Lightning-Rod Man

Album: Lightning-Rod Man (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Lightning-Rod Man" was an early effort by Lowell George, who recorded the song with his pre-Little Feat band, The Factory. George wrote the song with his friend Martin Kibbee and also played guitar and sang on it. Actually, "sang" is giving him too much credit - George really just screeched out the vocals like a lunatic. The song is either avant-garde or a musical dumpster fire, depending on your perspective. You'd never guess it's the same guy who led Little Feat, one of the most musically adept and thoroughly respected groups of the '70s. The drummer on "Lightning-Rod Man," Richie Hayward, also joined Little Feat. Martin Kibbee continued writing songs with George, some of which ended up with Little Feat, including one of their most famous songs, "Dixie Chicken."
  • The song was inspired by an 1854 Herman Melville story called The Lightning-rod Man about a guy who sells lightning rods during a thunder storm. It's one of Melville's lesser-known works - you'll know him for Moby Dick.
  • "Lightning-Rod Man" was recorded in 1966 or thereabouts, but it wasn't released until 1993 when it appeared on a compilation called Lightning-Rod Man that includes lots of early material from Lowell George. In 2000 it showed up on the Little Feat boxed set Hotcakes & Outtakes.
  • You won't be surprised to learn that Frank Zappa had a hand in this song - he produced it. In 1966 Lowell George auditioned for Zappa, who was impressed enough to produce the song for George's band The Factory. Three years later, George joined Zappa's backing band, the Mothers Of Invention. That wasn't a good fit, and George left the group a short time later to form Little Feat, where he emulated Zappa's authoritative style of leadership.
  • Lowell George called this song "a cross between 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-haaa' and Ian and Sylvia."

    "They're Coming To Take Me Away" was a novelty song from 1966 about a guy who loses his mind. Ian and Sylvia were a Canadian folk duo.

Comments: 1

  • Mr. Smartypants from ConnecticutWow you are waaaaaay off. He walks in the STORM (hence lightning. Get it?) He carries his old brass POLE ( as in LIGHTNING ROD)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.