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Famous Tracheotomies Lyrics by Okkervil River

In the Rainbow Rain

2018

[Verse 1]
When I had my tracheotomy
I was blue and had stopped breathing
There was something wrong with me
Doctors cut through the cartilage and skin
At the bottom of my throat
And then they snaked that trach tube in
[Chorus 1]
And I was one and a half
I was my parents only kid
And they had lost two before that
And growing up, I always knew how close I'd come
Well, that must have been scary, Mom
[Verse 2]
Gary Coleman, he was "Arnold" on TV
Well, I grew up watching him and Conrad Bain and Kimberly
It turns out that he had a trach scar too
Where they cut into his throat
And then they threaded that tube through
[Chorus 2]
But that was much later on
In the year that he turned forty when his fanbase was all gone
And his health was so touch-and-go
His girlfriend proposed
But they broke up on a TV show
[Verse 3]
Mary Wells, she was known as Motown's Queen
But laryngeal cancer left her unable to sing
They tried radiation, multiple surgeries
But she didn't have insurance and lost almost everything
Poor thing
[Chorus 3]
But Diana Ross helped with her bills
Aretha Franklin tried her very best to help out Mary Wells
And Dionne Warwick did all she could do
And Mary Wells, she pulled through
For one more year or two
[Verse 4]
Dylan Thomas looked completely pale and weak
On a trip to New York City to promote his poetry
Three straight days of drinking out in Greenwich and Chelsea
He was taken to the hospital, turned blue and not breathing
[Chorus 4]
And Caitlin Thomas said
When she walked into St Vincent's
"Is the bloody man dead yet?"
And later that day she got so drunk she was restrained
And her husband slipped away
[Verse 5]
Ray Davies had a tracheotomy
He was at St. Thomas' Hospital in London, aged thirteen
And during his long recovery
Nurses put him in a wheelchair
And they'd wheel him out onto a balcony (on a balcony)
[Chorus 5]
And down that evening sun did sink
Painting London and the river and that freaked-out future Kink
Waterloo lit up for one sick kid
And, at 23, he recorded a song about it
Credits
Okkervil River

Okkervil River

About “Famous Tracheotomies” by Okkervil River

Read the complete lyrics to "Famous Tracheotomies" by Okkervil River from the album "In the Rainbow Rain" in 2018. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Famous Tracheotomies" is performed by Okkervil River. from the album "In the Rainbow Rain" in 2018 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Famous Tracheotomies", explore more songs by Okkervil River using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Famous Tracheotomies" is credited to Okkervil River. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Famous Tracheotomies" appears on "In the Rainbow Rain" in 2018.

Visit the Okkervil River artist page at /artist/okkervil-river for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.