red house painters, “wop a din din,”
from: old ramon, 2001
The San Francisco based singer-songwriter Mark Kozalek’s earlier band, the Red House Painters. He now travels under the moniker named for the South Korean boxer, Sun Kil Moon. The song is about his cat. A calm, elegant tribute to the animal that offers him hope, beauty and reassurance. Perhaps this piece refreshes your awareness of the cat or dog or bird or fish or other being who flourishes among your life.
“She’s got big green eyes
And a long Egyptian face
She moves across the floor
At her own pace
When I’m here in bed
She’ll jump up on my chest
And when we lock eyes there’s so much love
I wanna cry
She comes in near
When I scratch under her ear
And she lifts her head
When I kiss around her neck
Won’t go to sleep
When she falls along my side
And two green eyes fade
To a porcelain marble white
And somehow when I sleep
She’ll end up at my feet
And if I roll and kick her out
I might knock her to the ground
But she’ll come back anyhow
Ella es muy vital
Mas triste que salir el sol
Pura como el agua
The morning comes
She squints up to shield out the sun
And she’ll go and lay
In the warmest dusty rays
And I hold her face
She lays perfectly in place
And she’ll yawn and stretch
And stare me down expressionless
And lay back down into her nest
And if someone calls
She’ll race me out the hall
When she hears the phone
Then she knows I’m leaving home
She don’t wanna be alone
And I know it’s wrong
That I’m going away so long
And for her it’s rough
I can’t be with her enough
But I’ll never give her enough
Ella es muy vital
Mas triste que salir el sol
Pura como el agua
And somehow when I sleep
She’ll end up at my feet
And if I roll and kick her out
I might knock her to the ground
But she’ll come back anyhow
”
