On the wall in his room
Two bottles of tequila
Three cats and a broom
He's got an 18-year-old angel
And she's all dressed in black
He's got 15 bindles of cocaine
Tied up in a sack
And this here's a government experiment
And we're driving like hell
To give some cowboys some acid
And to stay in motels
We're gonna eat up some wide open spaces
Like it was a cruise on the Nile
Take the hands off the clock
We're gonna be here awhile
And I am the eye of Fatima
On the wall of the motel room
And cowboys on acid
Are like Eygyptian cartoons
And no one ever conquered Wyoming
From the left or from the right
But you can stay in motel rooms
Stay up all night
Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk, folk, alternative, country, and world music, amongst other genres. The band initially polarized audiences within the hardcore punk scene of California's Inland Empire and then found wider acceptance and, eventually, an international audience. Their strong iconoclasm and emphasis on do-it-yourself values proved influential to the burgeoning indie rock movement.
The band's first three independent records were released within an 18-month period. Their debut single was "Take the Skinheads Bowling". The group signed to Virgin Records in 1987, released two albums and enjoyed chart success with their 1989 cover of Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men", a number one hit on Billboard Magazine's Modern Rock Tracks. They disbanded the following year due to internal tensions.
Lead singer David Lowery formed Cracker, David Immerglück joined Counting Crows, and several other members played in Monks of Doom. Beginning in 1999, the former members reunited and made several new records.
