Tragedy's A' Comin'

Album: Green Naugahyde (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the first single from Green Naugahyde, the seventh studio album by alternative rock group Primus. It marked the band's first new material since 2003's Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP.
  • Green Naugahyde is the first Primus album to feature the trio of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane who originally left Primus in 1988 before their Frizzle Fry debut set.
  • Claypool told Spin magazine the song's subject matter concerns the end of the world: "Lyrically, this is me focusing on eventual demise or at least the notion that big rain is coming and at some point I'm going to get pretty fu--ing wet."
  • Claypool told MusicRadar why he discussed such a dark subject matter with humor on this song: "There's a lot of crazy s--t in my life right now: My mom is fading away from us; she's not going to be around much longer. My little nephew was diagnosed with leukaemia at only two months old. I have friends battling cancer. When I wrote that song, I was just like, 'Holy f---ing hell…' Whatever metaphor you want to use: Into everyone's life a little rain must fall. Well, there you go – Tragedy's A-Comin'.

    The funny thing is, the music to that song is very uplifting. I love the contrast of it. From Tommy The Cat to Wynona's Big Brown Beaver, there's a lot of tragic figures in my music and Primus' music. It's just the way I exercise my demons, through these kinds of people."

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