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Soul Coughing — Screenwriter's Blues
Album: Ruby Vroom
Avg rating:
6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 592









Released: 1994
Length: 5:03
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Exits to freeways twisted like knots on the fingers
Jewels cleaving skin between breasts

Your Cadillac breathes four hundred horses over blue lines
You are going to Reseda to make love to a model from Ohio whose real name you don't know
You spin like the Cadillac was overturning down a cliff on television
And the radio is on
And the radio man is speaking
And the radio man says women were a curse
So men built Paramount Studios
And men built Columbia Studios
And men built Los Angeles

It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles
It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles

And the radio man says, "It is a beautiful night out there"
And the radio man says, "Rock 'n' roll lives"
And the radio man says, "It is a beautiful night out there in Los Angeles"
You live in Los Angeles, and you are going to Reseda
We are all in some way or another going to Reseda someday to die
And the radio man laughs because the radio man fucks a model, too

Gone savage for teenagers with automatic weapons and boundless love
Gone savage for teenagers who are aesthetically pleasing, in other words, fly
Los Angeles beckons the teenagers to come to her on buses
Los Angeles loves love

It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles
It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles

I am going to Los Angeles to build a screenplay about lovers who murder each other
I am going to Los Angeles to see my own name on a screen, five feet long and luminous
As the radio man says, "It is 5 A.M., and the sun has charred the other side of the world and come back to us
And painted the smoke over our heads an imperial violet"

It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles
It is 5 A.M., and you are listening to Los Angeles

You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
You are listening
To Los Angeles
Comments (274)add comment
love to hear any soul coughing - but this one is a surprise to hear on RP when there are so many others that i'd have thought the powers-that-be would have found much more pleasing for the mix. no matter, i'll take it. 

please play more soul coughing or his solo stuff.
Posted 10 months ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
Sounds like a pretentious white rich kid, first year of community college, reading bad pseudo-poetry in the basement coffee house, in the vain hopes of getting into a groping session with the barrista at the end of the evening, because he (falsely) believes that he is the shit, when in reality he's just really shitty.
Posted 17 years ago by shakylegs    [ Reply ]
This song totally makes me want to move to L.A. NOT!!! Go Giants!!
Posted 17 years ago by Faithful_Fool    [ Reply ]
I think he's channeling Pere Ubu's Dave Thomas.
Posted 17 years ago by rwatters    [ Reply ]
shutter wrote:
Isn't this the guy who does the narration in Poe's "Track 18" from Haunted?
I was thinking this reminds me of Poe's brother, who narrated "Hey Baby" - Spoken Version. Like the other narrated song, this blows. Solid "1".
Posted 17 years ago by Wolf825    [ Reply ]
pannaramma wrote:
No No don't make me go to Reseda! For a second I thought Dan Ackroyd was doing a William Shatner thing.
That's it! I swear it sounds like Dan. Big time. Dragnet style.
Posted 17 years ago by Pyro    [ Reply ]
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Putting bad writing over music doesn't make the writing any better, more interesting, or more worth listening to.
Posted 17 years ago by flyingace    [ Reply ]
Posted 17 years ago by Daveinbawlmer    [ Reply ]
trekhead wrote:
Dan Ackrrrroyd and Jimmm Carrrrey eating Cake.
Posted 17 years ago by jadedragon    [ Reply ]
Wow. It is sort of intense. But if I have to decide whether to love it or hate it...well. God it really is awful, but I guess I like it in a bizarre sort of way. It is unapologetically whatever it is.
Posted 17 years ago by omniphiliac    [ Reply ]
savoyard wrote:
Wow, He makes LA sound almost as horrible as it really is....
You have no idea. No really..... zero idea. Indiana?
Posted 17 years ago by amcallis    [ Reply ]
Only 87 people gave this a 1. The rest made typos.
Posted 17 years ago by bokey    [ Reply ]
ploafmaster wrote:
You can see from the ratings distribution that this is largely a love-it-or-hate-it kinda song. I'm on the 8 side of things here :-)

