Memory Lane - "The Day I Knew the World Was Coming to an End" featuring Ween's 12 Golden Country Greats

Back when I was in college, my mom and I didn't see eye to eye on music.  She was an Oldies turned Country fan.  I was a top 40 turned Alternative fan.  We had a little quid pro quo arrangement, whereas I could tell the difference between the famous Garth Brooks and the less than famous Radney Foster.  She in turn could tell me which fruit or vegetable I was listening to between, Smashing Pumpkins, Cranberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Blind Melon; she could even tell the difference between Reel Big Fish and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones!   If we road tripped we went back and forth between each other's c.d.'s.  However, we didn't necessarily like each other's music.

For some reason my mother didn't trust that her young adult knew good music?  Ironically, when I was heavy into Eric Clapton's Unplugged album, she just thought I was depressed as I listened to it over and over again.  I guess I did give her plenty of reason to doubt as I was constantly blasting music that failed her 1st criteria for good music: You can understand the lyrics without reading the liner notes.

So what made me think that an album by Ween would be the one, the album, which my mother would like of mine?  After all, Ween was responsible for such gems as 'Hey Fat Boy (asshole)', 'Flies on My Dick', 'Poop Ship Destroyer', and the infamous 'Push the little Daisies'

Ween's inaugural video 'Push the Little Daisies' from Pure Ween Guava


Ween was also the genius group that on Chocolate and Cheese insulted those suffering from Aids('The HIV Song'), Spinal Meningitis ('Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down') and those living in Philadelphia ('Spirit of '76) in the same album.

Ween • The HIV Song • Live 2007.11.30 • NYC (thanks Ween & YouTube)


When they weren't insulting folks or playing over the top music, Ween was creating excellent music in no matter what genre they tried. So, when they put out a Country album it was fantastic. Now of course, it had traditional perverse and risque Ween lyrics, but it was excellent Country music. The album is complete with backing band including mandolin, pedal steel, banjo, etc.

12 Golden Country Greats features 10 of the best country songs not by a country artist. It has classic country and fiddle with 'Pretty Girl.

'Pretty Girl' by Ween (found on SoundCloud.com)
05 Pretty Girl by Tracy Zarrillo

excerpt of lyrics of 'Pretty Girl' by Ween

"There's a sweater wearin', coat totin', boot footin'
Good lookin' man on town
There's a smooth-talkin', funny walkin' dude around
There's a pretty girl and she sees him walkin'
Looking him up and down
She thinks she'd like to roll and rock him
Turn his life around

There's a scum-suckin' lip pucking
Fat ol' truck drivin' man on town
There's a boot lickin' hiney ticklin' dude around
There's a pretty girl and he sees her walkin'
Looking her up and down
He'd like for her to roll and rock him
Turn his life around"

The 12 Golden Country Greats also features classic lyric writing that would make David Allen Coe proud, as he once detailed on 'You Never Even Call Me By My Name':

Excerpt from 'You Never Even Call Me By My Name' by David Allen Coe

"I wrote him back a letter and I told him it was not the perfect country & Western song because he hadn't said anything at all about Mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison or getting drunk"

Ween caputres that spirit by writing about breaking up, being broke, cowboys, & trains.

Exceprt from 'Japanese Cowboy' by Ween on 12 Golden Country Greats

"I'm ridin' at midnight and crossin' the line
From the rain in my windshield and the tears in my eyes
Now the bedroom is empty and I spent my last dime
And the lovers are leavin', I got nothin' but time,
I got you on my mind

Like a Japanese cowboy or a brother on skates
Like a blizzard in Georgia or a train runnin' late
I call out your name girl in the heat of the night
And nobody answers 'cause somethin' ain't right"

 The best song on the album has to be 'Piss Up A Rope' The Country ode to telling off that special someone.  

WARNING THESE LYRICS ARE FAIRLY VULGAR
Ween - Piss Up A Rope - Live via YouTube

WARNING THESE LYRICS ARE FAIRLY VULGAR

Excerpt from 'Piss Up A Rope' by Ween From 12 Golden Country Greats

 WEEN - Piss Up a Rope by burritotree
 

"My dinner's on fire while she watches TV
And if you've ever wondered what it's like to be me
She takes all my money and leaves me no smokes
Yells at my buddies and insults my folks
I'm breakin' my back doin' the best that I can
She's got time for the dog and none for her man
And I'm no dope, but I can't cope
So hit the fuckin' road and piss up a rope

You can piss up a rope
And you can put on your shoes, hit the road get truckin'
Pack your bag, I don't need the ag
On your knees you big, booty bitch start suckin'
You ride my ass like a horse in a saddle
Now you're up shits creek with a turd for a paddle
And I can't cope -- piss up a rope"

The album is pure genius.  It packs the best of Ween lyrics, with really good straight forward classic Country Music.   I played it for my mom once or twice, but I didn't think she really liked it.  

So, I thought it was weird when my mom, randomly called me up, and asked me to bring the album to her at work.  That wasn't the weirdest part.  When I was leaving the office building parking lot, I saw a Cadillac with Pennsylvania plates "IAM 666" The world was clearly coming to an end.  My mom was listening to Ween on purpose and the devil was driving around my hometown in a Cadillac!

For more Ween enjoyment, head over to their home page.  Ween.com

Enjoy!