Bell on door clang, come on in
Floyd observes my hairy chin
Sit down chair, don't be afraid
Steamed hot towel on my face

I was shaved
I was shaved
I was shaved

Barney ties me to the chair
I can't see, I'm really scared
Floyd breathes hard, I hear a zip
Pee-pee pressed against my lips

I was shamed
I was shamed
I was shamed

I sense others in the room
Opie, Aunt Bee, I presume
They take turns and cut me up
I die smothered in aunt Bee's muff

I was shamed
I was shamed
I was shamed


Lyrics submitted by justinjtp, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Bennyshambles, LHGL

Floyd the Barber Lyrics as written by Kurt Cobain

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Floyd the Barber song meanings
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    Song Meaning

    As has been noted, Floyd the Barber is a reference to the Andy Griffith Show. The main characters of this show are all name checked in the lyrics: Floyd Lawson (Andy's neighbor and the town barber), Barney Fife (Andy's bumbling deputy), Opie (Andy's son), Aunt Bee (aunt and housekeeper), and Sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith) himself. The setting is obviously Floyd's Barbershop on Mayberry's Main Street.

    The song is a subversive and perverted fantasy/nightmare where the song's first person narrator goes into Floyd's Barbershop (first verse) for a shave and unexpectedly ends up getting sexually assaulted, tortured, and then murdered (second and third verses).

    The lyrics to this song were featured in Cobain's published journals and are actually incorrect in spots on this site. The lyrics to the first and last choruses are "I was shaved" NOT "I'm ashamed". Also, from the third verse, the final line is supposed to read "I die smothered in Andy's butt," which is a pretty dark and hilarious way to go out.

    The fact that Dale Crover played drums on this song makes a lot of sense; its music and lyrics are very Melvins-influenced. The black humor of Scratch Acid/David Yow also informs this song. Crover's playing also makes "Floyd the Barber" even gnarlier, more effective, and HEAVIER of course.

    Bennyshambleson January 03, 2014   Link

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