me too. read a nice summary of soul coughing on AMG. good insight to M Doughty from his background, etc.
Posted 17 years ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
Cool
Posted 17 years ago by arthureld    [ Reply ]
No No don't make me go to Reseda! For a second I thought Dan Ackroyd was doing a William Shatner thing.
Posted 17 years ago by pannaramma    [ Reply ]
drekar wrote:
You either love it or hate it. I, for one, love it.
Hate it.
Posted 17 years ago by meydele    [ Reply ]
You can see from the ratings distribution that this is largely a love-it-or-hate-it kinda song. I'm on the 8 side of things here :-)
Posted 17 years ago by ploafmaster    [ Reply ]
You either love it or hate it. I, for one, love it.
Posted 17 years ago by drekar    [ Reply ]
tenacious_v wrote:
holy shite that song really sucks. I think I'd rather take a cheese grater to my fore-head than endure another session....
Hey, don't be stingy with that cheese grater! I need it, too!!! This is awful.
Posted 17 years ago by QueenLucia    [ Reply ]
Bought it on iTunes. Every time I listen to it (typically on way to workout at 5:00am) I like it more.
Posted 18 years ago by Waybo    [ Reply ]
drtjdel wrote:
That'll cost you extra.
I'll gladly pay if it means I don't have to listen to it again.....by the way, that sure does look like Ms. Crabtree!!! good eye Alfalfa!
Posted 18 years ago by tenacious_v    [ Reply ]
tenacious_v wrote:
holy shite that song really sucks. I think I'd rather take a cheese grater to my fore-head than endure another session....
That'll cost you extra.
Posted 18 years ago by drtjdel    [ Reply ]
holy shite that song really sucks. I think I'd rather take a cheese grater to my fore-head than endure another session....
Posted 18 years ago by tenacious_v    [ Reply ]
i will say that this was overplayed on the radio station i listened to when it came out (well before sheep go to heaven as suggested by someone below), but eventually someone i knew bought the album....in the context of the album this song works very well and as a whole the album is excellent. but i can feel for people who think that this one song thrown in the mix is a little weird....
Posted 18 years ago by beardp    [ Reply ]
This song is so bad I had to stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning, stop lissssssssning,
Posted 18 years ago by natrik    [ Reply ]
Shite!
Posted 18 years ago by madaxeman    [ Reply ]
Is that Miss Crabtree in the space helmet?
Posted 18 years ago by drtjdel    [ Reply ]
I'm a BIG fan of really well done spoken-word songs, this being one of them. Solid 8.
Posted 18 years ago by djblitz    [ Reply ]
savoyard wrote:
Wow, He makes LA sound almost as horrible as it really is....
Not so much horrible, but as surreal as it really is.
Posted 18 years ago by AlienRelic    [ Reply ]
One of my favorite Soul Coughing/M Doughty songs... True Dreams of Wichita followed by this song on Ruby Vroom is a great combo. Thanks for playing this RP! *cheers*
Posted 18 years ago by DrGonzo    [ Reply ]
Los Angeles loves, love. Such a fitting line for the Deathstar.
Posted 18 years ago by wildhaire    [ Reply ]
in losssssss angelessssssssssssss
Posted 18 years ago by optimusprime10    [ Reply ]
Isn't this the guy who does the narration in Poe's "Track 18" from Haunted?
Posted 18 years ago by shutter    [ Reply ]
God I love Doughty. He's so "not anybody else."
Posted 18 years ago by forge    [ Reply ]
Wow, He makes LA sound almost as horrible as it really is....
Posted 18 years ago by savoyard    [ Reply ]
Govi wrote:
"We are all going to Reseda." One of the better existential musical phrases. I always think this is Dan Akroyd singing. Doughty has that Chicago twang down, whether it's intentional or accidental. "Lisssssstening"
Posted 18 years ago by Pyro    [ Reply ]
Dan Ackrrrroyd and Jimmm Carrrrey eating Cake.
Posted 18 years ago by trekhead    [ Reply ]
Reminds me of "cake" ? anyone ? Sheep go to heaven
Posted 18 years ago by mattcol99    [ Reply ]
Normally I wonder why people whine about repetitive songs, but in this case ... I'm the one whining. It doesn't work for me - I get what they're trying to do, and I dig all the John Cage affectations, but it really didn't work for me.
Posted 18 years ago by Ennis    [ Reply ]
