The Fall - "Various Times" lyrics

marky · Post by **marky** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:29 am

These are the lyrics for the best early Fall song ever, entitled "Various Times". This was from roughly 1979. It was only when Brix joined the band circa '84 that they even got anywhere near this good again:

"Various Times"

Alright we're going to go back
to 1940
No money
And I live in Berlin
I think I'll join up
Become a camp guard
No war for me
An old Jew's face dripping red

I hate the prisoners
I hate the officers
They've no fight
I think I'll join,
The red rose,
Leave Belsen
I'll go to Switzerland
A human resistor
Don't think, ask him

Present :
I don't like them
said Ian
in his black-out threat
I think I'll drop out
Become a no-man
And live my rules
But I'm the sort that gets
out of the bath with a dirty face

Everyone I meet's the same now
No brains or thought
A good case for the systems we like - we get
Human race
Various times
Don't think, ask him

Future:
1980
Black windows
And smokey holes
My head is full of lead
And the beer is so weak
Since they got rid of time around here

Dr. Doom fresh from Salem
And the witch trials
The Lathe of Heaven
Time mistaken
Three places at once
Human race
Don't think, ask him
Ask him
Ask him

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:48 am

I feel guilty for not admitting the whole story. The secret around town is the first time I ever got "Various Times" was not on the Early Years 77-99 LP (which seems to be called Early Fall on CD) but I got it on an American version of their first album entitled "Live At The Witch Trials". Yes that's right, if you're just flipping through vinyl casually and you happen to come across an LP by The Fall entitled "Live At The Witch Trials" that has a RED sleeve - not white now - but RED, then you can be sure you are getting "Various Times" as a bonus. You would then have the American version of the LP. But if you get the white one with blue lettering, then...well...let's put it this way, I've never bought that album on CD in my life. And the one with white and blue lettering does NOT have "Various Times". I also believe it may be possible to get the song on 7" single, strangely enough. Shit I better investigate that right now.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:57 am

I dunno. I just think Various Times is the song that turned me into a Fallhead. I'd heard them before and liked them, but that song was what made me a fanatic from the years when I was about 16-20.

And I fear folks might miss the brilliance of the lyric - he's essentially saying "look at the incredible mundane stupidity of Nazi Germany - look at this portrait of some anonymous young guy, teenager probably, who has no money at all and he's in Berlin in 1940 and decides he's going to "join up, be a camp guard, no war for me". Just some stupid, bored, restless youth, totally misinformed. Has no idea what he's committing to. The image is almost too real not to believe.

But I'd be a liar if I said it wasn't the music itself that makes the song so great. It just hit me so hard as a teenager. I heard it on my walkman while sitting in a dark car in an alley waiting for my brother to get off work. It was right next to the railroad, too. Yeah, that song "Various Times" single-handedly made me fall in love with The Fall.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:06 am

And the music kindof sounds like...the soundtrack to an old 60's episode of the TV show Batman. At least the guitar does.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 9:08 am

"Don't Think/Ask him"

No one was thinking in Nazi Germany "don't think/ask him" as in "ask the other guy - what do I know?"

This song is just...oh god shut me up please and get me onto my Peel shows I just downloaded from 1979 and 1980. Please shut me up.

Peel admitted his favourite band was The Fall, so I was right about that.

McC just look for the red LP of The Fall.

Post by **mccutcheon** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:55 pm

I have Live at the Witch Trials, which is not a live album.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:54 am

That is correct! It is not a live album! I wish I'd thought to mention that, actually. BUT DO YOU HAVE THE RED LP OR THE WHITE ONE??? The difference is crucial.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:30 am

I've done my research now and realized, yes, it is possible to get this song on 7" single. If you buy the 7" of "It's The New Thing" you can get "Various Times" on the b-side. It was released in November 1978.

This is kindof weird because I used to have that single. But I don't remember playing the b-side at all cause I had the song on my American version of Live At The Witch Trials with the red sleeve etc etc...

Post by **mccutcheon** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 1:05 pm

I have the white and blue one. What does that mean again? It was a re-release.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:46 pm

That just means you don't have the song "Various Times", dear. Which is a tragedy but I guess you'll live.