Diesel Cats was an amateur recording artist working out of his bedroom studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. He recorded eight albums between 1975 and 1993 using 4-track and 8-track tape recorders. Rough Cuts, his final as a singer/songwriter, was made as a return to songwriting basics, the songs presented like pen-and-ink drawings, in their simplest form.
All songs and lyrics copyright 1993 Dennis Criteser. All rights reserved.
Diesel Cats - lead vocals, keys, guitar and "drums" on all songs. Jim Peterson - saxophones. Alex Baum - bass.
Check out album four, album five, album six and album eight online.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Saturday, April 14, 2018
My Name Is Ray
My Name Is Ray
I know what you feel when you see the nightly news
And I know what you think when the headlines hammer you
You’re dodgin’ bullets from the crime out in the street
And playin’ Lotto, maybe stop you’re losin’ streak
Turn me up, my name is Ray
This is the station bound to shake this nation
Turn it up, my name is Ray
And I know the way, I know the way
You can build a highway from here to Heaven
But the waitress at the truck stop will lure you to her bed
You can try to make a monument to last forever
But the levies on the property will run you into red
I know you’re basically good, but you’re besieged
Taxes and temptation leave you weak in the knees
Down at the bottom of this mess we’re all in
Is a bureaucrat pervert, loves his life of sin
Turn me up, I’ll tell you what he’s spreadin’ round, yeah
He kisses any lips, red, black or brown
Turn me up, and we’ll run him out of town
He says he wants to help you, but he’ll only drag you down
Get out of the middle, you’ve got to choose a side
And I am the man who can make up your mind
Turn up your radio and listen to Ray
‘cause I know that you know that I know the way
You got one chance to raise your spirit up
Turn from temptation, set your back to evil
Turn up your radio and tune into Ray
‘cause I know the way, I know the way
Turn me up, my name is Ray
This is the station bound to rock this nation
Turn it up, my name is Ray
And I know that you know that I know the way
Turn me up, my name is Ray
Turn me up, my name is Ray
And you know that I know that you have lost your way
My name is Ray, my name is Ray
My name is Ray, I know the way
I know what you feel when you see the nightly news
And I know what you think when the headlines hammer you
You’re dodgin’ bullets from the crime out in the street
And playin’ Lotto, maybe stop you’re losin’ streak
Turn me up, my name is Ray
This is the station bound to shake this nation
Turn it up, my name is Ray
And I know the way, I know the way
You can build a highway from here to Heaven
But the waitress at the truck stop will lure you to her bed
You can try to make a monument to last forever
But the levies on the property will run you into red
I know you’re basically good, but you’re besieged
Taxes and temptation leave you weak in the knees
Down at the bottom of this mess we’re all in
Is a bureaucrat pervert, loves his life of sin
Turn me up, I’ll tell you what he’s spreadin’ round, yeah
He kisses any lips, red, black or brown
Turn me up, and we’ll run him out of town
He says he wants to help you, but he’ll only drag you down
Get out of the middle, you’ve got to choose a side
And I am the man who can make up your mind
Turn up your radio and listen to Ray
‘cause I know that you know that I know the way
You got one chance to raise your spirit up
Turn from temptation, set your back to evil
Turn up your radio and tune into Ray
‘cause I know the way, I know the way
Turn me up, my name is Ray
This is the station bound to rock this nation
Turn it up, my name is Ray
And I know that you know that I know the way
Turn me up, my name is Ray
Turn me up, my name is Ray
And you know that I know that you have lost your way
My name is Ray, my name is Ray
My name is Ray, I know the way
Friday, April 13, 2018
The Trouble In My Mind
The Trouble In My Mind
In the back of my mind
There’s a hole where the trouble goes
On the double, breakin’ like a bubble
Siftin’ through the rubble for some rhymes
Throw some mud on the rug
Put some scars on my Sunday shoes
Grab a gun, shoot it on the run
Act like it was done in pantomime
Well I know where the error is
And I know what to do
Cause I know who the terror is
Yes I know it’s you
In the back of my mind
There’s a mirror where the trouble is
It’s got a crack, break your mama’s back
Papa never had much love or time
There’s a face in my mind
There’s a tear in the looking glass
I see trouble and faith like a bubble
Kickin’ through the rubble for a rhyme
A doll and a doggie and a dime
Rain and a little peace of mind
Runnin’ from the trouble in my mind
In the back of my mind
There’s a hole where the trouble goes
On the double, breakin’ like a bubble
Siftin’ through the rubble for some rhymes
Throw some mud on the rug
Put some scars on my Sunday shoes
Grab a gun, shoot it on the run
Act like it was done in pantomime
Well I know where the error is
And I know what to do
Cause I know who the terror is
Yes I know it’s you
In the back of my mind
There’s a mirror where the trouble is
It’s got a crack, break your mama’s back
Papa never had much love or time
There’s a face in my mind
There’s a tear in the looking glass
I see trouble and faith like a bubble
Kickin’ through the rubble for a rhyme
A doll and a doggie and a dime
Rain and a little peace of mind
Runnin’ from the trouble in my mind
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Pauly's Story
Pauly’s Story
I was a girl in Portugal
Dreaming of a woman with a feathered boa
Making sign language with a fisherman’s son
Skipping on cobble stones drenched in siena.
