Crabwalk

"Crabwalk"
Everclear cover
Song by American Music Club from the album Everclear
Released	1991
Format	LP / CD / CS
Length	3:33
Label	Alias Records
Writer(s)	Mark Eitzel
Producer(s)	Bruce Kaphan & American Music Club
Everclear track listing
"Why Won't You Stay" "Rise" "Miracle On 8th Street" "Ex-Girlfriend" "Crabwalk" "The Confidential Agent" "Sick Of Food" "The Dead Part Of You" "Royal Cafe" "What The Pillar Of Salt Held Up" "Jesus' Hands"

"Crabwalk" is the 5th song on American Music Club's 1991 album, Everclear. It was first recorded in 1989 during the aborted Everclear sessions with Tom Mallon.

In 1996 Mark Eitzel's sister Rene told the Firefly mailing list, "A long time ago I met up with Mark and AMC in a tiny club in Newport, Kentucky. Including me and my husband, there was probably six people in the whole place (seven if you count the bartender). One of the 'listeners' was a very drunk older gentleman who had a fascination with Vudi. During most of the gig, this man crossed the club staggering sideways (doing the 'crabwalk') between Vudi and the jukebox. When he wasn't trying to play Vudi's guitar or talk to him about his own hugely expensive country guitar, he was trying to drown out the music played by AMC by pouring quarters in the jukebox. He never realized that the jukebox was unplugged. Perhaps this caused him to drink more? Another guy at the club stood directly in front of Mark the entire time trying to get the band to play some heavy metal tunes. This tune 'Crabwalk' has its origins in this club in Newport. This evening was not one of AMC's finest but we had a great time talking about it for the next few days with the band."

Lyrics

He reels around the nightclub
like the hubcaps off of a car
That just crashed into a sign that said,
"This way to the nightclub."

He says you ain't worth a dime
to his life support systems
They still keep him talking
on the chance that he'll say something

Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."

He's just trying to breathe some new life into the jukebox
But it doesn't take his crap, it just keeps on staring back
And the quarters that he pours down its throat
Well they're just starting to get his goat
The song plays,
"I gave you everything and I never got anything back."

Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
I'm having trouble keeping down the light that I've stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."

He went fishing in the ocean
and all he got was a couple of tires
And they came up dripping with emotion
And you know how fisherman are liars
The five hundred thousand dollar country guitar
sits at home, sad and lonely
No one has any pity for the life of the party

Don't you feel the decks rolling
I think that we're on a stormy sea
He's having trouble keeping down the light that he's stolen
He said, "Come on and do the crabwalk with me."

Video

Mark Eitzel performing "Crabwalk" on November 26, 2012 in Cleveland, OH, USA.

Personnel

• Mark Eitzel – vocals, guitar
• Vudi – guitar
• Danny Pearson – bass
• Mike Simms – drums
• Bruce Kaphan – pedal steel guitar

Also appears on

• Rise Acoustic version
• Why Won't You Stay Acoustic & original versions
• Songs Of Love Live Live version
• The Everclear Rehearsals Late 1990 Rehearsal