The Triffids - Jerdacuttup Man

"Calenture" (1987)
I live under glass in the British museum
I am wrinkled and black, I am ten thousand years
I once lost in business, I once lost in love
I took a hard fall, I couldn't get up
I was frozen out in the lean winter years
When the dollars were few and the faces were mean
I was frozen in business and frozen in love
I took a ten minute nap, man I never woke up
Old and lonely, dirty and cold
I'm a Jerdacuttup man
They stitched up my eyelids so l couldn't see
They sewed up my mouth so very carefuly
They stitched up the wound they had made in my side
They wrapped me up tight and they threw me inside
I tried to object but the words didn't come
Say, "You're making a mistake, boys, you've got the wrong one,
I'm a little out of shape, but I'm too young to go!"
But my throat just seized up and it started to snow
Old and lonely, dirty and cold
l'm a Jerdacuttup man
They soaked me in brine and thy stewed me in juice
Thy took out my eyes and replaced them with glass
And with skin made of leather, and teeth made of dice
I slept in the peat under ten feet of ice
I had no luck in business and no luck in love
I guess I'm a fool, you could say I'm a chump
I'm shrivelled and black and my bandage is torn
But my fingers are cold, won't you please take me home?
Old and lonely, dirty and cold
I am the Jerdacuttup Man

[@nmfeb70]

Beautiful & dark. One of the best tracks ever recorded.

[@guymartin6514]

So beautiful so funny and so timeless. "... I'm a little out of shape, but I'm too young to go..." if only David knew he was writing his own gorgeous obituary.

[@jerdynerdy]

i had this song richocheting around my brain 6 years ago when doiing an eco-study on the wetlands this song took its name from. oh, this man's timeless songwriting genius! as a kid growing up in the 1980s perth, the music 'born sandy devotional' defined high school years, spoke to a cold war gen x group of disparate youth, with razor sharp music resonating cutting isolation and harsh beauty of the westralian landscape.

[@worldmeon]

one of the most beautiful songs I ever heard in all my live!! ;)

[@stephanevillatte5970]

immense song ...every album is great what a songwriter!

[@Jespervangcom]

Music from my school years back in the 80’s.. fantastic voice from Mccomb.

[@danielclermont7006]

Quel dommage que ce magnifique groupe soit passé autant inaperçu, en particulier en France. Totalement injuste !

[@rabbitspirits2027]

My broken feelings, shattered into peices and glued to a board!

[@johnneve6882]

Timeless

[@888luckystriker]

Great lyrics, thanks Ian, will always remember you

[@shrew972]

RIP Dave

[@silverwhitesand2094]

The eternal spirit of the indigenous lives in us. One Love 🌌🥀⛲☀️🌈

[@Fiasco3]

Awesome song, too lazy to play my copy so youtubed it.

[@hervemahieux4685]

Much less famous in France than Midnight Oil or INXS but at least as good.

[@johnneve6882]

100 times better