Robyn Hitchcock Song Catalogue

Ole! Tarantula Lyrics | Tab | Gigs | New Search

Author: Robyn Hitchcock

Released on 4 records:

Olé! Tarantula, 2006 (CD) Belmore Bel 016
Olé! Tarantula, 2006 (CD) Proper
Olé! Tarantula, 2006 (CD) Oak Tree DDCJ5007 (2 versions)
Olé! Tarantula, 2006 (CD) Yep Roc YEP 2129

Robyn Hitchcock Says: CK: ..The quote in the press kit says the title song, "Olé! Tarantula," is
"about where babies come from" ..

RH: Yeah..

CK: .. and I wasn’t quite sure how that related to the song, and I was
curious to know how it’s in there. Did I miss it?

RH: It’s all to do with how people feel about what brings them into
existence - how some people kind of recoil from it and some people are
delighted by it, and some people are just shocked that they exist at
all. I think I’m in the last group. A lot of my songs are about the
shock of existence, so I suppose this is another take on it, if you like.

CK: And, of course, insects..

RH: But a tarantula isn’t technically an insect - I don’t know what it is -

CK: An arachnid?

RH: A land crustacean or an arachnid or something. But it’s another one
of my biological songs - it seemed like the natural title track for the
record.

CK: It is a great song. It’s one of those songs that you hear and you
end up singing along to - it’s very catchy.

RH: Well, sometimes you should really just let yourself get caught. [laughs]

CK: Yes, I did. [laughs]

RH: And then you think about it afterwards. You’re meant to enjoy this
stuff first and ask questions later.

CK: That’s how I always listen to your albums - the first time I sort of
hear them and I enjoy them, and later on there’s always things you can
delve into and think more about when you hear them and when you
understand exactly how the words come together that you put on the
album. That’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed about you for years.

RH: Thank you. Whatever it takes to keep people listening. It was a lot
of fun recording that one, as well.

CK: It sounded like it could have been a raucous good time in the studio.

RH: It was a terrific time, yeah. It was good.

[September, 2006]

thanks to Chris Kocher, Gannett News Service for the interview excerpt

Lyrics:

Out in the trees old tarantula
has got me humming
Out in the desert the cacti are home
Tarantulas cluster in their underground dome
Olé tarantula

Furry black legs
And a spicy goatee
If you see Gino
won't you kiss him for me?
Olé tarantula

Through the dark windows
she squeezes her eggs
out they come tumbling
on their spindly legs
Olé tarantula

I feel like a three-legged chinchilla
Standing on a table so wide
I can't see over the side
Tarantula

Look at his fingers
Caressing your keys
If he don't please you
Well you just can't be pleased
Olé tarantula

Pumping it out through a spiky black fist
If she don't kiss you
Well you'll never be kissed (smooch!)
I knew a woman in San Francisco
Or maybe it was down in San Jose
I don't recall, either way
Neither does she
Yeah forget about me
Oh Tarantula

All life is sinful
The Catholics say
Use it up quick
And then you throw it away
Olé tarantula
Olé tarantula

No guitar tab entered.

Known to have been played live at 54 gigs:

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