A song by Clutch
Track 1 on TRANSNATIONAL SPEEDWAY LEAGUE: ANTHEMS, ANECDOTES, AND UNDENIABLE TRUTHS

If you thought it was boring in Jordan
Then come out here for a day
And by the way, the name is Marcus
But if you like, you can call me Sensei
Well the emperor is in the pig sty
And the geisha is in the shack
And you better believe I'll hold them there
Till the feds, they pay me back

Kamikaze backbone
Nine iron spitfire
Continental samurai
Oh my lord
Brown sugar, sweet potato
Sourmash, baby back
Redneck romance
Bless my soul

Hari Kari and combines,
Come dancin' with me
Hari Kari and combines,
Won't you come dancin' with me?

Yes, I'm a New World Samurai, and a redneck nonetheless
Yes, I'm a New World Samurai, and a redneck nonetheless
Yes, I'm a New World Samurai, and I can read your mind
Check it out, I'm like a buzzbomb
Yes, I'm a New World Samurai,
Check it out, I'm like a buzzbomb

So Beebopalloobopawopshamboo
And domo arigato if I got to
Bebopaloobopawopshamboo
And domo arigato if I got to
Bebopaloobopawopshamboo
And domo arigato if I got to
Bebopaloobopawopshamboo
And domo arigato if I got to

I had seen them play at the Waccaho Grange Hall once with my friend's band, Lawn Dart. They rocked. It was something that me and Matt, my best friend conversed about at great lengths. Because of the loud live sound, Neil Fallon's deep graveled voice, and the horrible P.A. made it nearly impossible to make out any lyrics.

"Did he say something about this song being about a Shogun?" Matt had asked me. We mouthed the words we believed we were hearing, and pantomimed the actions of the band.

"Who knows?" I replied, "but it sounded cool as hell!"

The next year this album was released, and a video, the band's ONLY appearance on MTV. It was rather odd, but at the time 'new age' metal bands were springing up. Helmet's 'Unsung' was all over the Headbanger's Ball, and the video for 'A Shogun Named Marcus' seemed to fit completely. There were very few images of the band, I remember only scenes of the band standing in a field. They stood all in a row, like stalks of corn. A combine rolled over them in a very Ray Harryhausen sort of way.

As with most Clutch songs, the meaning is not nearly as important as the imagery that the lyrics project. Can you imagine the farm yard scene in the first verse?

TRANSNATIONAL SPEEDWAY LEAGUE: ANTHEMS, ANECDOTES, AND UNDENIABLE TRUTHS, 1993, Earache records

Email requesting permission for fair use of Clutch's lyrics was sent
September 26, 2003 to
management@pro-rock.com
Permission to reprint this lyric was received from Clutch via email on September 26, 2003
http://www.pro-rock.com/.