Soundtrack of My Life

"Put a lid on it" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers

"Put a Lid on It" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers

(Put a lid on it)
What's that you say?
(Put a lid on it)
Oh man, no way
Put a lid down on it, and everything will be all right

(Put a lid on it)
Don't hand me that
(Put a lid on it)
I'm all right, Jack
Put a lid down on it, before somebody starts a fight

Say, every time I turn it loose you cats come down and cook my goose
When I start I just can't stop
But if you keep this up you're gonna blow your top!

(Put a lid on it)
Too late this time
(Put a lid on it)
I've got to get what's mine
Put a lid down on it, and everything will be all right

Well, grab your drink and clear a space
I think it's time to torch this place
Now the girl's in overdrive
But some of your pals want to stay alive!

I'll put a lid on it
I'll put a lid down on it
I'll put a lid down on it
Save it for another night

I just had to include this song by the Squirrel Nut Zippers. The last concert I saw in person, shortly before the pandemic shut everything down, was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. In fact, I remember that they updated one of their songs   to reference the virus that was just starting to take over the world. They are so much fun to see live. The whole room was on their feet dancing by the end of the night. So, this song reminds me of better times.

I'm a big fan of their modern jazzy / swing style, and I adore the tone of her voice and the wailing trumpet. She has excellent pitch and control. But what I love the most about this band is their impeccable timing and use of percussion. It's like they have an entire arsenal of percussive instruments at their disposal and they know how to use every one of them. As a former band nerd, I appreciate a good percussion section. If you want a better example of their percussive prowess, you can check out their song "Interlocutor"  . It doesn't have any lyrics, but it does have nearly as much percussive excitement as "Stomp".

This song doesn't really have a particularly deep meaning or anything, it's just a fun little ditty. I don't think anyone likes to be told to "be quiet" or to "put a lid on it". Has that ever actually worked to get someone to shut up? Saying that will only have the opposite effect. Not that people really use the phrase "put a lid on it" anymore, but if someone said that to me I would definitely blow my top.

Anni