"We are all going to Reseda." One of the better existential musical phrases. I always think this is Dan Akroyd singing. Doughty has that Chicago twang down, whether it's intentional or accidental. "Lisssssstening"
Posted 18 years ago by Govi    [ Reply ]
Honestly, normally I would hate this... but i gotta say, this is a primo song!
Posted 18 years ago by guitar_man_101    [ Reply ]
Darrooon wrote:
Uh, hey, is this what Beatniks used to sound like?
No, smart went crazy, it didn't go dumb! This track so precious and annoying!
Posted 18 years ago by MCKY    [ Reply ]
justlistening wrote:
Mr. Doughty is a bit of a one note pony.
Funny, I think Doughty's solo work is great, but I've never been able to get into Soul Coughing.
Posted 18 years ago by Shimmer    [ Reply ]
Uh, hey, is this what Beatniks used to sound like?
Posted 18 years ago by Darrooon    [ Reply ]
what is this tripe? skip track plz! kkthx
Posted 18 years ago by Cadger    [ Reply ]
donmatthews wrote:
An amazing 13% think it deserves a 1-rating. That must be a record, don't you think?
Look at the Corrs cover version of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams (click here) -- 60% gave that turkey a "1."
Posted 18 years ago by Baby_M    [ Reply ]
and the RadioWoman says "Shut the F*** up and play the music!"
Posted 18 years ago by Aud    [ Reply ]
CarpePotus wrote:
The rating distribution for this song has such a lovely double peak... quite unlike the standard single seven wave. I'm not sure if I'm on the peak or the valley with this one.
An amazing 13% think it deserves a 1-rating. That must be a record, don't you think?
Posted 18 years ago by donmatthews    [ Reply ]
The rating distribution for this song has such a lovely double peak... quite unlike the standard single seven wave. I'm not sure if I'm on the peak or the valley with this one.
Posted 18 years ago by CarpePotus    [ Reply ]
majorowl wrote:
Almost sounds like the voice of Dan Aykroyd...
Absolutely. Now he just needs to add "We're on a mission from God (in Los Angeles)!" I also agree with the other poster. Less talk, more singing. This should be followed by Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." or the theme from Moonlighting (only positive songs about L.A. that I can think of at the moment).
Posted 18 years ago by Jack_Jefferson    [ Reply ]
This sounds like the results of a horriffic recombinant-DNA experiment involving the poetry genes of Gil Scott Herron. . . . it is 5 am and you are listening to Los Angeles And the radioman says The Revolution will not be televised The Revolution will not be televised The Revolution will be live!
Posted 18 years ago by Baby_M    [ Reply ]
umm...how about some Ken Nordine??
Posted 18 years ago by LongGoneDaddy    [ Reply ]
Interesting ... I'll have to hear it a few more times.
Posted 18 years ago by JK27    [ Reply ]
Brilliant.
Posted 18 years ago by grouchygreg    [ Reply ]
Dylan76 wrote:
This guy was so much better with Soul Coughing.
Yeah. He just needed a lifestyle change. It was the drugs that made the music you heard in Soul Coughing. And now you're hearing a man without the drugs. I still enjoy his recent music. It just doesn't stand out that much.
Posted 18 years ago by Grumm    [ Reply ]
ocsike wrote:
This is sooo bad! There is no music, no singing just that freaky rythm.
Man is that a narrow definition of music.
Posted 18 years ago by ElSupreme    [ Reply ]
actually, it's 11:18am and i'm no longer listening.
Posted 18 years ago by ahoylola    [ Reply ]
Reseda is a funny place to be going, btw... like going to "hoboken" or such nonsense... spoken--word---poetry.... "We are all going to reseda in one way or another... to die"
Posted 18 years ago by Paco3000    [ Reply ]
Now this. This. This is pretty cool. Woke me up after those last two songs.
Posted 18 years ago by Whirlpool    [ Reply ]
The two tracks played here are the best on the CD. The rest of the CD is pretty bad. Mr. Doughty is a bit of a one note pony. Gets tired very quickly.
Posted 18 years ago by justlistening    [ Reply ]
Dan Akroyd??
Posted 18 years ago by rgr0707    [ Reply ]
The Bluesss... Brotherrrrrs. 7.
Posted 18 years ago by trekhead    [ Reply ]
This sucks.
Posted 18 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
I like it... ...and the radio man says....
