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

[@ianwild66]

Haunting and Beautiful

[@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.

[@ghostship85]

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

[@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.

[@jonathans.1448]

The sound recording on this simple performance is top notch.

[@seapeas3503]

One of the greatest musical minds of the last 100 years........ Appreciated by some, but deserving of so much more..... Quirky Brilliance - the best kind!

[@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!

[@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

[@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. ❤

[@davefelce6424]

Oh my lord, wonderful

[@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.

[@lizcenterfield1963]

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

[@Upstreamprovider]

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

[@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.

[@JohnnySokko]

My absolute favorite Robyn Hitchcock song!

[@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.

[@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!

[@lizcenterfield1963]

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

[@palalalai]

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

[@justinliberati150]

Beautiful Rendition

[@pinkfreud62]

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

[@caitiefaulds589]

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

[@robertnycguyraisedonrecord7587]

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

[@RayWright]

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

[@ldgolias]

Beautiful❤

[@wayne6541]

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

[@Crashoverall]

He is just amazing.

[@TheDavidtk240]

Love this.

[@geoffmurrell]

Always loved this song!

[@seaofcheese1]

hitchcock is therapy for the soul!

[@nivekvb]

It's beautiful!

[@andersortegren3943]

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

[@Danlikesyou]

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

[@jimbogarner144]

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

[@ghulsem]

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

[@textucker1158]

Incredible!

[@thesouluniversal]

love the voice and the playing

[@shldnbschmn]

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

[@leegouyette8059]

definitive version, far as i'm concerned

[@billygoth]

thank you.

[@stuartstein991]

One thing Shakespeare never said is you got to be kidding

[@yongadog]

Amazing.

[@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?

[@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).

[@FISHMUSIC4U]

one of his most berry very bestest

[@grantdenn]

Wow, what a find.

[@teapartie]

oh wow i miss listening to him

[@peterrowley5520]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@Simply_Sadie]

Long have I loved him....

[@stuartstein991]

The man is a genius look at his body of work

[@NickRowsell]

Nice one Robyn ...

[@bgwhite3]

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

[@mihkupaul6765]

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

[@jefffennel99]

Wow. Thanks. Brilliant.

[@heyoka_j5741]

Such a timelss treat. ❤

[@urbangorilla33]

A true underrated master.

[@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]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@Crashoverall]

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

[@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.

[@michaelpettinger207]

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

[@afterthought9]

Still love

[@koimadzuko662]

Exquisite.

[@mvitti21]

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

[@gianlucaficca145]

Such a fucking genius

[@julianzfarm]

robyn is a master of fingerpicking

[@nogthedervish]

magic!

[@doctorbuckshot4130]

Awesome

[@RayWright]

You are my hero

[@cpchehaibar]

Genius

[@jpenr]

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

[@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.

[@sleslie23]

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

[@Staffleberry]

@carcarx42 'Travis' hey? Is he is using a different tuning do you know carcarx?

[@dripcode2600]

the Globe of Frogs is the best album ever

[@DeanWesterfield]

@ And right after Underwater Moonlight!

[@dixonedmunds1871]

Brilliant

[@angrygrouse4989]

Robyn is so cool I wish British people were real

[@ddeka2910]

good too be true

[@JoeChrisMorris]

ah, nice

[@ChrisHuffmusic]

Can anybody read the label on his guitar? What does it say?

[@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.

[@stevabus]

Yup!!!!

[@gregarioustumours2397]

❤❤❤❤

[@rivalofnature]

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

[@mihkupaul6765]

Where can I buy that music?

[@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.

[@bobdobbs7957]

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

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.

[@napndash]

Want his lamp

[@ChrisHuffmusic]

I think I have the same one too!

[@7125Mhz]

That's what I seriously dig.

[@rollittakeit]

tuning?