The Shaggs are a bad band. Often considered to be one of the worst ever. Normally that wouldn't be much of a recommendation, but for the Shaggs it's what makes them what they are. You see, they're terrible in the way that The Brain that Wouldn't Die is... charmingly bad. Rather than being repulsed and wishing it would go away, you instead smile, laugh, and keep listening. For a bit. Despite it being only 30 minutes long, I can't make it through their one and only album, 1968's Philosophy of the World in one sitting. The instruments are all out of tune, the playing is jarring off-time, and their musical skills are rudimentary at best. Despite this, the band gained a small but loyal fan base, and were surprisingly influential, specifically in the development of twee-pop. Beat Happening and Deerhoof both embrace the band, as well as Kurt Cobain who put Philosophy of the World in his top 5 albums of all time and Frank Zappa who claimed it as his third favorite.
The story behind the band was in the mid 60's, Austin Wiggin Jr, the poor father of the three girls (in an attempt to fulfill a dream of his) took his daughters out of school, bought them instruments, and gave them music lessons in order for them to be "a famous band." He arranged for them to play shows every Saturday night at a local club, as well as to record an album, driving down from their rural New Hampshire home to an obscure studio in Massachusetts to record Philosophy of the World in one day. Some may view the father's drive as unrealistic, or even insane (saying that they needed to cut an album "while they were still hot"), or maybe it was all out of love, him truly wishing that his daughters would become something. However, it's hard to deny that he was overbearing, forbidding his girls to date and to mingle with most other kids in town, and restricting their activities to a rigid daily schedule, always including hours of exercise and practice.
There's an in depth article about the band at this site, going into more details about the personal lives of the band, such as times when the band was pelted with trash at early gigs, and rumors of sexual abuse. Unfortunate and unsettling stuff..
The song I'm posting is the title-track from the album, one that Austin was never satisfied with during the girl's practice time. However in an ironic turn, the one time they played the song in a way he approved of was the same day he died in 1975, suffering from a massive heart attack at age 47 (It's even more ironic considering the song's last line.) The band then was no more, but however re-formed in 2000 for a reunion show in NYC. Dot Wiggin, the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter currently runs the website for the band.
The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World
"Oh, the rich people want what the poor people's got
And the poor people want what the rich people's got
And the skinny people want what the fat people's got
And the fat people want what the skinny people's got
You can never please anybody in this world
The short people want what the tall people's got
And the tall people want what the short people's got
The little kids want what the big kid's got
And the big kids want what the little kid's got
You can never please anybody in this world
Oh, the girls with short hair want long hair
And the girls with long hair want short hair
Oh, the boys with cars want motorcycles
And the boys with motorcycles want cars
You can never please anybody in this world
It doesn't matter what you do
It doesn't matter what you say
There will always be
One who wants things the opposite way
It doesn't matter where you go
It doesn't matter who you see
There will always be
Someone who disagrees
We do our best
We try to please
But we're like the rest
Whenever at ease
Oh, the rich people want what the poor people's got
And the poor people want what the rich people's got
And the skinny people want what the fat people's got
And the fat people want what the skinny people's got
You can never please anybody in this world"
Here's a bonus song hosted by another Shaggs website, written about the girl's lost cat, Foot Foot
The Shaggs - My Pal Foot Foot
"My pal's name is Foot Foot
He always likes to roam
My pal's name is Foot Foot
I never find him home
I go to his house
Knock at his door
People come out and say
Foot Foot don't live here no more
My pal Foot Foot
Always likes to roam
My pal Foot Foot
Now he has no home
Where will Foot Foot go
What will Foot Foot do
Oh, Foot Foot
I wish I could find you
I've looked here, I've looked there
I've looked everywhere
Oh, Foot Foot
Why can't I find you?
Foot Foot, where can you be?
Foot Foot, why won't you answer me?
Foot Foot, Oh Foot Foot
Wherever you are
I want you to come home with me
I don't have time to roam
I have things to do
I have to go home
Oh, Foot Foot, where are you?
If Foot Foot didn't like to roam so well
He would still have a place to dwell
Foot Foot, please answer me
I know where you are
You're behind that tree
Foot Foot, please come to me
Foot Foot, now that you're here
Won't you come home
Foot Foot, promise me this
That you will never again roam"
A video for the song:
The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World @Amazon.com
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