ROBYN HITCHCOCK - CHINESE BONES

A performance of Chinese Bones from the album Globe Of Frogs (1988) by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians. Shot by Adam Buxton in Robyn's London home, 29th September, 2007.

[@mikecyr2453]

I keep coming back to this as an all time favorite song and performance - pure magic

[@ghostship85]

my favourite of Robyn's.... tied for first with about 35 other pieces.

[@jonathans.1448]

The sound recording on this simple performance is top notch.

[@dos9167]

Robyn Hitchcock and Andy Partridge are two of the most underrated song writers/musicians of the 80s

[@youbetyourwrasse]

Well Mr P certainly agrees with ewe ... knot so sure Mr H feels the same way. to just make a living as a musician is GOLDEN, never mind being famous as the two mentioned.

[@donnahall976]

Holy cow! I'm just hearing this guy! Where the hell have I been? I love him. New fan!

[@ghostship85]

Airscape was the only song that was ever a part of one of my remembered dreams. Autumn IYLC, Winchester, Intricate Thing, Speed of Things.....etc. etc. Robyn's too good to be Phil Collins.

[@robertdegraw3551]

About 40 years worth of music to explore! I like it all.

[@ianwild66]

Haunting and Beautiful

[@psychedelicumpire3174]

"The line between us is so thin I might as well be you" Brilliant.

[@qixotical]

Robyn has always had a firm grasp of purple and green. I like that.

[@melissahilliard6862]

Alan Smith, I get that. ❤

[@roushanam]

Robyn--possibly the greatest lyricist of rock/pop of all time.

[@michelebravin2248]

Roshan Black visionary lyricist...😍🤩🚀

[@Leavenfish]

I've got to agree...and I particularly like acoustic takes on his songs like this one.

[@nivekvb]

I don't think so, but he's certainly great at composing tunes. He's not a perfect singer either, but I love his voice. He's my favorite artist.

[@JaCapella]

*Visionary lyricist, master of mood

[@nullverba856]

Wonderful!

[@lizcenterfield1963]

Thank god just what I needed for my "Alt Folk" collection.

[@davefelce6424]

Oh my lord, wonderful

[@EmmaSwiftsings]

I just love this.

[@StarTigerJLN]

+Emma Swift I think it's one of his best ! Also, kudos on working with him :) You're awesome.

[@dreamwell2020]

I just love this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXrKfK2CirZ5a7M

[@michellec3452]

Oh the beauty of this! I never, ever tire of Robyn. It's magical! Over three decades of listening to this stuff. He did this two nights ago in Seattle. My sis and I nearly died. Love Robyn!

[@s8c4488]

In the '80ties this song was one dream among the other dreams, beatiful times.

[@Upstreamprovider]

A master at beautiful melodies and poetic lyrics. And man, can he rock when he wants too!!

[@lizcenterfield1963]

Nice picking technique. I make a mess of the strings myself. Love you Robyn!

[@JohnnySokko]

My absolute favorite Robyn Hitchcock song!

[@justinliberati150]

Beautiful Rendition

[@palalalai]

This is a beautiful recording, I've always loved this song. Well done.

[@wayne6541]

One of the few genuine musicians out there. Love his music.

[@mihkupaul6765]

A troubadour for the times. A bard for the this post-industrial ragged fantasy land.

[@Danlikesyou]

I just can't like this enough! So pretty!

[@TheDubOrange]

what a wonderful version! i love the orginal of a globe of frogs, but this one even more...robyn is one of the greatest artists, his music is big part of my life...thank you!

[@pinkfreud62]

One of his best. Always loved this one, especially with the sound of the 12 string.

[@TCarnellF66]

The man is s certifiable gottdamn genius. If there was more RH in the world there would by process of elimination be a lot less shit.

[@caitiefaulds589]

Astounding!. First time I have heard this song and it has me in tears.

[@ldgolias]

Beautiful❤

[@seaofcheese1]

hitchcock is therapy for the soul!

[@TheDavidtk240]

Love this.

