Song Description

This song is about change and how all things that look so inviting and cool are easily corruptible. I saw the "Peace and Love Movement" back in the 60's go from having a purpose to flipping to a "dark side of addiction, drugs, greed, self-gratification and more. I was pondering this as I watched it go down in San Francisco....it was a sad time...but it did inspire this powerful tune. SO, a little heads-up about this song. I wrote it back in 1969 so the song is much more "free-form" than songs of today. I didn't care about being "radio friendly" (although it got A LOT of radio play) and I shunned the "gotta have a hook" mantra that is so prevalent today. I have a nice nifty intro (long by some people's standards) that features some very nice mood setting guitar work and then the lyrics kick in, As you probably know, I can write a hooky, commercial tune....this is totally different. It is just me and guitar with a very special tuning. People have asked how I got 2-3 guitars to sound so "together". Well, it is just one guitar. Now, the song has some long instrumental sections, so it is kind of a solo jam piece that features some of my guitar work back then. It's kind of a Dave Mathews-type song, but done probably before Dave was even born.

Lyrics

"The Beetles Are Coming"
Lyrics and Music by Chet Nichols
Copyright 1969 by Chet Nichols/ Magic Garage Music (ASCAP)
Please contact:
chetnichols@ame.com ... http://www.chetnichols.net
ALL GLOBAL RIGHTS RESERVED

You dress yourself up to look like an elf
And you walk around this place
With a sign against the rat race
And you go get wood to cover the fire
Then you reverently place it down upon yourself
So, you'd better get your hoe
And clean up your garden
Because the beetles are coming

The leaves are enough to turn you on
You know this, so you start a collection
There are greens, reds, yellows, golds and candles
But, what will happen to them
Once they've dropped their bomb
So, you'd better get your hoe
And clean up your garden
Because the beetles are coming

So, you go and get a big brown shopping bag
And in it you place your hair your roaches and part of your life
And you drop it from the long shoestring bridge by the ocean
An silently wave goodbye as it sails for Japan
The you turn to look one last look at The City
Then start to thumb to the world that's, oh, so gritty
So, you'd better get your hoe
And clean up your garden
Because the beetles are coming