August 20, 2006
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
New York City goofballs the Sea Monkeys were a funny, hyperspeed garage band that put out several records, mostly on the Vital Music label. 
They punked it up from the mid-1980s through the whole ‘90s and recently played a reunion gig in Brooklyn, about 2,850 miles from where I now live.
My favorite song by these tiny aquatic hucksters was a little ditty called “Secret Sign,” wherein the nerdy protagonist boasts of his occult Masonic knowledge, esoteric rituals and insider connections:
You thought I was a shlub ‘Til I joined a special club We meet every Tuesday night. I’m not stupid any more I can open any door Since I took that sacred rite! – Right!
After the Sea Monkeys got broked up, frontman Dave the Spazz sang for the Shemps for a few years, but he’s better-known to WFMU listeners for his beloved long-running Music to Spazz By educational radio show. Guitarist Andy Maltz went on to form the fantabulous Little Killers.
Two years ago, a Bay Area christian band decided to “cover” this song. The Knights of the New Crusade are a collection of born-again garage rockers whose unusual ministry calls them to proselytize in a rather smug, take-no-prisoners manner that some unbelievers perceive as a tad obnoxious. For example, the Knights’ first album (wherefrom you can get the track below) is entitled My God is Alive! Sorry About Yours!: Songs in Praise of Our Lord God and in Condemnation of Sin. Try saying that three times fast with a dick in your mouth!
Supposedly there’s a second CD called Knight Beat: A Challenge to the Cowards of Christendom where they exhort their fellow jesus freaks to get all medieval on Satan’s ass. The Knights’ version of “Secret Sign” is surprisingly rocking, and faithful (get it?) to the original – however much the lyrics were altered to conform to a slightly different Dark Ages mythos.
The Sea Monkeys – “Secret Sign”
The Knights of the New Crusade – “Secret Sign”
Rick at 9:48 pm
2 Commentsﾈ
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Both versions are great, thanks stub!
Comment by dave ﾑ August 21, 2006 @ 4:22 am
The Sea Monkeys should’ve sung
Hey! Hey! We’re the (can you guess it) Sea Monkeys.
Of course, moi wrote
Hey! Hey! We’re The Humans.
Comment by Wﾃつｶﾃつｶﾃつｶ___World's Funniest Singin' Iconoclast___ﾃつｶﾃつｶﾃつｶ ﾑ August 23, 2006 @ 7:12 am