me hear you do it one time just once c'mon
Huh! Ah that's it, do it again!
Huh! Oh come on!
Oh it feels so good, do it again!
Alright, come on! Huh!
One more time, come on! Huh!

Now let me hear you do it two times if you can. Huh huh!
Alright, that's good, do it again! Huh uh.
Hmm alright, come on. Huh.
Oh yeah, do it again now. Huh uh.
Feels so good, once more! Huh uh.

Oh let me hear you do it three times now, huh!
Ah yeah, come on!
Alright! Four times now!
Ahhhh! come on now.

Oh, when you hold me, ah
Oh, when you kiss me
Oh, when you love me
It's alright, outasite,
Ahhh! you know that you're just d-d-d-d-d-dynamite!

Huh!
I guess you've heard all about rock and roll,
You've heard about the music that they call soul.
Well, I'm here to tell you what I've been told
'Bout the brand new music called the rock & soul.
Rock & soul yeah, that's the music got you walkin' down the street
Clappin' your hands, kickin' your feet, (Rock & soul)
Jumpin' up and down oh it's so groovy, oh rock & soul, yeah.

Now everywhere I go, you know that it's always understood
Rock and soul music is doggone good.
Now everywhere I go, from Kansas City up to Maine
Rock and soul music's driving people insane.
Rock & soul, yes it's the music got you walkin' down the street
Clappin' your hands, kickin' your feet, (Oh rock & soul)
Jumpin' up and down, oh, it's so groovy, rock & soul, rock on, yeah, huh!

Ha!
Now everywhere I go you know that it's always understood,
Rock and soul music is doggone good.
Now everywhere I go, from Kansas City up to Maine
Rock and soul music's driving people insane.
Rock & soul, yeah it's the music got you walkin' down the street
Clappin' your hands, kickin' your feet, (Rock & soul)
Jumpin' up and down, oh, you're gonna be so outasite, rock & soul yeah.

Oh, you know we're al-almost, almost through.
You just gotta get one, one, one more little thing together here before we go.
Play your bass, son, c'mon, ah yeah c'mon, do it, ha!

Sock it to me
Sock it to me
Sock it to me.

Ah! your love is like a rainbow
I said, ha, ah your love is like a rainbow darling
You know your love is like a rainbow
I say hey your love is like a rainbow
Oh, runnin' all around my shoulders
Runnin' all around my shoulders,
You know that your uh love is like a rainbow
Now runnin' all around my shoulders, yeah, and I
Love you, you know I do, alright, huh.

Susan

No more the flute-sound air speaks love songs,
No more alone and in my head.
No more your child's sweet voice speaks softly,
Softly, softly, in my ear.

Nothing's true, it doesn't matter,
The love you see not yours to judge.
Too late now, your fears surround you
Spinning seasons around you,
Susan, inside you say the words and I'll go.

Gone away, and still we're lonely.
Nothing's changed, two lives to live.
Love is cold when dreams are old.
In a dream what you see
Images that used to be.

Mojo Navigator

Well, I ain't gonna say that I'm the seventh son,
I don't claim to be a spoonful of fun,
But if you want a special friend, just call and I'll come.

I'll turn the forest of night into a park where we can play,
Walk you in flowers and dress you in jade
And then turn back a bad trip and make it yesterday.

I've got a chemical body, an electric brain,
A rebuilt mind on a guaranteed frame,
I can read the truth in the cracks in the walls
And tell your future baby by the way,
By the way that the plaster falls,
By the way the plaster falls,
By the way the plaster falls, oh yeah.

Well, I ain't gonna say that I'm the seventh son,
I don't claim to be a spoonful of fun,
But if you want a special friend, just call and I'll come.

I'll turn the forest of night into a park where we can play,
Walk you in flowers and dress you in jade
And then turn back a bad trip and make it yesterday.

I've got a chemical body, an electric brain,
A rebuilt mind on a guaranteed frame,
I can read the truth in the cracks in the walls
And tell your future baby by the way,
By the way that the plaster falls,
By the way the plaster falls,
By the way the plaster falls, yeah.
By the way the plaster falls,
Plaster falls — oh yeah.

Bright Suburban Mr. & Mrs. Clean Machine

You had an invitation to ride shotgun in a parade tomorrow and I declined for you.

