All surroundings are evolving, in the stream that clears your head

July 27, 2017 8:24 AM

Written by Roky Erickson and Tommy Hall, Slip inside this house (alternative, another) is a song (live in 2015) by the 13th Floor Elevators (previously, and poolside performance of "You're gonna miss me"), appearing as the opening track on their 1967 album Easter Everywhere. Though mostly from Austin and Kerrville, Texas, the band became influential in the San Francisco cultural scene. Electric jug player Tommy Hall starts to describe what it's about; the original mono recording. With some lyric changes, the song was covered by artists such as Primal Scream (live) on their 1991 album Screamadelica, and also covered by Madrugada, On Trial, Oneida, and The Shamen.

Some argue about whether the lyrics concern drugs or God, while others think it is about opening yourself up, or a shortcut to enlightenment.

Those lyrics (variations exist):

+ + + + +

Bedoin tribes ascending
From the egg into the flower
Alpha information sending
State within the heaven shower
From disciples the unending
Subtleties of river power
They slip inside this house as they pass by

If your limbs begin dissolving
In the water that you tread
All surroundings are evolving
In the stream that clears your head
Find yourself a caravan
Like Noah must have led
And slip inside this house as you pass by
Slip inside this house as you pass by

True conception, knowing why
Brings even more than meets the eye
Slip inside this house as you pass by

In this dark we call creation
We can be and feel and know
From an effort, comfort station
That's surviving on the go
There's infinite survival in
The high baptismal glow
Slip inside this house as you pass by

There is no season when you are grown
You are always risen from the seeds you've sown
There is no reason to rise alone
Other stories given have sages of their own

Live where your heart can be given
And your life starts to unfold
In the forms you envision
In this dream that's ages old
On the river layer is the only sayer
You receive all you can hold
Like you've been told

Every day's another dawning
Give the morning winds a chance
Always catch your thunder yawning
Lift your mind into the dance
Sweep the shadows from your awning
Shrink the fourfold circumstance
That lies outside this house don't pass it by

Higher worlds that you uncover
Light the path you want to roam
You compare there and discover
You won't need a shell of foam
Twice born gypsies care and keep
The nowhere of their former home
They slip inside this house as they pass by
Slip inside this house as you pass by

You think you can't, you wish you could
I know you can, I wish you would
Slip inside this house as you pass by

Four and twenty birds of Maya
Baked into an atom you
Polarized into existence
Magnet heart from red to blue
To such extent the realm of dark
Within the picture it seems true
But slip inside this house and then decide

All your lightning waits inside you
Travel it along your spine
Seven stars receive your visit
Seven seals remain divine
Seven churches filled with spirit
Treasure from the angels' mine
Slip inside this house as you pass by
Slip inside this house as you pass by

The space you make has your own laws
No longer human gods are cause
The center of this house will never die

There is no season when you are grown
You are always risen from the seeds you've sown
There is no reason to rise alone
Other stories given have sages of their own

Draw from the well of unchanging
Its union nourishes on
In the right re-arranging
Till the last confusion is gone
Water-brothers trust in the ultimust
Of the always singing song they pass along

One-eyed men aren't really reigning
They just march in place until
Two-eyed men with mystery training
Finally feel the power fill
Three-eyed men are not complaining
They can yo-yo where they will
They slip inside this house as they pass by
Don't pass it by

+ + + + +

The Primal Scream cover has shorter lyrics, with changes from 'slip' to 'trip' throughout:

Finer worlds that you uncover
Plant the path you want to roam
Live where your heart can be given
And your life starts to unfold

You think you can't you wish you could
I know you can, I wish you would
So trip inside this house as you pass by
Trip inside this house as you pass by

If your limbs begin dissolving
In the water that you tread
All surroundings are evolving
In the stream that clears your head

Come disciples, thee unending
Subtleties of rhythm power
Trip inside this house as you pass by

