Artist: Kyuss
Album: Welcome To Sky Valley
Music/Lyrics: Josh Homme (Board Stiff Music, 1994)
Like all Kyuss songs, these lyrics were never officially printed anywhere, so this represents my best attempt at a direct transcription, combined with what I have read elsewhere (most notably at toolshed.down.net and www.stonerrock.com/kyuss/).
i've got the demons in me
i've got to brush them all away
i feel the demons' weight
i must clean them all away
yeah (yeah)
exciting seem only
cobwebs in the way
got magic cleaner
shining smile above gray
yeah (yeah)
i am the demon
cleaner who saves the day
i get the back wall
important they'll always stay
yeah (yeah)
if only one thing that you know
impostors run the show
they'll try to trick you into
normal treatment
oh don't you listen to them say
shush them all away
i am the demon cleaner
madman so
i am the freedom bleeding
standing naked here to say
i'm the only way
i'm the only way
i'm the only way
i'm the only way...
This particular Kyuss song is, in many ways, unlike anything else the band ever recorded – or, really, any other song I know in the pantheon of rock music. John Garcia trades his usual heavy-metal vocal delivery for a quieter style, better suited to the surreal lyrics. The pounding tribal-like drums (done in only one take, according to drummer Brant Bjork) push the whole song forward, against the Middle Eastern inflection in Josh Homme's guitar melody, which sounds almost reminiscent of Tool.
Tool, for their part, thought enough of this song to add a cover version to their live set on a few occasions, featuring ex-Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder (who apparently even tried out to replace Paul D'Amour). The Tool rendition includes a few lyrical deviations by Maynard, and a slightly different guitar tuning:
Here is my transcription of the main riff, as played by Josh Homme, and in his customary tuning (all strings down two whole steps):
-------- = about 108 bpm
c |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|---------12--10------12--10--12--14----1514--12------14----------|
Bb|---------------------------------------------------------12------|
F |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
C |-10--------------------------------------------------------------|
And here's Adam Jones' version, as near as I can make out - instead of his usual drop D tuning he seems to be using the Kyuss tuning with a drop B flat:
-------- = 120ish bpm
c |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
G |-----------------------------------------------------------------|
Eb|---------12--10------12--10--12--14----1514--12------14----------|
Bb|-0-------------------------------------------------------12------|
F |-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
Bb|-0---------------------------------------------------------------|
Hopefully any guitarists out there will forgive any slight errors.