Title: Becky Never Left San Francisco
Artist: Foibles
Album: Solid Rock Baptist Church Rummage Sale
Written by: Phil Dumesnil
The second from last song on "Solid Rock Baptist Church Rummage Sale", by Foibles. This is recorded on an acoustic guitar in a bar or small club; there's chinking of glasses and vague audience noises in the background. Phil is singing and playing guitar, but there are drums and bass later in the song, and a very vague, drunk-sounding backing vocalist. As is traditional, the drummer mistakengly comes in early, but catches himself just in time.
Lyrics alone don't do the song justice. It was this song (along with World's Biggest Most Dangerous Lily Pad) which convinced me to hunt around the world for the Foibles album: its raw and innocent feeling is unique, especially among modern over-produced pap. If you only ever listen to one Foibles song, make it this one.
The song starts with Phil saying "Becky Never Actually Left San Francisco" and some whooping and applause from the audience.
Becky Never Left San Francisco
Bye bye, Becky, bye bye
Portland's calling you
Lots of hippy freaks up there
Lots of skinheads too
So bye bye Becky, bye bye
Portland's calling you
Lots of hippy freaks up there
Lots of skinheads too
And
some
day you're gonna move from there to somewhere else
and everyone down here is gonna move up there and
say "hey where did Becky go?"
and you'll say "over here" but no-one there will know
exactly who you're talking to
they'll lock you up
because they'll think you've gone insane
Bye bye, Becky, bye bye
Portland's calling you
Lots of hippy freaks up there
Lots of skinheads too
Bye bye Becky, bye bye
Bye bye Becky, bye bye
Bye bye Becky, bye
Bye bye Becky, bye
Bye bye Becky, bye bye