Looking out the window I can feel the trees
I am waiting for the words to come down
I am praying for some words to fall.
I was married to a Kinshasa man
Dancing with palm wine to sweeten our lips
All reason left me, insane with love
Ivory and juju, my belly round and full.
Looking out the window I can feel the trees
And I will wait for words to rain down on me
Telling me, spelling me
I am praying for some words to come
Carry me away.
They wanted me to only play in pay dirt
They wanted me to follow some kind of plan
“Keep your eyes on the nickel,” they said
They wanted me to be a man.
Well I became a ruby woman
Sparkling with the truth behind my eyes
Flying like a raven in the skies of summer
I don’t even see these hospital walls.
Just looking out the window I can feel the trees
Just waiting for the rain to fall down
Just praying for rain.
I was a girl in Portugal
Dreaming of a woman with a feathered boa
Making sign language with a fisherman’s son
Skipping on cobble stones drenched in siena.
Looking out the window I can feel the trees
I am waiting for the words to come down
I am praying for some words to fall.
I was married to a Kinshasa man
Dancing with palm wine to sweeten our lips
All reason left me, insane with love
Ivory and juju, my belly round and full.
Looking out the window I can feel the trees
And I will wait for words to rain down on me
Telling me, spelling me
I am praying for some words to come
Carry me away.
They wanted me to only play in pay dirt
They wanted me to follow some kind of plan
“Keep your eyes on the nickel,” they said
They wanted me to be a man.
Well I became a ruby woman
Sparkling with the truth behind my eyes
Flying like a raven in the skies of summer
I don’t even see these hospital walls.
Just looking out the window I can feel the trees
Just waiting for the rain to fall down
Just praying for rain.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Born With Some Color
Born With Some Color
1917, East St. Loo
Negroes in the factory, two by two
Used to be white folk turnin’ out the ham
But the war pulled ‘em out to fight the Kaiser’s men
That’s when my daddy was born
Son of a meat packer, son of a whore
Just an accident that grew to be a man
Raised on table scraps he asked for nothin’ more
1938, the circus came to town
Mama tellin’ fortunes and sleepin’ all around
Her great-grandpa had owned a few slaves
Seein’ who she married would turn him in his grave
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my house or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
Growin’ up, whitey called me mud
Now some jack will notice and maybe call me blood
The law of the land says leave me alone
But prayers and promises break like bones
I seen crackers hangin’ raisins in the trees
And so-called brothers will slash you like a breeze
Can’t trust nothin’ but clouds in the sky
One eye’s for trouble, and one looks the other way
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my name or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
Daddy gave me somethin’ dark, Mama made it light
Everyone around me was spoilin’ for a fight
I had to learn how to slip into the night
Stay away from trouble ‘cause I’ve never been right
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my house or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
1917, East St. Loo
Negroes in the factory, two by two
Used to be white folk turnin’ out the ham
But the war pulled ‘em out to fight the Kaiser’s men
That’s when my daddy was born
Son of a meat packer, son of a whore
Just an accident that grew to be a man
Raised on table scraps he asked for nothin’ more
1938, the circus came to town
Mama tellin’ fortunes and sleepin’ all around
Her great-grandpa had owned a few slaves
Seein’ who she married would turn him in his grave
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my house or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
Growin’ up, whitey called me mud
Now some jack will notice and maybe call me blood
The law of the land says leave me alone
But prayers and promises break like bones
I seen crackers hangin’ raisins in the trees
And so-called brothers will slash you like a breeze
Can’t trust nothin’ but clouds in the sky
One eye’s for trouble, and one looks the other way
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my name or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
Daddy gave me somethin’ dark, Mama made it light
Everyone around me was spoilin’ for a fight
I had to learn how to slip into the night
Stay away from trouble ‘cause I’ve never been right
Yes I was born with some color hiding in my skin
Raised with a head of hair that never fit in
Never liked my country, my house or my shoes
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
I grew up in a fever, and earned my black and blues
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Some Brothers
Some Brothers
