Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen

B.S. Side A label, 2019

**"Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen"** is a composition which has alternately been credited to N. Senada and Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman.

It is best known via its 1971 interpretation by Residents, Uninc., featured on their 1971 demo album *B.S.*.

## History

The first known recorded version of this piece features on Residents, Uninc.'s 1971 demo tape *B.S.*, which was released officially for the first time in a limited edition in April 2019.

## Orchestral version

Following the untimely death of Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman on July 1st 1987, "Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen" was given an "orchestral boost" by The Residents, with a horn section being overdubbed onto the original recording. This version was originally intended as intermission music for the group's private performance at the Snakey Wake.

The "orchestral" version of "Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen" is thought to have only been aired once, as part of a radio special on Dutch radio station VPRO in 1988; despite briefly being considered for release on one of the UWEB fan club compilations in the early 1990s, the master tape was later said by Hardy Fox to have possibly been lost. A recording of this version from the radio special has circulated among fans.

## Lyrics

```
Der Prune, Der Prune
Der Prune is dead
Lying in his bed
Der Prune, Der Prune
Der Prune is dead
Now Der Prune is...

```

## List of releases

* *B.S.* (1971, released 2019)
* *Philip Charles Lithman AKA Snakefinger 1949 - 1987* (1992)
* *A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big* (2019)

#### List of versions

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 San Mateo home recording, August-November 1971 (5:47)
2. ↑ San Mateo home recording, August-November 1971 (edit, 2:30)

## See also

* N. Senada
* Snakefinger
* A Live Radio Broadcast
* *Pollex Christi*
* *1-10 (With a Touch of 11)*

## External links and references

1. ↑ Tzoq, "The Mysterious N. Senada", RzWeb (via archive.org)
2. ↑ Hardy Fox, VPRO radio interview, 1988
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Uncle Willie, "Q+A", UWEB Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 2½, June 1990

**Side A**
"We Stole This Riff" · "Holelottadick" · "B.S." · "Deepsea Diver Song" · "King Kong" · "**Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen**"
**Side B**
"Somethin' Devilish" · "The Fourth Crucifixion" · "Hallowed Be Thy Wean" ("Pink Lemonade" · "Sandman" · "Eat Me Mother" · "Bumble Bee" · "Eloise" · "Somethin' Devilish" · "Kamakazi Lady" · "D For Doorknob" · "The Three Most Important Things In The Whole Wide World")
**Personnel**
Residents, Uninc. · Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman · N. Senada · Peggy Honeydew (Margaret Smyk)
**Related works**
The Boarding House performance ("Intro Tape '71") · "A Live Radio Broadcast" · Philip's Wedding · Chris' Party · *ERA B474* · *The Delta Nudes' Greatest Hiss* · *A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big*
**Related articles**
*The W\*\*\*\*\* B\*\*\* Album* · San Mateo apartment · Hal Halverstadt · Porno Graphics · Tim Buckley · Led Zeppelin · Frank Zappa · Randy Newman · *Vileness Fats*‏‏‎

**Major works**
*Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor* (1970) · *The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger* (1970) · *The W\*\*\*\*\* B\*\*\* Album* (1971) · *B.S.* (1971) · *Santa Dog* (1972)
**Other recordings**
"I Hear Ya Got Religion" / "Moonman" (1969) · *1-10 (With A Touch of 11)* (1972)
**Compilation albums**
*ERA B474* (2012) · *The Delta Nudes' Greatest Hiss* (2013) · *The Residents Present The Delta Nudes* (2016) · *A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big* (2019) · *Warning: Uninc.* (2022)
**Live shows**
The Boarding House, October 18th 1971 · Philip's Wedding, October 31st 1971 · Chris' Party, February 12th 1972
**Collaborators**
Randy Rose · Charles Bobuck · Hardy Fox · Homer Flynn · Palmer Eiland · Roger "Bunny" Hartley · Jay Clem · John Kennedy · Roland Sheehan · Bob Tangney · Jim Whitaker · N. Senada · Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman · Peggy Honeydew (Margaret Swaton) · The Singing Lawn Chairs (Pamela Zeibak)
**Related articles**
San Mateo apartment · Hal Halverstadt · Porno Graphics · Sycamore St. studio · Ralph Records · The Residents · *Vileness Fats* · *Meet The Residents* · *The Third Reich 'n Roll* · "Satisfaction" · "Aphids In The Hall" · The Cryptic Corporation · *WB:RMX*‎‎‏‏‎

**Compositions**
Pollex Christi (1936-1937) · Cantaten und Symphonen mit Eine Poem (1969?) · Cantaten und Symphonen for der Saxophonen und Violinen with P.C. Lithman (1971?) · **Cantaten to der Dyin Prunen** with P.C. Lithman (1971?)
**Music theory**
Theory of Phonetic Organization {*Meet The Residents*) · Theory of Obscurity (*Not Available*)
**Work with The Residents**
*The W\*\*\*\*\* B\*\*\* Album* (1971) · A Live Radio Broadcast (1971) · *B.S.* (1971) · *1-10 (With A Touch of 11)* (1972) · *Vileness Fats* (1972-1976) · *Eskimo* (1979) · *Pollex Christi* (1997)
**Live appearances**
Philip Lithman and N. Senada live appearances (ca. 1971) · The Boarding House performance with Residents, Uninc. (1971) · Philip's Wedding with Residents, Uninc. (1971) · Chris' Party with Residents, Uninc. (1972) · Oh Mummy! Oh Daddy! with The Residents (1976) · Snakey Wake performance (1987)
**Related articles** Max Steinway · Hardy Fox · Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman · The Delta Nudes · Residents, Uninc. · "Eloise" · "Kamakazi Lady" · Andrew Hook · *O for Obscurity, Or, The Story of N.*