# Easy Rider-"Kyrie Eleison"...then what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736 "2010-07-15T01:34:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/1 "2010-07-15T01:34:48Z")
On the movie Easy Rider, while the guys are in some fancy restaurant, bordello, whatever, the background song is Kyrie Eleison (sp). At any rate, we hear KE, KE, etc…and then something that sounds like either “Greased head” or “But he’s dead”, or something like that. So, does anybody here know what those words are? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/2 "2010-07-15T01:43:38Z")
[The scene in question](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbK5wmMxTI). Dunno. . . . sounds to me like they’re just repeating “Kyrie Eleison.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/3 "2010-07-15T02:34:36Z")
The words that follow “Kyrie eleison” (Lord have mercy) in the mass are “Christe eleison” (Christ have mercy). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/4 "2010-07-15T03:19:05Z")
Here’s audio from [_Lord of the Files_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38d95F3UIg4). (‘Sucks you your arse-mar!’) ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/5 "2010-07-15T04:25:40Z")
I just listened to it [here](http://www.pepperoni-mp3.com/download.php?id=286464&mp3=Kyrie+Eleison+%2F+Mardi+Gras); there’s more after the part in the YouTube clip. It sounds to me like the first thing after the bit of dialog is "Are you ready? I’m not sure it’s a lyric–it may just be the performer asking if his group is ready to start singing the next song, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, though he does so in the right rhythm. ---
**Author:** ![SantaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SantaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/6 "2010-07-15T05:33:49Z")
Christe’ - the start of the second line of the Kyrie Kyrie Eleison - “Lord have Mercy” Christe Eleison - Christ Have Mercy (Why yes, I was an altar boy. Why do you ask?) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/7 "2010-07-15T05:46:49Z")
The Moral: Don’t do the acid, man. (see my recent response in the Film thread) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/8 "2010-07-15T05:55:40Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > The Moral: Don’t do the acid, man. > > (see my recent response in the Film thread) I thought the moral (the reason they blew it) was “Don’t smuggle heroin man.” In the Easy Rider universe, acid=good, H=bad (note the sharp moral distinction made between “the dealer” and “the pusher” in the eponymous song from the soundtrack). (What film thread? Would a link be too much to ask, man?) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-rider-kyrie-eleison-then-what/546736/9 "2010-07-16T17:55:58Z")
> [@SantaMan](#): > > Christe’ - the start of the second line of the Kyrie > Kyrie Eleison - “Lord have Mercy” > Christe Eleison - Christ Have Mercy > (Why yes, I was an altar boy. Why do you ask?) Christe is it! Thanks everybody! hh