“Redneck” is a track on Tim Booth’s album, Bone. I’ve liked the song for quite a while, but for whatever reason haven’t had a chance to post it, until now. The song has a great beat, and if the lyrics are supposed to be taken literally, the character in the song says, “I’m just ice-cream.” So that’s pretty cool, because I’ve never heard anyone describe themselves as ice cream before, and who doesn’t love ice cream? He also says he’s richer than Bill Gates, but we all know that can’t possibly be true, as Carlos Slim is the only man richer than Bill Gates. In reality, the song is about celebrity self-importance, which Booth says at one time he had. In an interview he stated, “I realised {sic, jk} it was just ice-cream – somebody wants strawberry one day and another flavour the next. It’s about being a disposable commodity. I’m interested in celebrity and fame because in this culture it’s the highest currency, the highest aim. It’s incredible that, if you’re a serial killer, as least you’re famous. That’s a strange state for a culture to be in.”
Booth is from Manchester, England, and is of the former band, James. His 2005 release, Bone, is considered to be his solo album, but as he states, “I can’t believe anyone really has true solo albums, except maybe Prince or Stevie Wonder. You need help and I had a lot of it from my collaborators.” A new album is currently in the works.
Bone (2005):
thanks for the mp3… tim’s voice is unique!
Thanks for spotlighting Tim Booth. I loved James & I can’t wait to explore his solo work.
Lest old acquaintance be forgot
I lost your number in the rush
Our friendship suffered with my success
The wind it blew me on
Now Ive been sacrified to entertain
I went down smiling, it felt like pain
The wind it blew me on
The wind it blew me on
Im just ice-cream
Its all rama rama
Im just space dust
Its all rama rama
Im just ice-cream
Its all rama rama
Thought I was high class
Its all rama rama
So self-important to this scheme
My tragic suffering
No more than a dream
Ive got friends in higher places
Don’t you recognize my faces
Millions want my auto-photograph
Critics want to write my epitath
Ive got personal numberplates
Ive got more money than Bill Gates
Run it, run it, run it back up to me
Life my life on TV
Run it, run it, run it back up to me
Im what you want to
If I can’t top this industry
My birthright feeling incomplete
I wont get sucked into this greed
Cos I sing love is all you need
Lest old acquaintance be forgot
“I’M JUST ICECREAM!”