Frank Turner - The Zeitbeast lyrics

Are you sitting comfortably? Let me
Tell you all a story
About a friendly little creature
Called the Zeitbeast he’s like a tiny cow
With the temperament of a dog
And the nervous roving eyes of an artiste
Some say he’s from the Delta
Or that he belonged to Frank Sinatra
Or maybe Miles Davis
(though he was into cats)
All I know for certain is that
He ended up with Elvis
And that wherever that beast lays
That’s where it’s at

He’s the Zeitbeast
If you try to pet him too hard
Then the Zeitbeast will run away
But, if you’re gentle
Open and relaxed the Zeitbeast
Will likely stay
Regardless of where he’s from
Where he’s headed is the question
That should exercise the
Curious cultured mind
Because wherever he ends up
He’s at the centre of a
Certain kind of circle
Which I’ll try here to define
You see the Zeitbeast doesn’t hang
Out with the cool kids
The cool kids always try and hang with him
He likes the taste of new ideas and
The smell of those who mean it
And the kind of people the
Cool kids don’t let in

So he was snuffling round
Sunset in the sixties
Until the scenesters scared him
Off to London Town
He hung out at the Marquee
With Hendrix and the Yardbirds
While all that heavy shit was going down
The seventies found him stuck in CBGBs
Until he snuck uptown to Studio 54
And later back up in Manchester
In the midst of that loving second summer
Folks said they saw him sniffing
Round the Hacienda’s back door
And he'll be sniffing around for evermore

Where is the Zeitbeast now?
If you’re looking you won’t find
Him anyhow here’s the deal:
He’s not a mascot, not your pet
He likes the smell of honest sweat
He’s yet to play the clarinet
Like an elephant he never forgets

He’s looking for a soulmate who’s not
Scared to bear their soul
With a clear set of ideals and
The Zeitbeast at your heels
You’ll find your rock and roll