English punk legend Robyn Hitchcock is a bit frustrated that many listeners still scratch their heads over his lyrics.
After 30 years as a recording artist, Hitchcock has been celebrated as a visionary ? but one with quirky lyrics that often make no sense.
“Basically my reaction is despair and confusion,” Hitchcock said. “I don?t think it helps if you try to explain. I can?t be responsible for how people react to them.”
Not that controversy is anything new to this gifted singer/songwriter who began his career in the mid-1970s with the punk/new wave band The Soft Boys. After the group?s breakup in the early 1980s, Hitchcock went on to win success in the U.S. via college radio and the then-fledgling MTV with songs categorized as whimsical by many.
“Robyn Hitchcock is the purest honey from the Beatles tree, psychedelic puree for children,” reported the Austin Chronicle in a recent preview.
To this day, Hitchcock seems taken aback by comments such as these, noting that perhaps the fast-food mentality of the day is to blame.
“I am not CNN, but I try to tell it like it is,” he said of his lyrics. “The dilemma is that there is no subtle unwrapping anymore. People want to have it all in one bite and by the way here are the bonus tracks, too.”
Yet while there are traces of irony in his voice, Hitchcock is nothing if not upbeat and humble about his continuing popularity and recording career. He just finished his usual well-received performance at the SXSW Festival in Austin, this time to mark the start of his tour with musician Sean Nelson and R.E.M.?s Peter Buck. The show also marked the premiere of the documentary “Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects,” at the film festival.
“It was glorious,” Hitchcock said of the festival. “There were lots of people out there and it?s so interesting to see them each time”
Hitchcock, Nelson and Buck played bits and pieces of songs they sorted from a vast collection, only to run out of time before Hitchcock could play “Farewell Farewell” by Fairport Convention.
“Just the chance to play music with these gifted musicians,” Hitchcock said, noting other accomplished musicians who sat in. “We had a really good hoot, and we will on the road, too.”
IF YOU GO
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 with Johanna Kunin
» Venue: Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis
» Time: 8:30 p.m. Sunday
» Tickets: $22.50; 410-268-4545; www.ramsheadonstage.com
