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Look Out For The Cheese!

from The Akai Years (1979​-​84) by John Tabacco

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about

Words and Music © 1982 by John Tabacco

This convoluted tune was the basis for the 2014 Tabacco & Kearns composition "Look Out For John Cleese".

"Look out for the cheese" was a phrase Nick DiMauro would occasionally shout out (in his best Alan Arkin imitation) in the long echoing hallway of the music section of the Staller Center at Stony Brook University. It never failed to make me laugh.

Some of the lyrics actually pertain to a fellow musician I knew at Stony Brook by the name of Mitch Raygenbogen. He wasn't the shapest music student in our class but man he could play the piano and sing the hell out of any Steely Dan tune. Always a 1/2 step higher than the original recording but nonetheless he was great. Once and a while he would sing this original song he wrote that was clearly inspired by Steely Dan's song "Third World Man". It was a very cool, jazzy tune and it had this one phrase "My Little Boy" that he sang so high in his upper range that it used to crack me, Nick DiMauro and my sister up. Wild! Unfortunately, Mitch had a hard time graduating from Stony Brook University (I think he was 10 years older than us) because he had way too many unpaid parking tickets! His car was loaded with them! What a character! Continually high and giggling! I wonder what happened to him?

lyrics

LOOK OUT FOR THE CHEESE

Look Out For The Cheese!
In the envelopes - the advertising sleeze - boy!
Along with the cheap diplomas
Photocopied in black and red and green

Look Out For The Cheese!
A phrase that Nicky screamed to signify a sneeze gone by
(Speaking of which)
What has become of Mitchell?
Does he still sing his “My Little Boy” song?
Or has he retreated with stocking face and wine to a “Howard Johnsons”

Locked up in some room
Dreaming of the day he sings D. Fagen all his tunes for Walter too
I can hear him say: ”These guys they should hear me sing”.

But something tells me it won’t be so soon
He’s got too many parking fines to deal with
Oh, watch them repossess his “Gaucho” album now!

Look Out For The Cheese!
Look out - It’s crawling on your sleeve - boy
You’re not high enough for Mitchell

credits

from The Akai Years (1979​-​84), released November 29, 2014
JT : Vocals, Drums Organ
Recorded at Suburban Hermit Studios I
St. James, NY

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John Tabacco Stony Brook, New York

John Tabacco is a composer, singer-songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and visual artist.

Like an unfolding musical diary / puzzle, Tabacco’s music and art are constantly being re-worked, juxtaposed and intertwined.

For more info : www.johntabacco.net ... more

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