Some brothers in our neighborhood are acting up again tonight
They must be tryin’ to speak to the world in
cold blood, hot head, a black piece, white dust
America
The shots ring out like it’s Independence Day
Through the dead of winter a car drives by
Maybe they’re tryin’ to send themselves back to
Africa, spirit, ashes, big dreams
America
They never hit the right target:
history, oppression, funding, the white devil
They miss with a vengeance on the ones they should love
and we hear it each night as we pray for a dove
Big dreams, hot head, cold blood, passion
America
Some brothers in our neighborhood are acting up again tonight
They must be tryin’ to speak to the world in
cold blood, hot head, a black piece, white dust
America
The shots ring out like it’s Independence Day
Through the dead of winter a car drives by
Maybe they’re tryin’ to send themselves back to
Africa, spirit, ashes, big dreams
America
They never hit the right target:
history, oppression, funding, the white devil
They miss with a vengeance on the ones they should love
and we hear it each night as we pray for a dove
Big dreams, hot head, cold blood, passion
America
Monday, April 9, 2018
The Conversion
The Conversion
She was 19, I was 17
A real math wizard, she was a college queen
Two years together and we’d only ever kissed
Just talkin’ on the telephone would make our bodies scream
I felt no conflict with calculus and kissing
Both perfectly arousing and deep
She couldn’t stand it and it finally came out
"Touch me where it counts or I’m gonna have to leave"
Well I loved her lips
I dreamed about her hips
She was a goddess inside my mind
Made me wanna flip
Her clothes were so thin I could picture her skin
But I couldn’t lose control, I had to stay a virgin
She turned 20 and I was 18
A great mathematician loose upon the scene
Sex was in the wind and in the trees
For her and her new boyfriend who’d touch her where she pleased
I knew that someday I’d grow to be a man
A major physicist, whatever I planned
I never figured it could hurt that bad
For someone else to have what I could have had
Yes I loved her lips
Really wanted her hips
Her figure was luminous inside my mind
Waiting for my fingertips
I pictured every move, his hands upon her skin
Well Jesus had to suffer, did I have to stay a virgin
Wanted it my way with love and mathematics
Feeling infinity, kissing in the night
There’s always more to learn, you can’t stand still
If you don’t go deeper, someone else will
Had to graduate lips
Had to get hip to hips
Parabolic contours, stochastic paramours
Learned it bit by bit
Love’s no asymptote it’s skin to skin
I may have been a virgin but I knew where to begin
Love’s a postulate and sex is a lemma
It’s just a function of affection and curve
It took a little while to figure it out
But in the end it only took a little nerve
Solving for x will give you lots of reasons why
Only some numbers work but you give ‘em all a try
No need to diagram a plan of action
Just got to meditate on deep satisfaction
She was 19, I was 17
A real math wizard, she was a college queen
Two years together and we’d only ever kissed
Just talkin’ on the telephone would make our bodies scream
I felt no conflict with calculus and kissing
Both perfectly arousing and deep
She couldn’t stand it and it finally came out
"Touch me where it counts or I’m gonna have to leave"
Well I loved her lips
I dreamed about her hips
She was a goddess inside my mind
Made me wanna flip
Her clothes were so thin I could picture her skin
But I couldn’t lose control, I had to stay a virgin
She turned 20 and I was 18
A great mathematician loose upon the scene
Sex was in the wind and in the trees
For her and her new boyfriend who’d touch her where she pleased
I knew that someday I’d grow to be a man
A major physicist, whatever I planned
I never figured it could hurt that bad
For someone else to have what I could have had
Yes I loved her lips
Really wanted her hips
Her figure was luminous inside my mind
Waiting for my fingertips
I pictured every move, his hands upon her skin
Well Jesus had to suffer, did I have to stay a virgin
Wanted it my way with love and mathematics
Feeling infinity, kissing in the night
There’s always more to learn, you can’t stand still
If you don’t go deeper, someone else will
Had to graduate lips
Had to get hip to hips
Parabolic contours, stochastic paramours
Learned it bit by bit
Love’s no asymptote it’s skin to skin
I may have been a virgin but I knew where to begin
Love’s a postulate and sex is a lemma
It’s just a function of affection and curve
It took a little while to figure it out
But in the end it only took a little nerve
Solving for x will give you lots of reasons why
Only some numbers work but you give ‘em all a try
No need to diagram a plan of action
Just got to meditate on deep satisfaction
Sunday, April 8, 2018
A Mid-Life Crisis Story
A Mid-Life Crisis Story
Hey I’m the guy with the Ph.D.
