Texan English Translation?

For the last couple of days, I've had ZZ Top's song "Ten Foot Pole" stuck in my head, partly because it's the only one that I somehow forgot to copy off my albums to listen to in the car. (I used to have an audiotape of my favorite ZZ Top songs that played *continuously* when I drove my grandfather's El Camino. Trust me, no other music suited that truck. I made a CD to replace the long-lost tape recently, but realized when I listened to it that I had forgotten to mp3 Ten Foot Pole. Anyway...)

So I tracked the song down, and because it's impossible to figure out WTF they're saying, looked up the lyrics (see MORE)... Oddly enough, they're all done phonetically! I recall finding a "translated" version from Texan English (er, English With A Texan Accent) that made sense long ago, but now I can't find it... I can figure out a few phrases ("thang" = "thing", "ron wichoo" = wrong with you, "ron my nek" = "round my neck") but for the most part I'm lost too. Anyone have a clue what is actually being said here?

Ten Foot Pole Lyrics:

Tidify da, sinmah gough dah hep haing ding fum gogamamo.
Stry da fings thadd awondt oont do butt any il thang thad a wondt meeto.
Shees my nurirng my nu esit seten’ ra mind at a ros reshoo.
I don loo kadang doo my net loohah leten meen you

Try-da-fy thedit dern tasgoo
Itel dang ifl eeton if airs ron wichoo
Day me dy ron my nek
Thars a dang ana ding doo itan beegon

Shee kina sitn wita ly dou fang
Let it ang wit a itin imin babee
Ide oln lee pak da thangs yoodo
Letit ang ifen eeton wacha ron wichoo
I wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole.

I wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole.
You just don’t know what shape I’m in.

Posted by moggy at July 26, 2003 11:16 AM | TrackBack