Mr. Pharmacist Can you help me out today In your usual lovely way Oh Mr. Pharmacist, I insist Can you give me something that will persist Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist, won't you please Give me some energy Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist
Hey Mr. Pharmacist I'll recommend you to my friend And they'll be happy in the end Oh Mr Pharmacist, can you help And send me on that magic trip Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist To ease your mind, you can stock me all the wintertime Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist
Hey Mr. Pharmacist Words cannot express The feeling that I suggest Oh Mr. Pharmacist, thank you indeed I'll drink all that vitamin D 1 Oh Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist, I'll be back With a handful of empty sack 2 Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist
The Fall
Mr. Pharmacist Can you help me out today In your usual lovely way Oh, Mr. Pharmacist, I insist That you give me some of that vitamin C 3 Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist won't you please Give me some energy Mr. Pharmacist Mr. Pharmacist
Hey Mr. Pharmacist I'll recommend you to my friends They'll be happy in the end Oh, Mr. Pharmacist can you help Send me on a 'delic kick 4 Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist use your mind 5 You better stock me up for the wintertime Mr. Pharmacist
Hey Mr. Pharmacist Words cannot express Feeling I suggest Oh, Mr. Pharmacist I can plead Gimme some of that powder I need 6 Mr. Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist, I'll be back With a handful of empty sack Mr. Pharmacist
Commentary
< Post in progress >
Footnotes
The Fall’s version cites “vitamin C” rather than D. See later note. ↩︎
Instead of the “vitamin D” of the original, presumably in tribute to the Can song, “Vitamin C” (1972). Smith’s version moves the line earlier in the lyric, and uses it in place of the original’s “Can you give me something that will persist”. ↩︎
“‘delic trip” meaning “psychedelic trip”, obviously. The Other Half’s original lyric referred to a “magic trip”, which is only slightly less obvious. MES did sometimes sing “magic trip” live. ↩︎
The Fall’s version of this line changes the meaning somewhat. Whereas The Other Half are suggesting that the pharmacist “ease your mind” by providing plentiful supplies up-front, The Fall are being more assertive in asking the pharmacist to “use your mind”. ↩︎
These lines, “Oh, Mr. Pharmacist I can plead / Gimme some of that powder I need” do not appear in the original. ↩︎
Sources / Links
Smith, Mark E. (2008). Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith. London: Penguin.