I took it all the way to MIT
I been thinkin’ since the age of three
I wrote my thesis on how to be free
They gave me money for the things that I said
The words tumbled out and cluttered up their heads
Take out the garbage, turn out the lights
I couldn’t feel my fingers, my face was kinda tight
I stopped believin’ in the power of cognition
Took up salmon and steelhead fishin’
I came to know my true ambition:
To be a songwriter under one condition
I take no money for the songs that I write
Just let ‘em tumble out and clutter up the place
Take out the garbage and turn on the lights
I need to feel my fingers, I’ve got to find my face
I’ll conjure images to make you jump
Add some rhythm, you’ll grind and bump
It’s true love, honey, meet me in the sky
We won’t need any money, there’s nothin’ there to buy
We won’t need nothin’ but the songs that I write
We’ll let ‘em tumble out and stink up the place
Take out the garbage and turn on the lights
I’ll watch my fingers and you can watch my face
No money, nothin’ wrong, just another song
The words tumble out and fall where they belong
Take out the garbage, turn on the lights
I’m gonna watch my fingers, you better watch me
Hey I’m the guy with the Ph.D.
I took it all the way to MIT
I been thinkin’ since the age of three
I wrote my thesis on how to be free
They gave me money for the things that I said
The words tumbled out and cluttered up their heads
Take out the garbage, turn out the lights
I couldn’t feel my fingers, my face was kinda tight
I stopped believin’ in the power of cognition
Took up salmon and steelhead fishin’
I came to know my true ambition:
To be a songwriter under one condition
I take no money for the songs that I write
Just let ‘em tumble out and clutter up the place
Take out the garbage and turn on the lights
I need to feel my fingers, I’ve got to find my face
I’ll conjure images to make you jump
Add some rhythm, you’ll grind and bump
It’s true love, honey, meet me in the sky
We won’t need any money, there’s nothin’ there to buy
We won’t need nothin’ but the songs that I write
We’ll let ‘em tumble out and stink up the place
Take out the garbage and turn on the lights
I’ll watch my fingers and you can watch my face
No money, nothin’ wrong, just another song
The words tumble out and fall where they belong
Take out the garbage, turn on the lights
I’m gonna watch my fingers, you better watch me
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Shopping In the Night
Shopping In the Night
Look at those prostitutes, can’t believe my eyes
Like visions from an Arbus postcard
Pumped up titties, turbo-charged asses
Always some exaggeration takes me by surprise
That one looks saucy, and that one’s real tough
She looks like she thinks that I could never get enough
Twelve piercings, at least that I can see
But no one on the sidewalk has anything for me
‘Cause I want somethin' special
Somethin’ just so right
Somethin’ I can feel when I close my eyes tight
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Out on the streets of the world and in the shopping malls
They’re drilling deep, maybe strike some crude
Give me hope, or a taste of power
Make me irresistible, come decorate my walls
You see it in the product, you see it in the girls
Too many features, way too many curls
Shiny skin, and muscles real firm
But always something’s missing in the heart of everything
Yes I want somethin' special
Somethin’ just so right
Somethin’ I can love with all of my might
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Okay, I’ve got a penis
I am a man like all the rest
Wouldn’t mind a little action
If it didn’t cost me much
But I’ve got sensibilities
That can’t be overlooked
And that’s what keeps me goin'
Searching in the night
I want something special
Somethin’ oh so right
Somethin’ just for me when I close my eyes tight
Somethin’ to love with all of my might
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Hard to find and hard to hold on
Shopping in the night
Look at those prostitutes, can’t believe my eyes
Like visions from an Arbus postcard
Pumped up titties, turbo-charged asses
Always some exaggeration takes me by surprise
That one looks saucy, and that one’s real tough
She looks like she thinks that I could never get enough
Twelve piercings, at least that I can see
But no one on the sidewalk has anything for me
‘Cause I want somethin' special
Somethin’ just so right
Somethin’ I can feel when I close my eyes tight
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Out on the streets of the world and in the shopping malls
They’re drilling deep, maybe strike some crude
Give me hope, or a taste of power
Make me irresistible, come decorate my walls
You see it in the product, you see it in the girls
Too many features, way too many curls
Shiny skin, and muscles real firm
But always something’s missing in the heart of everything
Yes I want somethin' special
Somethin’ just so right
Somethin’ I can love with all of my might
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Okay, I’ve got a penis
I am a man like all the rest
Wouldn’t mind a little action
If it didn’t cost me much
But I’ve got sensibilities
That can’t be overlooked
And that’s what keeps me goin'
Searching in the night
I want something special
Somethin’ oh so right
Somethin’ just for me when I close my eyes tight
Somethin’ to love with all of my might
That’s what makes it difficult
Shopping in the night
Hard to find and hard to hold on
Shopping in the night
Friday, April 6, 2018
Thursday, April 5, 2018
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