FLOWER
   
Originally Released on:

FLOWER/HALLOWEEN 12"

also appears on:

  • Bad Moon Rising CD
  • Flower/Satan is Boring 12"
  • Flower/Rewolf 7"
  • Screaming Fields of Sonic Love
  • Gila Monster Jamboree video (live '85)
  • The Walls Have Ears (live '85)
  • Candle 12" (live '85)

Line-up:
Thurston - guitar
Kim - bass/vocals
Lee - guitar
Bob Bert - drums

Lyrics   status: confirmed

Support the power of women
Use the power of man
Support the flower of women
Use the word: Fuck
The word is love

[REPEAT]

There's a new girl in your life
Long red wavy hair
Green, green lips and purple eyes
Skinny hips and big red breasts
Hanging on your wall
One edge slipped(slit), the other's ripped(wrists)
Support the power of women
Use the power of man
Support the flower of woman
Use the word: Fuck
The word is love
Support the power of women
Use the flower of man
Use the flower of woman
Use the word: Fuck
The word is love
Use the word
Support the power of women
Use the power of man
Support the flower of woman
Use the word: Fuck
The word is love

Use the word: Fuck

Track length: 3:33

First Known Performance: 01/05/85
Last Known Performance:  07/16/93

NOTES:

  • Working title (on Gila Monster set list): "Indian Beat"
  • Kim took the lyrics from a poem Thurston had written based on a calendar he found in a New York grocery (which featured the naked woman depicted on the sleeve).
  • Speaking of the sleeve, there was some uproar at Rough Trade over having the xeroxed image on the cover to begin with. There's an 'interesting' speech by Claude Bessy at the beginning of the Walls Have Ears that deals with this controversy.
  • A 7-inch was released featuring "Flower (anti fuckword radio edit)" and "Rewolf (special natas mix)". The "anti fuckword radio edit" features a loud, obnoxious "bleep" over every instance of the word "fuck". Rewolf is literally the whole song backwards.
  • Some early ('85) versions have additional vocals by Lee.
  • The song was on the 'reserve' set list for the February '99 tour, but was never played.

ALTERNATE VERSIONS:

  • "Anti Fuckword Radio Edit" - 3:33

    Described above.

  • "Rewolf"

  • On "Gila Monster Jamboree" - LIVE - ?

    Recorded live on 1/5/85 in the Mojave Desert. This was the first live performance of the song.

  • Live version on "Walls Have Ears" as "The Word (E.V.O.L.)"

  • On "Candle" 12" - LIVE - 2:26

    Recorded live on 12/21/85 in Los Angeles, California @ Solstice.