You're a good girl.

You know where the parade was ? It's out there in the shopper's park and then Santa and his two little elves Jingle and Jangle, and they've got a lot of these chocolate thin candies wrapped...

Bright suburban Mr. & Mrs. Clean Machine
Sucker children twisters on your TV screen
Look away, fill your heads with decay
Down trip news broadcast day
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.

Simple Simon warriors fighting battles won
Christopher Columbus, you find your setting sun.
By the way, your directions are wrong
And the words are too long.
Tomorrow's just another song to play with.

Take it, David!

Look away, fill your heads with decay
Down trip news broadcast day
Find yourselves another piece of clay to play with.

Bubble bath parader in your parking lot
Stumbling over backward with the things you've got
Better pay, the price is so high
Stoned fast against the sky
I don't give you no lines to play with.

Screaming pirate handing me a double line
Instructions painted plainly on a billboard sign
Walk away, your life you don't live
And your mind you must give to the people.

Third floor: underwear, Barbie dolls, war toys, underarm deodorants, hair-spray, plastic artificial flowers, bubble bath powder.

Good Guys/Bad Guys Cheer

Let's hear it for the good guys Hooray! Hip hip hooray!
Let's hear it for the bad guys  Boo!    Boo for the bad guys!
Let's hear it for the good guys Hooray!
Let's hear it for the bad guys   Boo!

Let's hear it for the good guys Hooray!
Let's hear it for the bad guys  Boo!

Good guys  Hooray!
Bad guys  Boo!
Good     Hooray!
Bad      Boo!
Good     Hooray!
Bad

Get stoned, get stoned, get stoned, Get stoned, get stoned, get stoned ...

The Streets of Your Town

As I walked around the streets of your town
Tryin' not to bring myself down
The jeers of the insane
Bounce like bullets off my brain,
The subway is not the underground.
Oh, New York City, goodbye!
Oh, New York City, goodbye,
Goodbye, New York City!

Number-People rush through the dawn
With their Number-People faces on.
Times Square is not the word
For the sucking, squeezing herd,
The subway is not the underground.
Oh, New York City, goodbye!
Oh, New York City, goodbye,
Goodbye, New York City.

As I walked around the streets of your town
Tryin' not to bring myself down
Stoned here I find
I almost lost my mind,
The subway is not the underground.
Yeah, now New York — New York City goodbye,
Oh New York City, goodbye,
Goodbye, New York City, I'm goin' home,
Oh, I don't want to be in New York anymore, oh no.

The Fish Moan

(A comment on the days and times)

The Harlem Song

 Glorious! Breathtaking! Spectacular! Relax in the grandeur of America's yesteryear. Harlem, land of enchanting contrasts. Where the romantic past touches hands with the exciting present. First, the pleasure of being received with warmth and genuine hospitality. Then, the easy adjustment to the comfort and style of superb meals, exotic beverages, colorful entertainment and dynamite action. Doing all the wonderful things that wonderful vacations are made of — at wonderful savings, too. Yes, come to Harlem, the happy meeting ground for families with large wants and small budgets.

See colorful Harlem in New York City
Come treat yourselves: some grits and barbecue.
Bring the family to Harlem in New York City
For a summer of fun dancing to the rhythm & blues.

And if you're lookin' for the action, this summer is your chance,
All the black folks are just dyin' to watch you sing and dance
In carefree Harlem, that's New York City
Where every soulful spade has a serenade just for you.

Well, hi baby, how are you doing today ?

How d'you do man, I ain't feeling so good, you know.

What's the matter, boy ?

Well, I was sitting around the house, you know, and me and my old lady sat down almost to get — all ready to have a good meal of watermelon and hominy grits ...

Yeah, sounds good.

... sittin down, they were showing a whole bunch of re-runs of the Amos and Andy Show, you know ...

My favorite program.

... When the TV blew up right in the middle of the program, man.

Yeah well, what did you do, man ?

Well, what does it look like I did man ? I came outside and ran into you, jerk!

Well, I tell ya everything is blowin' up these days: TV's, ghettos, you know it's gettin' kinda rough, he he he!

Ya, they even made a movie out of it.

What d'they call it ?

Blow Up.

Hell, that's pretty funny, hey hey!

