Careful with That Axe, Eugene
Encyclopedia
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" is an instrumental song by the British
band Pink Floyd
. The studio recording was originally released as the B-side
of their single "Point Me at the Sky
" and is also featured on the Relics compilation album; live versions can also be found on Ummagumma
and in the film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
. Pink Floyd re-recorded the track for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni
's film Zabriskie Point
, retitling it "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" on the film's soundtrack album
.
in this period), and an accompanying bass guitar playing just one tone (in this case, D) in octaves, with a segue
into the song's only lyrics: the title of the song whispered menacingly, followed by a Roger Waters
scream, as in "Candy and a Currant Bun
". This scream would reappear on many subsequent songs such as "Run Like Hell
", the very beginning of "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2", and "Two Suns in the Sunset
". Then the song becomes much louder and more intense before gradually settling down again. In the heavier parts and later, quieter parts, David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals; in concert, Gilmour would often sing along with his guitar line.
For the re-recording made for Zabriskie Point
, "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up", whispering and a choir were added. David Gilmour and Roger Waters provided the vocals, and Waters' screaming is noticeably louder. It is a complete instrumental
; unlike the original "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" does not feature the spoken words "Careful with that axe, Eugene", and is in the key of E minor instead of the original D minor. In the film
, it plays at the end during an explosion sequence filmed in slow motion
. In the booklet of the soundtrack's reissue, David Fricke writes: "'Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up' is a cryptically titled remake of the Floyd's volcanic 1968 B-side 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene.' But its bonfire sound — all roaring guitars, crashing drums, and death-throe screaming — is the perfect complement to the movie's cataclysmic finish." "Come in Number 51; your time is up" is a line from the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night
". Ringo has been wandering around London alone, and yells this to some canoers in a canal.
) under the original title of "Keep Smiling People", and another version was recorded on 25 June 1968 at the BBC
Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel
's Top Gear
radio program 11 August 1968 with the title "Murderistic Woman".
During many 1969 shows, it was performed as "Beset by Creatures of the Deep" as part two of The Journey
. From autumn 1969 until August 1971 it was often played as a medley
in conjunction with "Green Is the Colour
".
During Pink Floyd's late 1972 European tour, the song was occasionally performed with a loud (and largely indecipherable) Pictish
rant preceding the uttering of the song's title and its trademark scream. Particularly well-known examples are the performances from the band's December 1972 concert in Zürich
and their concert on November 15, 1972 in Böblingen, Germany
.
Pink Floyd dropped "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" from their act after their short 1974 French tour, performing it for the last time as an encore
on 22 June 1974 in Colmar
. A one-off performance was done in Oakland, California
, on May 9, 1977, also as an encore. For this rendition, Richard Wright had to use a mini-Moog synthesizer
in place of the Farfisa
organ he used originally on the live version and the Hammond organ
on the studio version. Snowy White
, the band's touring guitarist at the time, was coaxed into performing the piece with the band despite having never heard the song before, let alone played it.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
. The studio recording was originally released as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of their single "Point Me at the Sky
Point Me at the Sky
"Point Me at the Sky" is the fifth United Kingdom single by the British band Pink Floyd, released on 17 December 1968. The song was an early collaboration by bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour. The single was not released in the United States However, it was released by Capitol...
" and is also featured on the Relics compilation album; live versions can also be found on Ummagumma
Ummagumma
Ummagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
and in the film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 film featuring Pink Floyd performing six songs in the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy. It was directed by Adrian Maben and recorded in the month of October using studio-quality 24-track recorders without a live audience.The performances of...
. Pink Floyd re-recorded the track for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
's film Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point (film)
Zabriskie Point is a 1970 film by Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, widely noted at the time for its setting in the late 1960s counterculture of the United States...
, retitling it "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" on the film's soundtrack album
Zabriskie Point (album)
Zabriskie Point is a soundtrack album to the Michelangelo Antonioni film of the same name. It was originally released in January 1970 and is composed of songs from various artists. A 1997 re-release includes four bonus tracks each from Jerry Garcia and Pink Floyd that were used in the film, but not...
.
Composition
The music consists of a light, organ-based jam (using the "Egyptian" style organ that is common of Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)
Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
in this period), and an accompanying bass guitar playing just one tone (in this case, D) in octaves, with a segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
into the song's only lyrics: the title of the song whispered menacingly, followed by a Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
scream, as in "Candy and a Currant Bun
Candy and a Currant Bun
"Candy and a Currant Bun" was the B-side to Pink Floyd's first single, Arnold Layne. When performed live in 1967, the song was known as "Let's Roll Another One" and contained the line "I'm high - Don't try to spoil my fun", but the record company forced Syd Barrett to rewrite it without the...
". This scream would reappear on many subsequent songs such as "Run Like Hell
Run Like Hell
"Run Like Hell" is a song from the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall.-Overview:The song is written from the point of view of anti-hero Pink during a hallucination in which he becomes a fascist dictator and turns a concert audience into an angry mob...
", the very beginning of "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2", and "Two Suns in the Sunset
Two Suns in the Sunset
"Two Suns in the Sunset" is the final song on Pink Floyd's 1983 concept album The Final Cut. Partway through the song, the lyric "the sun is in the east, even though the day is done" refers to the glowing fireball of a nuclear explosion....
". Then the song becomes much louder and more intense before gradually settling down again. In the heavier parts and later, quieter parts, David Gilmour can be heard with guitar and scat vocals; in concert, Gilmour would often sing along with his guitar line.
