The Jazz Butcher

Lyrics

Racheland
I think the man next door is having a nervous breakdown
Sounds like it's me in there
Don't know if I believe you care
Like an Afghan vet at a beach resort with a shotgun
Losing it in cities where I'm used to you but you're not there
Coz you're in Racheland.

There's a woman on T.V. who looks like someone that I used to go out with
Don't want to go back there again it's just too embarrassing
And when it's quiet if you're lucky
You can hear the aristocracy whining
Their lies can suck you in: psychopaths and violins.

You're already beautiful you don't have to be tragic as well
Pain doesn't suit you pain is contagious
Pain is alone in this deep dark well.

Coz these are the hardest times
These are the hardest times
These are the hardest times
These are the oddest times
These are the hardest times
These are the strangest times
These are the hardest times
We've seen the hardest times
And the traffic's always bad in Racheland
In Racheland

It was Chrissie and Ray on a budget that summer,

Hynde & Davies, painfully obviously
Emma defected
Peel, celebrated U.K. T.V. sexy spy
Chrissie gave the baby away to a fella who knew just what to tell her
All these fine words.
All the courtesy of slime.
It shuffles round like little birds,
You get to hate those little birds,
All those jive words -
You can see her head is turning and she doesn't know
She just bought a ticket to Racheland
She just booked passage to Racheland
Have you got the courage for Racheland?
Have you got the bottle for Racheland?
Are you ever coming back from Racheland?
Have I got to fetch you from Racheland?
Have you got the courage for Racheland?
Are you coming back from Racheland?
Oh Racheland.
Racheland
Have you got the courage for Racheland?
gonna play my black & white Telecaster now...

Found On

Buy These Records
Condition Blue
For all the pain and crap from which this record was made, the actual sessions were a gigantic and wonderful party. This was warmly received by The Outside World, less popular among those who counted themselves JBC afficionados. This IS the sound of me having fun, and getting me to do that in those dark days of mid-1991 was no small job.
[Condition Blue cover thumbnail]
creation_records, sky_records LP;CD
Western Family
For loonie completists only, for sure, though, if you listen through the muck, you'll see that we did our bit.
[Western Family cover thumbnail]
creation_records CD
The Violent Years
Purchase Now
( thejazzbutcher.bandcamp.com )
[The Violent Years cover thumbnail]
Fire Records 4xCD

Live Stats

16 documented performances (click to explore)
1992 16 (JBC)

Media

30 second snippet
2 Recorded Live Performances
1992-05-09 El Mocambo - Toronto, Canada
Credit: David Whittemore
1992-04-26 Cat's Cradle - Chapel Hill, USA
Credit: David Whittemore
Visitor Feedback
Visitors' comments for this page [Add your own]
  • Link from a blog
    jesusblood[at]-remove-somedomain.uk - Chris, Lancsaster
    18Sep2020 7:37 AM (3 years 80 days ago)
    Just found this:
    http://thesonginmyheadtoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/stop-your-
    sobbing-kinks-november-is.html
    And down in the comments by 'Anonymous' at 8:33 AM is this:

    "You may not be the only irrational person when it comes to Ray and
    Chrissie's rocky relationship. Have you ever heard the song
    "Racheland" by the Jazz Butcher? It is on a 1990 album called
    Condition Blue. Check it out. Fantastic album. I saw them a few years
    back and the JB was still rattling on about La Hynde!"

    Love 'Racheland', always puts a lump in my throat
  • Too right
    pierssutton[at]-remove-gmail.com - Piers, California
    12Dec2008 1:12 PM (14 years 362 days ago)
    I'm lazy so just echoing what was already said. But I am sure you shouldn't mistake silence for a lack of fans. Great works, and more to come I hope :)
  • condition blue
    markv421[at]-remove-earthlink.net - Cambridge Mass
    24Mar2003 7:53 PM (20 years 262 days ago)
    I never travel without this CD. No, not really, but some of the melodies are so GD delicious, I get goose flesh everytime. It must really frustrate you (PF) because you wrote some of the most potent English pop of the 80's-90's and you were never known. Makes me quite sad, really. I continually spread JB gospel. I mix you up next to Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Os Mutantes and White Stripes. You will always be a great man for including Chrissie Hynde in a lyric, even if it was scathing. She still matters to me as does Mark E. Smith.
    Ta,
    Mark Vachon
    Cambridge Ma