ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Pepper" by The Butthole Surfers

Hey Todd, I don't know if you even read these comments or not, but the lyrics to this song actually always remind me of an *entirely* different song tradition from my part of the world, specifically the so called (at least in English) Sadistic Verse. <a href="http://anthropologie.kunstkamera.ru/files/pdf/eng005/lurie.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://anthropologie.kunstkamera.ru/files/pdf/eng005/lurie.pdf</a> You read a description of what this is here, but the tl;dr version is - Songs that feature people, sometimes children just dying off in various strange and sometimes hilarious ways. While a generally a Soviet and Eastern European phenomenon (I remember one such song actually being an absolute favorite of mine as a young child), the document also cites songwriters such as the ever brilliant Tom Lahrer as a Western example that would fit the genre. All of this is to say - Pepper would fit quite neatly into this genre as well. Just figured this would be an interesting chance to enrich one's musical knowledge.

Kalin

I thought of that too. I sure wouldn't be surprised if it was an influence.

Meowlissa

If you lived in LA in the mid-90s and listened to KROQ, "Pepper" was a huge, inescapable hit. I might have heard it more than "Wonderwall," and that's saying something. Luckily, it's awesome. There are countless 90s alt rock bands you could do here - Local H, Primitive Radio Gods, Toadies, Harvey Danger, Spacehog, Lit, Dishwalla, Marcy Playground, freaking Deep Blue Something - and I wouldn't mind seeing all of them lol. I miss those weird days.

Meowlissa

A lot of people seem to think this song is a rip-off of "Loser" by Beck, but I think it's a much bigger rip-off of the Jim Carroll Band's "People Who Died." Maybe I'm the only person who remembers that song.

Kellie Green

My google mini has things to say to you seemingly.

Adrian Burton

Is that amy??

Joe Bush

Hey, I remember that album! I got it as a Christmas gift when I was in middle school. Some of those tracks were pretty awesome, others were kind of meh.

Ah, yet another One Hit Wonderland where I see the title and say "Huh, I've never heard of that, guess I'm going to learn a little music history" then watch the video and go "OH THAT SONG!" Good video.

Martha Boatright

I'm fairly certain that "Jingle" is about a dead dog? Gibby introduced the song about his dog that "learned to fly." And he wants to hear the dog's collar jingle because he misses the dog.

James Eldred

I absolutely love this song. It makes me think of laying down on a hill and watching the clouds go by. I’m so happy to wake up to this episode of One Hit Wonderland.

Gene Younkin

I remember them doing a cover of the theme song from the Underdog cartoon.

Shawn Ravenfire

They had a track on the Spawn movie soundtrack .. remember it featured rock bands teaming up with DJs and dance acts to make this weird electro rock album.. and the Surfers teamed up with f***ing Moby for their track Tiny Rubber Bands. Well this was before Moby got big.

Gojirahawk

Did I hear Plothole Surfers?

Joss Strand

Hi Amy!

Grace

congrats krin

Crow