Well, it looks like I'll be shufflin' off, y'know.

Ya, well, with all that natural rhythm, you can probably shuffle pretty good.

Discover glorious Harlem in New York City,
There's thrills and chills in the land of Rhythm and Blues.
Bring the family to Harlem in New York City,
You'll have fun in the sun doing what the black folks do.

And every little pickaninny wears a great big grin
Just hanging 'round waitin' for some white folks to drop in.
But if you can't go to Harlem, that's New York City,
Maybe you'll be lucky and Harlem will come to you.
Um, gowwa, buwanna.

Waltzing in the Moonlight

I find you waltzing in the moonlight,
I find you waltzing and there's nobody around you,
Nothing to astound your unreal.

I see this happening before me,
I see this happen and your colors touch my empty eyes
Begin to shine with a glow.

Do you know how strange it seems
Lost behind a dream
The clock tick of my mind is winding you.

The sound you're making in the stillness,
The sound you're making as it fills my head with madness
Lost forever sounds of this dream.

I seem to feel as though I'm dreaming
I seem to feel you and your warm and loving splendor
Tomorrow I'll remember your name.

Do you know how strange it seems
Lost behind a dream
The clock tick of my mind is winding you.

¡Viva Campesino José y los Pescados!

I find you waltzing in the moonlight
I find you waltzing and there's nobody around you,
Nothing to astound your unreal.

I seem to feel as though I'm dreaming,
I seem to feel you and your warm and loving splendor,
Tomorrow I'll remember your name.

Do you know how strange it seems
Lost behind a dream
The clock tick of my mind is winding you.

Away Bounce My Bubbles

The love that you feel inside you
Reminds you
It finds you
Sun burst in a pleasant dream

Mm mm ...

Away bounce my bubbles
And come what may cares
May bring surprise
Me with presents

Your love
Gives me more than it takes
And I take much more
We're fools in a circus

Ooh, ooh ...

Cetacean

Open the door and love walks in
Close the door and you're alone again.

An Untitled Protest

Red and swollen tears tumble from her eyes
While cold silver birds who came to cruise the skies
Send death down to bend and twist her tiny hands
And then proceed to target "B" in keeping with their plans
Khaki priests of Christendom interpreters of love
Ride a stone Leviathan across a sea of blood
And pound their feet into the sand of shores they've never seen
Delegates from the western land to join the death machine
And we send cards and letters.

The oxen lie beside the road their bodies baked in mud
And fat flies chew out their eyes then bathe themselves in blood
And super heroes fill the skies, tally sheets in hand
Yes, keeping score in times of war takes a superman
The junk crawls past hidden death its cargo shakes inside
And soldier children hold their breath and kill them as they hide
And those who took so long to learn the subtle ways of death
Lie and bleed in paddy mud with questions on their breath
And we send prayers and praises.

______________________

Recorded at Sierra Sound Laboratories, Berkeley, November 1967
and Vanguard Studios, 71 West 23rd Street, New York City, 1968
Producer: Samuel Charters
Engineer & Sound Effects: Ed Friedner
Processed at Vanguard Studios, 71 West 23rd Street, New York City

Joe McDonald: vocals, harmony vocals, rap, lead guitar, 12-string guitar
Barry Melton: vocals, rap, lead guitar, rhythm guitar
David Cohen: rhythm guitar, organ, lead guitar, organ, piano, harpsichord, bells
Bruce Barthol: bass, vocal, backing vocal, acoustic guitar, organ
Gary "Chicken" Hirsh: drums, vocals, bells, background vocals, harmony, sand blocks, castanets, Chicken's music box
Robin McDonald: finger cymbals

We wish to thank Michael Chechik for radio research.
We would also like to thank for their contributions to sound effects, Ruth Revelise, Rosanne Haberman, Leigh Centrone, Barbara Ruggieri, Alice Belgray and Holly Tooker of the Vanguard staff.

This album is dedicated to Bobby Hutton — Black Revolutionary 1950-1968

Original vinyl release: Vanguard VSD.79277 [August 1968]
Original CD release:  Vanguard VMD-79277 [April 07, 1992]

All songs copyright © 1968 renewed 1996 by Joyful Wisdom, BMI

This page made possible through the kind assistance of Serge Mironneau.

______________________

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