Posted 18 years ago by eman    [ Reply ]
I still don't get this song, I mean interesting story... but the music just sucks.
Posted 18 years ago by jlind    [ Reply ]
Every time I hear it I have to nudge it up a bit higher.
Posted 18 years ago by Euphemism    [ Reply ]
thank you thank you thank you!!!!
Posted 18 years ago by viola    [ Reply ]
Love this song. Reminds me of Was/Not Was: "...needless to say, the party broke up..." Nostalgia.
Posted 18 years ago by djinnthespazz    [ Reply ]
Good stuff.
Posted 18 years ago by wade44    [ Reply ]
ocsike wrote:
This is sooo bad! There is no music, no singing just that freaky rythm.
and ya just gotta love that "freaky rhythm"
Posted 18 years ago by Tristan_McIntosh    [ Reply ]
I wish I was listening to Los Angeles rather than this.
Posted 18 years ago by BKardon    [ Reply ]
Squirrel wrote:
I want to hate this, but I find it oddly compelling . . .
Hey--me too!
Posted 18 years ago by handyrae    [ Reply ]
Is this ironical intentionally awful open-mike poetry satire? If so, then bravo. Otherwise, please, sweet Jesus, make it stop. Headphones ripped from my head, but not fast enough to stop your horseshit from penetrating my prefrontal lobe and making me vomit.
Posted 18 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
webslinger48 wrote:
Following Grant Lee Buffalo with this is like breaking up with Catherine Zeta Jones to date Bea Arthur. Not recommended.
I disagree, but damn that was funny.
Posted 18 years ago by vvlee    [ Reply ]
loud_family_fan wrote:
YES! My thoughts exactly. It is 2:40 and I am listening to crap.
But are you also, in some way or another, going to Reseda someday?
Posted 18 years ago by majorowl    [ Reply ]
Radioman scares me.
Posted 18 years ago by Geecheeboy    [ Reply ]
This is so deeeeep. I think.
Posted 18 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
isaiahhahner wrote:
this song sucks. more music less talking please.
YES! My thoughts exactly. It is 2:40 and I am listening to crap.
Posted 18 years ago by loud_family_fan    [ Reply ]
Almost sounds like the voice of Dan Aykroyd...
Posted 18 years ago by majorowl    [ Reply ]
Reminds me why I'm FROM LA..... about as far from LA as I can get....
Posted 18 years ago by Old_Pat    [ Reply ]
I dig this. One of the first things I heard on RP (several years ago now!) that really made me say, "Wow, this is something really different from what I've heard before." And definitely channeling Dan Akroyd.
Posted 18 years ago by Dave_Mack    [ Reply ]
ziggytrix wrote:
Anyone else think Mike Doughty sounds just like Elwood Blues (Dan Akroyd)?
ABSOLUTELY! I was just going to make that observation. I don't know why, but I kind of like this - kind of
Posted 18 years ago by bindi    [ Reply ]
He does remind me of Elwood Blues. Also of Cake (Short Skirt Long Jacket). Maybe I enjoyed it just for the local culture references.
Posted 18 years ago by Mojo_LA    [ Reply ]
Jeez...I escaped LA and the San Fernando Valley in '89 and ended up in Cleveland....this song is a flashback for me worthy of Proust's madelaines.
Posted 18 years ago by editing_guy    [ Reply ]
Self-congratulatory simpleton babbles shallow Vogon poetry into the headphones of millions (or is it thousands? hundreds? dozens?) while people like me (who can't stand this drivel) avoid the local coffeeshop's stilted lilted open-mike night, also known as Soul Coughing's crap.
Posted 18 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
this song sucks. more music less talking please.
Posted 18 years ago by isaiahhahner    [ Reply ]
This is sooo bad! There is no music, no singing just that freaky rythm.
Posted 18 years ago by ocsike    [ Reply ]
This guy was so much better with Soul Coughing.
Posted 18 years ago by Dylan76    [ Reply ]
Anyone else think Mike Doughty sounds just like Elwood Blues (Dan Akroyd)?
Posted 18 years ago by ziggytrix    [ Reply ]
Not me. I find it quite easy to hate. Please make it stop. Squirrel wrote:
I want to hate this, but I find it oddly compelling . . .
Posted 18 years ago by dragonflygal    [ Reply ]
It's distracting me from my work - but I don't care.
Posted 18 years ago by zogma    [ Reply ]
I want to hate this, but I find it oddly compelling . . .
Posted 18 years ago by Squirrel    [ Reply ]
