[TV man's tarantula
TV man]


Copycats this and that
What about copy cat familiars (2)
And miserable witches

Changes all rain 

Rainmaster, Rainmaster

(Florida) Wildlife is under constant threat


[TV man]

Rainmaster Rainmaster

Curserer of blights once too often
In the ridiculous muggy envelope stained
Goin', you sorry fuck

[TV man]

All hail

Rainmaster in Belgique
Rainmaster in Basingstoke's portaphone traffic

Maurique assistant crap in hermitage (3)
Rainmaster in New York
Rainmaster over cool green layered forest
With hammers banging
Fellas tapping slow in hot morning (4)
Silenced! Rainmaster! 

In his benediction (5)

Smug in the task and knowledge

Cut to the quick

Rainmaster whoop!
Citadel Florida 3-4-9 dot dot dot dot dot dot dot.
That's how far we go.


 1. This is one of those Fall songs that reminds me of a puzzle with missing pieces. Sometimes MES is just stringing impressions togther, sometimes there's a story or a theme, and this one could go either way. As always, my faithful readers are invited to weigh in.^

2. A familiar is a witch's aide and companion, a supernatural being that is usually said to take the form of an animal of some sort (cats are probably the most common in popular portrayals). One of the most famlous familiars in literature--Brown Jenkin, a large ratlike creature with human hands and face, appears in "Dreams in the Witch House" by HP Lovecraft, one of MES' favorite authors.


3. Belgique is the French word for Belgium, and Basingstoke is in southern England. Porta Phone is a brand name of a maker of wireless headsets for football coaches, but this could just mean mobile phones in general; anyway, I'm not sure how long the company has been around. I don't know what Maurique is


4. Or maybe "fellahs," which is the arabic name for a farmer or an agricultural laborer in parts of the Middle East and the Maghreb. 


5. He actually says "brenediction," as far as I can tell, but it seems meet to have the intelligible word above and explain the pronunciation here rather than vice versa. 


Comments (17)

  • 1. dannyno | 04/09/2014
"Rainmaster" is also a term used in motor racing for a driver who is notable for their skill in driving in wet or rainy conditions.
  • 2. Martin | 04/04/2016
The only Fall connection I can find with the town of Basinstoke is that they played a gig there: Tuesday, May 31, 1994 The Anvil, Basingstoke.
  • 3. Martin | 11/04/2016
Well no, I was wrong. Apart from (once) misspelling the name of the place in comment 2, I now realise that Basingstoke also features in Levitate: "The snazzy japes of a Basingstoke shot".
  • 4. Antoine | 10/03/2017
What with the TV references, the Rainmaster might be a weatherman. "Smug in task and knowledge" indeed.
  • 5. bzfgt (link) | 23/03/2017
Good point, that may be the case. It makes sense.
  • 6. dannyno | 21/04/2017

One thing that "maurique" seems to mean, is "Africans", in Latin. According to translate.google.com.
  • 7. bzfgt (link) | 13/05/2017
Plural? I can't find a definition for the exact word online although it could be related to "Maurus" (dark, swarthy) hence "Moor". But we need to find something more exact.
  • 8. wal | 03/12/2018
A 'Fella' is an English term for a man. A 'Feller' is also a tree chopper/lumberjack. I would go with fella as it is used a lot in the north west of England.
  • 9. bzfgt (link) | 22/12/2018
Yeah I don't know where the confidence that it is "fellah" came from. I think when I started this I took everything from the Lyrics Parade as gospel but much of that doesn't have sources. I will check if this is in one of the books but it seems like "fella" in the lyrics and "fellah" in the notes is more the way to go.
  • 10. bzfgt (link) | 22/12/2018
No the Lyrics Parade has "fellas," unless it got changed....I think it's the location in the verse maybe that made me think that, but now I'm leaning toward your point of view.
  • 11. dannyno | 24/12/2018
"Citadel Florida 3-4-9 "

The Citadel is a military college in South Carolina, so perhaps this has something to do with a Citadel v Florida or Florida State University scoreline in some sport or another. Doesn't seem the two met in American football in 1994, if we take the year as significant, but how about basketball or something?
  • 12. bzfgt (link) | 19/01/2019
Oh yeah that's totally possible. But what is "3-4-9"?
  • 13. dannyno | 19/01/2019
I was hoping you could tell us for a change.
  • 14. Bazhdaddy | 28/03/2019
For consideration
01:00 "changes all life"
01:35 "curserer applies"
01:47 "Cohen, you sorry fuck"
01:57 "on hair"
02:55 "in his prelediction" - a piss-pronounce of predilection
  • 15. John | 16/04/2019
In live versions he also says rainmaker.
My theory is he is singing about some sort of irrigation system or a type of shower in the hotel room.
  • 16. bzfgt (link) | 09/06/2019
Does sound like Cohen, don't know why though

Still sounds like "brenediction" to me
  • 17. bzfgt (link) | 21/06/2019
15: Yeah he does say "rainmaker" here too. That's an interesting pair of options!

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