Ermaline

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Anton, Fierro, Kimock, Murphy, Roland, Vega

A Robert Hunter lyric (not in "Box Of Rain") set to music by Zero

Greg Anton told a story about the writing of this song in an interview on Pairie Sun Presents in July 2020:

Zero had a song called Home On The Range, and we played it for two years - Hunter wrote the lyrics. And we're making a record at the Record Plant in Sausalito, and I said "Why don't we do 'Home On The Range' like a rock song?" Instead of a ballad, which it had been earlier. So the band goes "OK, let's try it". So we recorded a rock-n-roll version of it. We get to the chorus, and because the words were going so much faster, we ran out of words. So I called up Hunter, told him what was happening. I said "we need some extra words for this chorus". He says "All right". He comes down to the Record Plant a couple of hours later. He says "Play me the track". We play it to him, and he says "Do you have a pencil and paper? Play it again". He wrote lyrics to a new song as fast as the song played. So he wrote a four minute song in four minutes. He says "Give me a track" and he went into the vocal booth and sang the words he had just written in his way. Hunter said "To hell with that other song, here's a new one for you". And he walked out the door. And so he wrote it - it was a great song too. It's called Ermaline. With some great lines: "Ermaline, she's so mean. She get's her cologne from a magazine. She's so cheap and that's a fact, she rubs it on her body and puts it back on the rack".".

Three for a dollar, six for a dime
I've got to have a talk with that girl of mine
Driving me every which way but sane
I want to get that feeling again

Now I'm just sitting, watching TV
With the plug pulled out, there ain't much to see
Think about the way things used to be
Think about monkeys in a monkey tree

She gets on my case when I'm feeling high
But she brings me up when I think I'll die
Ermaline

Now Ermaline's cheap, she's so mean
She uses cologne from a magazine
She don't even buy them, and that's a fact
Rub it on her body, puts it back on the rack

Strange combination, her and me
Make me believe in destiny
Hang around till the gig is through
I'll take you home and marry you

She gets on my case when I'm feeling high
But she brings me up when I think I'll die
Ermaline

Summertime and the living is rough
The government sucks and I've had enough
Come here, baby, show me your stuff
You're soft in the middle with your outside tough

I love you, you love me
The rest costs money, but that's for free
I'll split this can of beans with you
But we'll split the world before we're through

You bring me down when I'm feeling high
Then you jack me up when I think I've died
Ermaline