This week, I write to bring you the song “Tippin’” by Dale Hollow and the Long Con.
I’ve always been a fan of southern gothic and the weirder side of country music, and this song brings the two together well. When I first discovered this song, I didn’t consider it a work of sf, but this course has made me reassess that. I’m still not sure how I would classify this song, but regardless, the lyrics present a non-traditional view of aliens and/or God. Set in the frame of a drunken dream, the song also leads me to consider the role of altered states of consciousness (both natural and substance-induced) in thinking about our past and our future.
Maybe this is all a big stretch, but even in that case, it’s a fun song and definitely worth the listen.
(Links: https://open.spotify.com/track/7bnHGhyE1aiw83mSrPax3a, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=692WeCngx1I)
LYRICS
I roved out in the field of the Lord
In my two s.k.’s and a Jim Beam getting loaded
For the task at hand, beast versus man
I’m going to tip a heifer over while the rest of the herd is out lowing
Out in the pasture, out in the land
I don’t know where the bull is but I think that I like my chances
As I made my approach the sky broke open and a voice said
“Dale what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Well the voice was God and he said “Dale Hollow
You really gonna waste your whole life going out in the field going cow tipping?”
I said “You’re damn right, it’s a real good time
And if you don’t mind me I’m going to go and tip this cow…
Right now!”
And the lights came down from the sky
And I felt my body lifted up from the ground
And I went into the light
And I left the Earth behind me…
“Oh Lord, I’m so sorry… For everything that I’ve done
These aliens! They want to hurt me! But they’re not ready, for The Long Con!”
I woke up at three in the morning
Covered in sweat and a Jim Beam on the floor
Didn’t understand where I’d been
I was just in outer space but now I’m at home all alone
Well it’s hard to believe, but it’s safe to see
That everything that happened was only a dream
“Thank you Lord for saving me! It’s blessing that this was all just a dream.”
It was all a dream!
I don’t normally like country music, but I loved this song. I liked the fast pace and the lyrics were, of course, iconic. It felt almost punk-rock to me. I think aliens need to become a recurring theme in country songs, along with the classic beer and tractors 🙂
Calvin, this stuff is nuts! Wow. I’m definitely not a country music fan, but southern gothic veers into some interesting genres that I do like, like blues, and this song does evoke another genre I love that Izzy mentioned– punk. And the dark themes of this subgenre are fascinating. Colin– have you seen Mike Judge’s _Tales from the Tourbus_’s season 1 on outlaw country (e.g., Johnny Paycheck, Blaze Foley)?
“Tippin” definitely crashes into SF and then runs right out, back into “reality” and religion. A lot to work with here.
I too am not generally a fan of country music, but this song was awesome. I especially loved the spoken word type stuff and the way he used his voice, kind of reminded me of Ween, which is one of my favorite groups. Love the weird.