That’s what I thought the lyric was for the last 30+ years. I kind of prefer it to the actual “past”? For one, the “mugshots” line coming up next makes pretty much the same claim. And two, having a man right there in the club who you hand your stained pants to seems like a huge gangster flex.
Thoughts?
It doesn’t make the same claim. The mugshots refer to the dark spot. Dark spot on your past = crime(s) committed hence the existence of your mugshots, which Pepe is adept at destroying. No mugshots = no proof of your crimes when you change your name. Which is why the song is about a place that offers identity changes (and other things) for criminals.
For years, I assumed our friend knew a guy at a dry cleaners for those pants. No service too mundane when you sign in.
Exactly! Haha.
I think we’re saying the same thing. The dark spot and the mugshots are the same idea. Whereas pants are an entirely different idea. I like the breadth of that.
Yeah they’re the same idea because they’re in the same verse. That’s how story-based song writing works. Pants don’t fit with the rest of the verse or song.
I mean, you’ve got the correct lyrics on your side, so I can’t win the argument. But I think a funny gesture of gangster vanity fits the song pretty well.
Edit: gotta respect your insistence that one more odd detail wouldn’t “fit” in a song about interstellar zombie racketeers with a super important guest register.
Its " past". So say SD.
Indeed. I wasn’t arguing the point.
Not arguing. It is funny to hear how people's ears/minds twist the words around, looking for SD weirdness in every direction.
I heard the albums at 1st release on vinyl- back in the 1930's. Listening and reading off the lyrics sheet, so you couldn't miss the words. Still, plenty of weirdness in those words on the sheet. Thinking : " "hmm- Mizar 5 must be a ...planet of lounge lizards?:
Zombie isn’t used literally…
It's got nothing to do with piss.
A lotttta people give
HOLD THAT DOOR!
Not what I was imagining! But glad to know you.
It’s called a mondegreen. Pretty common psychological phenomenon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen
Have you heard about the pool man, he’s a 5. Not have you heard about the boom on mizar 5. Is what I sang for years.
Hilarious. When you finally read the lyrics, you can forgive yourself. It’s not like “boom on mizar 5” is a string of words that anyone had heard before.
That’s gotta be the funniest misheard lyric I’ve seen yet. The pool man he’s a 5? I’m just imagining you singing along to that and going “those whacky Steely Dan guys! Who knows what they’re singing about!”
All the intergalactic crime made him incontinent
Definitely one of the funniest often misheard SD lyrics! I used to think the same.
He runs the spot over his scar from ear to ear.