I believe that's what the dotted lines on the Playlist page denote - beginning and ending of pre-planned "blocks". I don't mind in the least - I hear so much stuff on here that I've never heard before!
Posted 18 years ago by Falgan    [ Reply ]
Protoguy wrote:
Its what makes Radio Paradise interesting, you never know what is next.
That's not necessarily true. They seem to play the same segments with the same songs on occasion. I've noticed this quite a bit lately.
Posted 18 years ago by wondertoofar    [ Reply ]
Dog help me ... I love this shit!
Posted 18 years ago by PopKombo    [ Reply ]
Its what makes Radio Paradise interesting, you never know what is next.
Posted 18 years ago by Protoguy    [ Reply ]
I don't care about the music, but the lyrics are witty and funny and all-too true.
Posted 18 years ago by pianocomposer    [ Reply ]
webslinger48 wrote:
Hearing this song is like having your skin slowly peeled off by a cheese grater. Following Grant Lee Buffalo with this is like breaking up with Catherine Zeta Jones to date Bea Arthur. Not recommended.
I dunno. I kind of like this song.
Posted 18 years ago by AliGator    [ Reply ]
Wacky and fun...and the Reseda line is all too true.
Posted 18 years ago by moonbat    [ Reply ]
Please don't come to Los Angeles, Soul-coughing Guy. Ouch.
Posted 18 years ago by catbirdman    [ Reply ]
Hearing this song is like having your skin slowly peeled off by a cheese grater. Following Grant Lee Buffalo with this is like breaking up with Catherine Zeta Jones to date Bea Arthur. Not recommended.
Posted 18 years ago by webslinger48    [ Reply ]
Not my cuppa at all....ugh
Posted 18 years ago by LennytheB    [ Reply ]
Doubleyoo. Tee. Eff. This is screwed up, but... not bad somehow...
Posted 18 years ago by GunnerXP    [ Reply ]
This is perfect! If you've ever been to LA sprawl this song evokes it exactly!
Posted 18 years ago by sasa1170    [ Reply ]
This is awful.
Posted 18 years ago by Odyzzeuz    [ Reply ]
thatslongformud wrote:
We are all in one way or another going to Reseda
My sentiments exactly.
Posted 18 years ago by jone_ston    [ Reply ]
We are all in one way or another going to Reseda
Posted 18 years ago by thatslongformud    [ Reply ]
Yes! True musical poetry!
Posted 18 years ago by willb    [ Reply ]
ctdfalconer wrote:
It's my belief that these fellows are not "ghey," but it is an absolute certainty that you are a neanderthal.
Back off prairie dog. Remember, you're the one hitting me over the head with a hammer. LOL. As I said before, 'GUH-HEYNESS' personified.
Posted 18 years ago by palphd    [ Reply ]
love this song.
Posted 18 years ago by stratrjb    [ Reply ]
what a waste of recording studio time.... No meat, all potatoes. :(
Posted 18 years ago by BikeCoachDave    [ Reply ]
Outstanding!
Posted 18 years ago by zogma    [ Reply ]
litl_granger wrote:
I think this song gets better the closer it is played to 5 a.m.
Especially if I'm scheduled to wake up at 7:00!
Posted 18 years ago by strick    [ Reply ]
I think this song gets better the closer it is played to 5 a.m.
Posted 18 years ago by litl_granger    [ Reply ]
A strange tune, not for everyone, but hearing stuff like this is why I love RP.
Posted 19 years ago by x3n0b07    [ Reply ]
palphd wrote:
Eh. Soul Coughing, Cake, and Dan Akroyd... All painfully GHEY.
Ghey? Your player has a stop button, pal. Regardless of your musical tastes, one-word dismissals hardly qualify as considered critiques, which is really the only thing you could possibly have provided to make yourself appear at least semi-literate. It's my belief that these fellows are not "ghey," but it is an absolute certainty that you are a neanderthal.
Posted 19 years ago by ctdfalconer    [ Reply ]
anniebear wrote:
Yikes this is a shitty, misogynistic pile of stink.
How does that work? F-word=misogyny?
Posted 19 years ago by hcaudill    [ Reply ]
I used to be a screenwriter who lived and worked in Los Angeles and I both love and hate this song. It nails the meaninglessness, empty dreams and self-loathing of that time. Does that mean I should give it a 5? I guess so.
Posted 19 years ago by brickdog    [ Reply ]
I never cared for this song
Posted 19 years ago by jlind    [ Reply ]
Like a white version of the Lost Poets of Harlem or Ken Nordine. Good stuff. Merci a grace!
Posted 19 years ago by Govi    [ Reply ]