January 27, 2016

"There she stood in drag/Just a-looking cool in astrakhan/She's looking so wiped out/And she said I looked like Peter Pan..."

That's a line from "Museum," a Donovan song on the "Sunshine Superman" album, remembered and pointed out by commenter Kevin Walsh in the post about astrakhan, "Thinking about fetal fur."

I must have heard those lines a hundred times without having any idea I was hearing a word that would be spelled "astrakhan," so I could even get to the point of wondering what it is. It's the fur of an unborn lamb. The woman looking cool in astrakhan had told him to meet her under the whale in the natural history museum and he was sad to have to go there, so I don't think he approved of the fetal fur. And the song's refrain is "But don't do it if you don't want to/I wouldn't do a thing like that."

10 comments:

Sigivald said...

Well, unless it's the skin of young lambs, which seems to be the more common skin usage of the term.

Even more common usage is a woolen fabric made to resemble the same.

Etienne said...

Whenever I heard Donovan on my 9-transistor radio, I turned the dial to the other top 40 station.

But by 1969 it was 8-track only baby!

But yes, I would not have know what astrakhan was...

Fritz said...

coupe said...
Whenever I heard Donovan on my 9-transistor radio, I turned the dial to the other top 40 station.


Tell me you never smoked a banana peel.

Static Ping said...

I know Astrakhan as the city, which is at the Volga delta. I learned of its existence by fighting over it in video games.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

In Soviet Russia, Astra khan YOU!

Guildofcannonballs said...

Neurolinquistic programinmg is the devil in the attempt to other the Devil.

The Devil, ubiquitous certainly to some, should be attempted hidden.

Pain.

Etienne said...

Fritz said...Tell me you never smoked a banana peel.

No, No, we were a city awash in hashish. But I have pulled an electric banana out of my holster.

Roger Sweeny said...

If you look up "lame," it sends you to the Herman's Hermits cover,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4RQdhfBXRc

mikee said...

Don't knock astrakhan until you have run your hands over the real thing. Glorious it is, a tactile delight.

Kevin Walsh said...

If you heard "Museum" on top 40 radio it was likely Herman's Hermits, who had a hit with it. They cut out some verses but left the one with 'astrakhan' in.