Three Sheets to Kishkiyya · Track 51 · middle
The Technicolor Yawn
VOLUME III — being SICK, the small-hours reckoning at the porcelain. The idiom and the song's title hook: "The Technicolor Yawn". Its true history: Australia, 1964 (Barry McKenzie films) — multicolored vomit like old Technicolor movies plus the wide yawning mouth; the showstopper. Render this beat of the night as the band's affectionate, funny, celebratory tribute — the idiom itself is the chorus hook.
Lyrics
[Intro] Places, everyone! The star is in the wings! [Verse 1] The bathroom tile is gleaming like a grand marquee tonight The fluorescent bulb above me is the finest spot of light I clutch the marble sink and take a breathless little bow The overture is rumbling in my very center now It is not a tragic downfall, darling, it’s a scene A grand cinematic marvel hitting the porcelain screen [Chorus] Here comes the Technicolor Yawn! Throw the curtains wide and let the picture roll on Straight from Australia in 1964 When Barry McKenzie left his brilliance on the floor My jaw unhinges for the MGM roar A dazzling projection of the drinks that came before Oh, the Technicolor Yawn! [Verse 2] We leave the black and white of merely feeling rather numb For ruby red and ocean blue, a multi-pigment flood The sour apple mixers and the sunset of the rum Are making a triumphant, vivid exit from my blood It is a wide-mouth masterpiece, a saturated hue A mid-century premiere, entirely starring you [Chorus] Here comes the Technicolor Yawn! Throw the curtains wide and let the picture roll on Straight from Australia in 1964 When Barry McKenzie left his brilliance on the floor My jaw unhinges for the MGM roar A dazzling projection of the drinks that came before Oh, the Technicolor Yawn! [Bridge] Every splash a frame of film, a vibrant Kodachrome The most spectacular revival in a residential zone A dramatic arc, a sudden lurch, a bow to the abyss No silent movie era ever gave us a messy kiss like this! [Outro] The final act is over and I wipe my trembling chin The silver handle flushes and the ending credits spin A magnificent performance, though the encores always lag I think I need a glass of water, and perhaps a cab.