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This was another of David Sayer’s instrumentals from 2010 in which I added the lyrics and a vocal melody. I remember David giving me the memo that the track was to be called ‘Maladjusted Maid’ and that it needed to appear in the song lyrics. David was great with coming up with titles – he came up with ‘Shock Octopus’ after all.

I had another song I was writing at the time ‘Anywhere but Here’ so I mushed the two ideas together and the song came together. The band then honed the song over time; Scott brought the dynamics, Dave brought the texture. We ended up with a piece that was quite refined and structured for this era of the band – quiet, contemplative verses contrast with the chugging driving chorus contrast with the breakdown in the bridge. It was an early stab at epic rock stylings through the prism of our early sound.

In terms of the song’s performance, ‘Maladjusted Maid’ did okay played live and when released as the middle track of our self-titled EP, it complemented our sound nicely but without anyone calling it their favourite. I remember a couple of reviewers likening it to a Suede B-side as a backhanded compliment. I think it is telling that it was the only track on the EP not to make it to the ‘A Crisis!’ album. Personally, I like the song but I also get that it is early Shock Octopus at our most conventional. One problem is that the chorus chords are a little similar to a well-known 80s hit so I was careful for the vocal melody to be different. The resulting melody is a little vanilla, which meant it often got lost in the instrumental crunch during early live performances and failed to give the song the lift that it needed during acoustic gigs.

This dissonance in the songs trajectory is a bit of a shame as its lyrics are easily the best I’ve ever written. My challenge was to find a narrative home from two words “Maladjusted Maid” and the result was a paean to escapism vs stoicism, full of vivid, and dare I say clever imagery. I particularly like the line: ‘My mind is firm cast, it wanders its own past, I fear life I fear the future, a stoic cell of psychic sutures.’ A universal truth or am I just speaking for myself?

This version of ‘Maladjusted Maid’ is the definitive version of the song – it needs the right production to make it sing – and we still have a great affection for it. So we are honoured to give ‘Maladjusted Maid’ new life as the B-side to the ‘Deer’ single.

- Michael Bayliss
Shock Octopus

lyrics

A maladjusted maid
Not one for servitude
Said 'I slipped and feel to earth
'It's only an interlude'
Our lips touched briefly
Her shifting taste of salt and sea
Said 'shackled man oh take my hand
away from here, away from land.'

Fly to Armenia
Ride the waves on Echo Beach and
Hide it out in Shangri-La
Anywhere but here
Through the strawberry fields
Beyond the stratosphere and
Up above the solar fields
Anywhere but here

My mind is firm cast
It wanders its own past
I fear life I fear the future
A stoic cell of psychic sutures

Aurorus Nebula
Shall we head straight for Jupiter and
Bide our time in Europa
Anywhere but here
Through jets of Enceladus
Scale cliffs of Valles Marineris
Never ever we'd adhere
Anywhere but here

She cried 'come fly with me
Fly seeds that ride the breeze'
But I am gnarled my branches boughed
They've been pointing at the ground now
She cried 'come fly with me
two souls that run free'
But I have anchored all my roots now
My inner wars go ever round

She flies to Armenia
Rides the waves on Echo Beach and
Hitting high in Shangri-La
And I will still be here
Not through strawberry fields
Not above the stratosphere and
Not above the solar fields
And I will always be here

credits

from A Deer! Caught! In The Headlights!, released May 28, 2021
Music: David Sayers
Lyrics: Michael Bayliss

Drums: Scott Andrews
Vocals and Keyboards: Michael Bayliss
Bass and Backing Vox: David Blair
Guitar: David Sayers

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Shock Octopus Perth, Australia

Contemplative, Existential, Art Rock.

A collective stream of consciousness and social commentary by Michael Bayliss, David Blair and Scott Andrews.

Ride the waves!

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