"Okay, Todd, you go right ahead and enjoy that stick and coffee can."
What better way to welcome back the working week (after a long weekend and a Bears loss) than with a little bit of rhythmic anarchy?
Todd Rundgren's "Bang on the Drum All Day" is, by all accounts and measures, a pretty damn kitschy song, but taken in its entirety every now and again - it can be rather fun.
It's pretty much permeated the sports world since its release, becoming celebratory music for both NFL and NBA teams during games. I heard rumors that it was actually used by the Green Bay Packers to such an extent that it became an unofficial anthem for the team. This disheartened me so much that I nearly gave up on posting the song.
It also found its way into hundreds of television and radio commercials throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and why not, it's a catchy song, and if you wanna call him a sellout, fine - I'm sure he'll take it well, sitting on the piles of cash the sale must have brought in.
I just like it because I think it's hilarious. Pushing aside toys and candy as a toddler for a stick and coffee can and running home from work to air out aggression on a jerk of a boss?
I think we can all relate. But the best part is, hands down, the second verse.
When I get older, they think I'm a fool
The teacher told me I should stay after school
She caught me pounding on the desk with my hands
But my licks were so hot, I made the teacher want to dance.
..
That, my friends, is what it's all about.
Besides creating an entertaining-as-hell visual, who among us has not wanted to exact that kind of sweet revenge at some point in their lives?
The track fell into the 7 spot on Rundgren's 1983 album , which rather pointlessly included a cover of the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier." Rundgren should get mega points for conceding Small Faces fandom there, though it might all be lost in the blasphemy of believing it was a worthwhile exercise to outdo the Small Faces treatment, let alone Steve Marriott's vocal.
But at least it had "Bang on the Drum All Day." I wanted to make sure I wasn't relenting any musical credo by putting this song up and declaring my love for it, so I asked my friend John what he thought of the song. He answered in a typically hilarious fashion.
"Maybe I liked it when I was 8," he said. "But now I just can't help but think how irresponsible the whole premise is."
Point taken.
But it must be noted that he said this after complaing about having to go back to work today. So come on, John..
.
PS - I got notice that the links for the Traveling Wilburys' "Nobody's Child" and Gladys Knight and the Pips' "It's Time To Go Now" were not working for some readers, most likely on account of the apostrophes in their titles screwing up the links. I've reupped them without apostrophes in the file name, so if you couldn't get them before, you can scroll down and get them now.
If you could get them before...
then why'd you keep reading this postscript?
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