“Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep”
by Sky Saxon and The Seeds
2004 song
The Red Planet album takes a surprising turn with the song "Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep". Everything that preceded it was fuzzy garage rock but "Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep" comes across like some Italian folk waltz. The genius thing about it is that, although The Seeds that it’s credited to are not the 1960s Seeds members, it sounds exactly what Daryl, Jan, and Rick might have sounded like had they tried something like this.
Sky Saxon, at least, is present, and as always on the album he is having a ball, despite the somberness of the lyrics. Left to his own devices Sky’s melodies often crystallized into single-note ranting, but the prettiness of "Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep" forces him to carry the tune which – don’t forget – he absolutely could. Not that he is abandoning who he is; note the passionately sung lines:
Save all the animals
Save all the animals
Save all the animals now!
It’s just that now he’s doing it on a scenic back alley in a seaside village in Sicily, smiling accordion player at the end of the road and the smell of the local bakery in the air. "Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep" is an anomaly on Red Planet but it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs thanks to the band’s consistency and Sky Saxon’s conviction.
