# Could you try to help me figure out what this cryptic lyric means? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979 "2009-06-07T02:44:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/1 "2009-06-07T02:44:52Z")
This is the song _Bubblegum the Blues/I’m a Cruiser_ by the obscure and woefully unsuccessful Emitt Rhodes, also known as “The One-Man Beatles” and “The solo career that Paul McCartney should have had instead of writing songs about Martin Luther knocking on doors, Eskimos, and Sailor Sam.” I don’t expect many people here to have heard it, but I guess you don’t need to have heard it to help me interpret some cryptic lyrics. The song is in an upbeat version of the classic minor-blues format; I’m trying very hard to figure out what the second part of these lyrics, about the “nasty old pill,” means. \*you shout in anger you shout in anger and i’ll try to ease your pain you cut your finger lady and i’ll play first aid new vacuum cleaner new vacuum cleaner, suck up that nasty old pill you do the windows woman and i’ll pay the bills\* What is the deal here? Why would sucking up a “nasty old pill” be mentioned? There is no other context whatsoever for that line. The rest of the song is basically about a “domestic” setting: “you feed the kitten, darling, and I’ll mow the lawn” and other such idealized domestic chores a-la “When I’m Sixty-Four.” When I think of the stereotypical use of a vacuum cleaner, it’s not to suck up a pill. (And not pills, but one single pill.) And why is the pill nasty and old? It just doesn’t add up…is this some kind of obtuse drug reference or an allusion or metaphor of some other kind? ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/2 "2009-06-07T02:46:30Z")
a sexual reference? or maybe pilling on the carpet? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/3 "2009-06-07T02:47:55Z")
You know how when fabric gets old it gets those little balls on it. That’s called pilling. Maybe it’s something to do with that. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/4 "2009-06-07T02:55:48Z")
He’s only going to stay with her if she’s medicated for a mood disorder, hence if she “sucks up the pill” he’ll stick around to pay the bills. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/5 "2009-06-07T03:07:21Z")
The thing I thought of was how sometimes when people find themselves in a bad situation in life, some might say “it’s a bitter pill to swallow” or something like that. So the whole domestic “vacuum the floors like a good wife” thing might be like that too. On the other hand, are you sure it isn’t “spill” instead of “pill”? ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-try-to-help-me-figure-out-what-this-cryptic-lyric-means/498979/6 "2009-06-07T03:12:44Z")
According to [SeekLyrics.com](http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Emitt-Rhodes/Bubble-Gum-The-Blues-I-m-A-Cruiser.html), the actual verse is: _New vacuum cleaner New vacuum cleaner to suck up that nasty old **filth** You do the window woman and I’ll pay the bills You do the window woman and I’ll pay the bills_ So there you have it.