CONNECTIONS - Captain Beefheart 'Peaches' & Irving Berlin 'If You Don't Want My Peaches (You Better Stop Shaking My Tree)'

 

Captain Beefheart and Irving Berlin? 

Here ya go!

By the so called Tragic Band . . . . . Captain Beefheart after effectively being sacked by his own band put together a pick up band with Andy Di Martino and wrote new songs especially with his wife Jan more traditionally structured 'love' songs. I am less critical than many snobs of Beefheartian land and produce. They all make me smile . . . still!

Now play this 'Peaches' Live from American Radio (sic?) . . . . . . . . . . 

From a full set (sic?) - Captain Beefheart - Live at Hautes Études Commerciales, Paris, France 1974-05-24

Peaches about 19.00 minutes in!

"Peaches"

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

I seem them peaches fallin' down by me

I know you see me standing under your tree

Long as you've got so many peaches

Why don't you throw one down to me?

If I was a cherry-red bird

I'd fly up and take you off with me

Throw me a peach out of your tree

Ain't no use in you being mean to me

Guess I'll stop hanging round your tree

If you don't send one down to me

You know I'm as hungry as a man can be

And I'm down here begging under your tree

All of those peaches up in your tree

Seem they're just out of reach to me

Long as you've got so many peaches

Why don't you throw one down to me?

If I was a cherry-red bird

I'd fly up and take you off with me

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

I seem them peaches fallin' down by me

I know you see me standing under your tree

Long as you've got so many peaches

Why don't you throw one down to me?

If I was a cherry-red bird

I'd fly up and take you off with me

Throw me a peach outta your tree

Ain't no use in you being mean to me

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

All of those peaches up in one tree

I know one of them belongs to me

(Don and Jan Van Vliet with Andy DiMartino)

If You Don't Want My Peaches (You'd Better Stop Shaking My Tree)
Irving Berlin

Mary Snow had a beau

Who was bashful and shy

She simply couldn't make the boy propose

No matter how she'd try

Mary grew tired of waiting

So she called her beau one side

While he stood there biting his fingernails

Mary cried:

If you don't want my peaches

You'd better stop shaking my tree

Let me say that you're mighty slow

You're as cold as an Eskimo

There's a thousand others waiting

Waiting to propose to me

So, if you don't want my peaches

You'd better stop shaking my tree

Mary's Pa and her Ma

Soon came into the room

They took a look at Mary's beau and cried

"You ought to be a groom

Of course, it's none of our bus'ness

But she'd make a lovely bride"

He just answered "I'll think it over" but

Mary cried:

If you don't want my peaches

You'd better stop shaking my tree

What on Earth were they singing about?