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about

I wrote the music for this twenty-some years ago when I first got a 'proper' acoustic guitar. It has a mix of feeling like something by Johnny Cash and an Eastern-European folk song. The funny thing is I had never heard Johnny Cash when I wrote the music. I just needed the bass notes and the high notes to work like that, because I was writing to perform the song by myself. There are only two parts to the whole song. I tried a key change at one point, but it just didn't work. For me, I needed to keep it simple to emphasise the story, but also at that time in particular, the songwriting ethos in the Mentalist camp was 'Keep it Simple'. You can hear that in our first EP.

Then it took me a while to settle on lyrics. It might be the first song I ever actually finished, and sometimes I think about going over it again. The lyrics took about five drafts till I was reasonably happy with it. I took my inspiration from Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes and Li'l Red Riding Hood by Sam Sham and the Pharoahs. It felt like a kind of fairytale song, so I rolled with basing it on Red Riding Hood, but I decided that both characters would be terrible people and no-one would be redeemed. As the song progressed it became more Tarantino-esque. I also wanted a definite seedy, lewd undercurrent to the song, and I was really pleased to incorporate Danie into the performance to provide that chemistry. It's me
playing a role, living my worst life.

When I brought it out for Brendan 6 months after he came back from the UK, his reaction was “Wait, you've had this the whole time we've been playing together, and you didn't mention it?” Whoops. Originally it was just me and Brendan playing it, guitar and dulcimer. Dulcimer is a natural fit for
it and Rob's ukelele and Simon's lead just help keep it off kilter and left of centre. I love the way the band just embraced this song. It's so weird, and so...wrong. The guys in the band have referred to me as the 'dark horse' in the band, and there is usually a darker edge to my songwriting.

lyrics

I was minding my own business,
darkening the woods,
When I came across a pretty girl, in a pretty little hood.

Well she was five foot three,
and it was easy to see,
she had a need, a need for me,
it was easy to see, it was easy to see.

Things got kind of hot and heavy,
till she began to plead...
"Help me take care of Grandma,
and I'll give you what you need."

I must admit I have a quandary.
What am I supposed to do?
Between you and me and Grandma and the lust I have for you.

Oh hell, I'll do it.

Grandma liked a drink or three,
the two of us got pally,
I snapped her neck just like a twig and left her in the alley.

Well the Devil in me was gleeful and free,
and I took Black into my arms
And he looked through me, it was easy to see,
it was easy to see.

I've put paid to your problem,
There's nothing we can't do.
I'll give you all my love darling
We'll see this pleasure through.

Oh yes, we'll do it.

Well as it turned out Red had taken deception to an art,
She drew a silver pistol, and shot me through the heart
Right through the heart.

Here now ends the tale,
With both of us quite dead.
For I found my very own pistol,
And put a bullet through her head,
right through her head.

That'll teach you Red.
'Cos now you're dead.
That's what I said.
'Cos now you're dead.

credits

from Signal Hill, released October 13, 2023

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The Mentalist Collective Dunedin, New Zealand

Formed as an acoustic project in 2008, the Mentalist Collective is a collaboration of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Brendan Christie, Scott Campbell, Rob Milne, Danie Erickson, Ed Lobo and Simon Christie. The Mentalist Collective use an influence of folk and rock music to create a unique blend of styles with a heavy emphasis on vocal harmony.
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