Sweep the shadows from your eyes
Sweep the realm of dark aside

Trip inside this house as you pass by
Trip inside this house as you pass by
Trip inside this house as you pass by
Trip inside this house as you pass by

Trip, trip, trip inside
Trip, trip, trip inside
Trip, trip, trip inside
Trip, trip, trip inside

posted by Wordshore (11 comments total)

There's a stanza in "Before In The Beginning" that kind of sums up most of Roky's lyrics for me:

Once you sing this song
They won't know what you're talking about
Once you sing this song
They won't know what you're talking about
Once you sing this song
They won't know
Believe
posted by Lyme Drop at 9:40 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

I love this song, and Roky so much!
posted by evilDoug at 9:51 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

I saw Rocky Erickson perform on Austin City Limits, one time, several years ago...it made me suspect that his rumored mental illness was extremely exaggerated...

"Slip in Inside This House" is a masterpiece.
posted by littlejohnnyjewel at 9:52 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

Alternate US link for Primal Scream cover.

The entire "Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye" Roky Erickson cover album is pretty awesome as well.
posted by BigBrooklyn at 10:02 AM on July 27, 2017 [6 favorites]

That first youtube comment nails it: "No drugs were taken during the making of this song. Said absolutely no one."

Having said that, Slip Inside This House is on my personal list of the 10 most brilliant songs of the whole rock era
posted by talos at 10:27 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

"Slip Inside This House" is a masterpiece.

Yup. This post was originally going to be about Screamadelica, my favorite album and the first CD I literally wore out. But then I hazily remembered that Slip Inside This House was a cover, found the original, thought it looked long, listened to it repeatedly saying wtf?, then tracked down the lyrics. Which are epic.

Hence this is now about the 13th Floor Elevators song, and I'm happily working my way through their back catalog. I'm not healthy enough to imbibe various substances at the same time for the fuller effect or deeper understanding, so I have various incense and joss sticks lit while they play.

(side-point: some of their music and lyrics would make for a fantastic alternative soundtrack to the film "A Field in England")
posted by Wordshore at 10:38 AM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

I love the 13th Floor Elevators, but if I had access to the original tapes, I'd be awfully tempted to wipe the "electric jug" tracks. Good god does that get annoying. "Hey, you know what half our songs could use? The sound of Curly from The Three Stooges whoop-whooping all over them!"

Anyway, IMO that song's pretty obviously about some hippie trail drug den pilgrimage (or similar, e.g. a casual walk down the street in 1967 San Francisco), with some watery underworld dead-undead imagery thrown in for colour.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:40 AM on July 27, 2017

*clicks fingers applauding play*
posted by jonmc at 11:23 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

> I saw Rocky Erickson perform on Austin City Limits, one time, several years ago...it made me suspect that his rumored mental illness was extremely exaggerated...

You got a good day! I've seen him several times in the last 10 years or so, and have seen his demeanor range from rote and mechanical, to fully-engaged and wonderful.
posted by desuetude at 1:06 PM on July 27, 2017

 → I'd be awfully tempted to wipe the "electric jug" tracks

Since it was Tommy Hall's instrument, and as he was (nominal) leader of the band, I think they were stuck with it. The remastered version of Bull of the Woods I have has a little note about “Yeah, we think the wub, wub noises suck too, and we tried not to make them any worse.”

(obligatory tracks: Dr Doom / May The Circle Remain Unbroken)
posted by scruss at 4:33 PM on July 27, 2017

I saw Rocky Erickson perform on Austin City Limits, one time, several years ago...it made me suspect that his rumored mental illness was extremely exaggerated.

I've seen Roky several times live; sometimes he seems compeltely present and engaged, others much more withdrawn and hesitant. I also recall seeing him in Austin when he was not doing well at all. I am quite sure there is no exaggeration, he has good days and bad days.

When he's on, though, he is still a powerful and compelling performer. Chills, absolute chills.
posted by louche mustachio at 3:57 AM on July 28, 2017