[@jimbogarner144]

A giant. He is. A giant. Hitchcock. A giant.

[@geoffmurrell]

Always loved this song!

[@robertnycguyraisedonrecord7587]

Love this song. Robyn's voice and lyrics are everything.

[@nivekvb]

It's beautiful!

[@NickRowsell]

Nice one Robyn ...

[@Crashoverall]

He is just amazing.

[@StarTigerJLN]

Oracle bones (Chinese: 甲骨; pinyin: jiǎgǔ) are pieces of turtle shell or bone, normally from ox scapulae or turtle plastrons, which were used for pyromancy - a form of divination - in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty.

[@textucker1158]

Incredible!

[@shldnbschmn]

this is pretty good. heard his name around but never checked him out... ...deserves more recognition...

[@thesouluniversal]

love the voice and the playing

[@grantdenn]

Wow, what a find.

[@mvitti21]

Brilliant performance. The dimly lit figures behind him look like the Beatles.

[@ghulsem]

What a beautiful song. And I just love this acoustic version. Thank you, Mr. Hitchcock!

[@koimadzuko662]

Exquisite.

[@brianmorrison6863]

This song has been making me stop in my track and listen since i first heard it on Globe Of Frogs in 1986. I had a t shirt that had a Robyn Hitchcock illustration for this song. it was my all time favorite t shirt. i miss that shirt.

[@sinisterbuthappy208]

hey I have that shirt ......with pumpkin and frog and skelleton?

[@leegouyette8059]

definitive version, far as i'm concerned

[@yongadog]

Amazing.

[@stuartstein991]

The man is a genius look at his body of work

[@peterrowley5520]

love this song and performance his vocal phrasing is magic and guitar is excellent groovy stuff indeed

[@FISHMUSIC4U]

one of his most berry very bestest

[@billygoth]

thank you.

[@afterthought9]

Still love

[@teapartie]

oh wow i miss listening to him

[@doctorbuckshot4130]

Awesome

[@andersortegren3943]

Just found this - I have always loved this song and this is an amazing take - great sound and vision (brilliant shirt as always!)! ❤️

[@urbangorilla33]

A true underrated master.

[@jefffennel99]

Wow. Thanks. Brilliant.

[@Crashoverall]

this guitarwork is amazing. I couldnt resist and grabbed the guitar to play it.

[@julianzfarm]

robyn is a master of fingerpicking

[@heyoka_j5741]

Such a timelss treat. ❤

[@pilarruleman8083]

Beautiful.

[@Simply_Sadie]

Long have I loved him....

[@michaelpettinger207]

@ Giselle Fauquet -- Thank God! I thought I was the only one who heard him singing about a dwarf!

[@gianlucaficca145]

Such a fucking genius

[@stuartstein991]

One thing Shakespeare never said is you got to be kidding

[@ADavis-oq4et]

I met an interesting door and I opened it slowly As you walk towards the east, then your shadow must rise This performance is just so damn good Robyn is a great songwriter, I envy it

[@stevemoisan]

On the Globe Of Frogs record, the lyrics are: I met an interesting dwarf and I told him a story As he walked towards the East then the shadow was right He's changed the lyrics because the dwarf remark is insensitive.

[@toddturner8053]

This spacious acoustic version handily trumps the studio take and it never even breaks a sweat. And it was done in one take? Whoa.

They're both good.

[@RayWright]

I'd love to know how he got such a great sound from that recording!

[@Giselle62]

@Michael Pettinger---he DOES say "interesting dwarf and he told me a story" on the studio album. For the first time, I heard today, and I've been listening to him for years: "Something Shakespeare never said was 'you got to be kidding'" Just thinking a little more deeply about this song and it almost sounds like Robyn might have written it while he was watching a "Shakespeare in the Park" performance---(on ACID).

[@nogthedervish]

magic!

[@jeffwilliams196]

I'd like to browse through Robyn's CDs in that green cabinet.

[@buzzfledderjohn7782]

Those look like DVDs...just the same, please let us riffle through your stuff, Robyn.