For the re-recording made for Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point (film)
Zabriskie Point is a 1970 film by Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, widely noted at the time for its setting in the late 1960s counterculture of the United States...
, "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up", whispering and a choir were added. David Gilmour and Roger Waters provided the vocals, and Waters' screaming is noticeably louder. It is a complete instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
; unlike the original "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", "Come in Number 51, Your Time Is Up" does not feature the spoken words "Careful with that axe, Eugene", and is in the key of E minor instead of the original D minor. In the film
Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point is a part of Amargosa Range located in east of Death Valley in Death Valley National Park in the United States noted for its erosional landscape...
, it plays at the end during an explosion sequence filmed in slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
. In the booklet of the soundtrack's reissue, David Fricke writes: "'Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up' is a cryptically titled remake of the Floyd's volcanic 1968 B-side 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene.' But its bonfire sound — all roaring guitars, crashing drums, and death-throe screaming — is the perfect complement to the movie's cataclysmic finish." "Come in Number 51; your time is up" is a line from the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
". Ringo has been wandering around London alone, and yells this to some canoers in a canal.
Live history
Pink Floyd performed the song at almost every show from 1968–1973, and once in 1977. An embryonic form was performed as early as 23 May 1968 (captured in a recording at The Paradiso in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
) under the original title of "Keep Smiling People", and another version was recorded on 25 June 1968 at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Piccadilly Studios and broadcast on John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
radio program 11 August 1968 with the title "Murderistic Woman".
During many 1969 shows, it was performed as "Beset by Creatures of the Deep" as part two of The Journey
The Man and the Journey
The Man and The Journey are the names of two album-length suites of music performed in concert by Pink Floyd during their 1969 tour. They consist of several of their early songs coupled with material that would appear on Soundtrack from the Film More and Ummagumma, as well as unreleased songs...
. From autumn 1969 until August 1971 it was often played as a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
in conjunction with "Green Is the Colour
Green Is the Colour
"Green Is the Colour" is a track on Pink Floyd's 1969 Soundtrack from the Film More. It is a gentle acoustic ballad sung by David Gilmour. A tin whistle is heard in the song, played by drummer Nick Mason's then-wife Lindy....
".
During Pink Floyd's late 1972 European tour, the song was occasionally performed with a loud (and largely indecipherable) Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
rant preceding the uttering of the song's title and its trademark scream. Particularly well-known examples are the performances from the band's December 1972 concert in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and their concert on November 15, 1972 in Böblingen, Germany
Böblingen
Böblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Physically Sindelfingen and Böblingen are continuous.-History:Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Württemberg acquired the town in 1357, and on 12 May 1525 one of the bloodiest battles...
.
Pink Floyd dropped "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" from their act after their short 1974 French tour, performing it for the last time as an encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
on 22 June 1974 in Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
. A one-off performance was done in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, on May 9, 1977, also as an encore. For this rendition, Richard Wright had to use a mini-Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
in place of the Farfisa
Farfisa
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
organ he used originally on the live version and the Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
on the studio version. Snowy White
Snowy White
Snowy White is an English guitarist, known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger Waters'...
, the band's touring guitarist at the time, was coaxed into performing the piece with the band despite having never heard the song before, let alone played it.
Cover versions and references
- The song is used in the 1973 BBC televisionBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
documentary series, The Ascent of ManThe Ascent of ManThe Ascent of Man is a thirteen-part documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first transmitted in 1973, written and presented by Jacob Bronowski...
(in part 1, titled Lower Than the Angels), during a hunting scene when an oryxOryxOryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
is brought down by a spear. - In The Damned's song "Nasty", Dave Vanian sings "Careful with that axe you meanie". Pink Floyd's Nick Mason had produced The Damned's second album, Music for Pleasure.
- The song title is the name of one of the levels in the 1984 computer game Revenge of the Mutant CamelsRevenge of the Mutant CamelsRevenge of the Mutant Camels is a surreal horizontally-scrolling shooter computer game, designed and programmed by Jeff Minter and released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and IBM PC...
developed and published by Llamasoft. - This song is referenced also by Half Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
on their Back in the DHSS album. In "Time Flies By (When You're the Driver of a Train)", Eugene is asked to be 'careful with that spliff'. - PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
also references "Careful with that Axe, Eugene" in their 1997 live release Slip Stitch and PassSlip Stitch and PassSlip Stitch and Pass is the second official live album by the American rock band Phish. It was released on October 28, 1997, by Elektra Records and has nine tracks from the band's March 1, 1997, show at the Markthalle in Hamburg, Germany, which was part of Phish's 1997 European Tour.Three of the...
during "Mike's Song". - The song title has been referenced in the lyrics of Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's song "OctavariumOctavarium (song)Octavarium is a song by progressive metal band Dream Theater, from the album of the same name.The song starts with Jordan Rudess using his Haken Continuum and his lap steel guitar, drawing references from Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", Tangerine Dream, Marty Friedman's Scenes, and...
", from the album of the same name. - Rumah SakitRumah SakitRumah Sakit was an instrumental rock band from San Francisco, California. The group was signed to Temporary Residence Limited. "Rumah sakit" means "hospital" in Indonesian .- Discography :* Rumah Sakit...
are unquestionably referencing the song with the title of their own "Careful With That Fax Machine". - The song is referenced in the game Divinity II: Ego Draconis, when the player character, a Dragon Slayer, comes across a man named Eugene, who carries an axe. The axe has the flavor text, "Careful with that axe, Dragon Slayer!"
Personnel
- Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
— bass, vocals - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
— guitar, vocals - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
— organ - Nick MasonNick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
— drums