"Whatever Bubbles Bubbles Up....": Greatest Music Video EVER? (Directed by Michel Gondry)

I probably haven't mentioned several thousand times, but I am not a fan of music videos---I mean the contrived sort you see on video stations-- in general.  In general, as I've said, they tend more often than not to ruin the song for me.  They're never quite what I imagined.  Sometimes the director's sense of whimsy ruins the song forever.  At You Tube, Cap'n Fix comments:

An excellent music video that aired briefly on MTV in 1994 and soon became largely forgotten. This one was filmed in B&W to produce an old-timey ambience that works very well with the ragtime sound. Pay close attention to the continuity. The whole video was filmed with a steadycam, in one continuous shot...an unbelievably difficult task that only someone like Michel Gondry could pull off. This catchy vid is no longer in production and a rare treat to find, wherever it happens to bubble up ;-)

Seriously, isn't this fusion of rap and vintage jazz amazing?  And is this not a perfect wedding of music with imagery?  Nicholas, who doesn't like any music that wasn't recorded during a very narrow period, was impressed by the video.  But of course:  Michel Gondry.

I saw it in 1994 and have never, ever forgotten it.  I was thrilled to find it.  It should never be lost or forgotten!  And here it is: 

Here are the lyrics.

Lucas With The Lid Off Lyrics

Spoken: "I'll be practicing in my mind"

wha-da-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-baaa
Whoa-oh-oh
catch the vibes... the reggae and the ragtime
Whoa-oh-oh
catch the vibes, catch the vibes
Whoa-oh-oh
Cause it's lucas with the lid off
catch the vibes, catch the vibes
Whoa-oh-oh
Cause it's lucas with the lid off
Zem, Zem,
daZem, Zem
daZow, Zem

Watch me now you hear me now
Watch me go-oh

Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)

I feeeeeel... so good

Zow, zow, zow

Watch me go-oh

Strike the right chord, and I rap, rap my skull cap
Electric, until I blow my top off
I wrap my lyrics right around the globe
I lay lobes and all
Bit by bit I make it fit
Cause I'm here to knit myself together
and whatever split for my format
and after that
I never stay the same
and treat the freak like a doormat
Jump around on it
I'm here to spray poetic confetti already
Open open open up your skull cap
and let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it drain

All the I'm-too-cool-to-have-a-good-time-
but-really-I'm-a-muted-trumpet type of talkaway
Hey-ey-ey
move to the front, take it off, take it off,
Catch the vibes
Cause it's lucas with the lid off

catch the vibes, catch the vibes
Whoa-oh-oh
Cause it's lucas with the lid off
catch the vibes, catch the vibes
Whoa-oh-oh
Cause it's lucas with the lid off
Zem, Zem,
daZow, Zow
Skedadle-lah-ooh
watch me now you hear me now
Uh now, now, now

Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)

I feeeeeel... so good
I feeeeeel... so good

Welcome to my brain, I got the lid off
my chest I got my nut off
the type of spirit that can break your framework
the same by the end will stay the same
hear the voice of summer
Zow za zow zow
but once I gotta hum a melody
that represents the type of flow I kick
when my tongue is swingin' like a drumstick
of a jazzy type of lick
everybody's got the lid on tightly
afraid of what might be lurking right behind
and out of safety
so undo yourself and watch my rhyme go
out of my lyrical chimney
but don't repeat my voice to the beat

when you hear the track again make up your own words
Cause the rhythm is a conduit to break a split from the homegrown
The well known is on to the unknown
See everyone's a firecracker like a phone about to get hooked up
and let look up and let look up and let whatever bubbles up
out your head spread the vibes and illuminate the sky

Cause it's lucas with the lid off
it's lucas with the lid off
it's lucas with the lid off
Come on and take your lid off

Watch this
Watch me now you hear me now

take a solo , take a solo
and spread the vibes kid
I hear that funky tune
now now now now
now now
Whooooooooooo
spread spread spread the vibes
spread it spread it
now-now now-now now-now now-now
watch this
mm-mm
ah bap bap bap bow

Watch me now you hear me now

Uh now, now, now

Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)
Whatever bubbles, bubbles up... (I feeeeeel)
Come follow me around come follow me now (yeah, yeah-eah)

Comments

[steve]

I love this video, too. It's got a great feel. Too bad it came and went so quickly.

[Meona]

I have been Happily Haunted by this cheeky HipHop vid; and seemingly Forever [a decade, at least!] looking for the source of this '90's song ...
THANK YOU! so much for posting the Lyrics, which led me to the source ...!!!
Much Gratitude!!