[@jpenr]

Beautiful song. I'll take all the live Robyn I can get!

[@bgwhite3]

Nicely done, as always:) You continue to inspire. Happy imminent Halloween!

[@RayWright]

You are my hero

[@cpchehaibar]

Genius

[@dixonedmunds1871]

Brilliant

[@dripcode2600]

the Globe of Frogs is the best album ever

[@DeanWesterfield]

@ And right after Underwater Moonlight!

[@Giselle62]

happy b'day...heard ya on NPR today.

[@lespaulfanofsparta]

I always wondered why Globe of Frogs got such a lukewarm reception by the people that should have been helping spread the word. I always thought it was one of the best albums of the 80s and this might have been the best cut. My theory was for American critics you're apparently not allowed to take swipes at Bruce Springsteen no matter how eliptical and funny Balloon Man might be. But, whatever this is like a Pee Wee's Playhouse episode for my adult soul. And Robyn looks/sounds no worse for the wear.

Trouble is, his indie work through most of the 80s set the standard far too high. Globe Of Frogs seemed almost tame by comparison.

Let me add that the general public could never really appreciate him no matter what, and grunge was about to rear it's (ugly) head anyway. He was mainly popular on the college circuit in those days. And I don't mean to denigrate Globe Of Frogs. It's really good, but it's a little like "Fegmania!-lite", you know? You may be right about the Bruce bit, though.

[@StarTigerJLN]

His lyrics are too intellectual / strange for the American audience

[@angrygrouse4989]

Robyn is so cool I wish British people were real

[@ddeka2910]

good too be true

[@JoeChrisMorris]

ah, nice

[@gregarioustumours2397]

❤❤❤❤

[@stevabus]

Yup!!!!

[@rivalofnature]

HAHA first to comment, this is amazing I love love love it, I love the Hitchcocker and i love you buckles!

[@sleslie23]

I would love to see what strange things Robyn has in his house.

[@kevanbrown7620]

His acoustic version of Syd Barrett's Dominoes is just brilliant. He's a great ambassador for Syd Barrett.

[@ghostship85]

He talks freely if his influences. I don't analyze so much.....just enjoy. Maybe he's influenced by weed.....who care..Robyn is as Robyn does. His catalogue is drop dead gorgeous.

[@Giselle62]

btw: I thought, for the longest time, it said "I met an interesting dwarf and I told him a story."

That is the original line, but he changed it later for his live performances. I always wished he'd kept it.

[@stevemoisan]

It did - he's sung alternating different lyrics since Globe Of Frogs came out because he finds the dwarf line to be insensitive.

[@ChrisHuffmusic]

I think I have the same one too!

[@TheSidFang]

Wonderful song - one of my all-time favorites - and a nice take. But I wonder how the vocals were recorded. He's not wearing a headset, yet there's no room resonance in the recording, as one would expect from a mic a few feet away...

[@littlegoose9860]

shotgun mic? just a guess

[@Giselle62]

I tried making a video (of me) playing a Robyn Hitchcock song on guitar at home but it didn't turn out quite as nice as this one. I think I'll share this on Facebook.

[@7125Mhz]

That's what I seriously dig.

[@bobdobbs7957]

I was all, "ooh, thanks youtube for throwing that at me". Then i saw it was count buxula's channel. 😵😵😵😵😵😵😵

[@TerryatAlRioArt]

Killer

[@69AJS]

Rather beautiful. Was the lyric on the LP 'met an interesting dwarf and he told me a story' ?

[@ghostship85]

He told the Dwarf a story. Everyone knows that but I just had to say it.

Check out the version by Suzanne Vega backed by the Grateful Dead. I kid you not! It's on KZbin and is quite good, actually. Audio only, however. Most unexpected.

[@WY97212]

I was thinking about that very version when I spotted your comment. The Dead/Vega version is pretty sloppy and was most likely barely rehearsed. But I love it.

[@benjaminfargen]

Fing genius....

[@deciocavallo7332]

the macguffin of hitch

[@napndash]

Want his lamp

[@andaloudog]

What everyone else said.