A long self-indulgent song about Googling a long lost friend and finding an unpleasant surprise. Written and performed in a Zappa-like style.
Story behind the song
Only the bravest of listeners will make it through this very long, extremely self-indulgent musical "piece". It all started when I Googled an old high school friend of mine (who was always a bit of a social misfit), only to find several different mugshots of her from the past several years, with charges ranging from everything to DUI to shoplifting to other violent crimes. I always thought she had a touch of evil about her, and after looking at those mugshots, I'm even more convinced she's no angel. It took finding those mugshots and criminal activity information to realize my pleasant memories of her were grossly MISPLACED.
The song goes on into an extended progressive-rock type jam that finally fades out at the 15 minute mark.
Lyrics
Misplaced In A Quarter Hour
by Lee Shapiro
The river’s flowing backwards
Beneath the bridge you crossed before
But you’re still thinking ‘bout the girl
With the painted purple door
She said it’s not my color
But It matches your flashback
To the one you thought would never
Find her way back
CHORUS:
When your keys and memories get misplaced
You search your mind, but only remember a face
You search your mind, but only remember a face
I took her to see Zappa
It was Halloween in New York
I thought it strange, she crashed the stage
And never bothered to get caught
As I watched all the antics
From my seat all alone
I smoked some weed she for left me
From a wooden 12” bowl
I got the hairy eyeball
From the cat who took her spot
I didn’t know if I should share
Cause his face looked like a cop
CHORUS:
When your keys and memories get misplaced
You search your mind, but only remember a face
BRIDGE:
The girl that got misplaced
All you got is just a face
No facts that you can trace
The fantasy you create
The facts got…they got misplaced.
So many years later
I Googled up her name
Only to find several mugshots
From the county courthouse page
It wigged me out, dare I say,
You looked more evil than before
I closed the page on that chapter of my life
I firmly slammed the door!
CHORUS:
When your keys and memories get misplaced
You search your mind, but only remember a face
The facts you thought you knew, vanish without a trace
They got misplaced, yeah they got misplaced,
They got MISPLACED!
[Repeat CHORUS one more time]
[Followed by an extended 10 minute jam, for a total running time of a misplaced quarter hour!]