Detachable Penis
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“Detachable Penis” | |||||
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Single by King Missile from the album Happy Hour |
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Released | 1992 | ||||
Genre | Avant-garde, alternative rock | ||||
Length | 3:22 | ||||
Label | Atlantic Records | ||||
Writer(s) | John S. Hall, Roger Murdock, Dave Rick, Chris Xefos | ||||
Producer | Kramer, Steve Watson, King Missile | ||||
King Missile singles chronology | |||||
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"Detachable Penis" is a song by American avant-garde band King Missile. It was the first single from the band's 1992 album Happy Hour, and became a modest hit, reaching #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[1]
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[edit] Lyrical content
In "Detachable Penis," frontman John S. Hall recites a deadpan monologue in which he portrays the owner of the eponymous organ. Apparently a resident of Manhattan's East Village, the narrator awakens with a bad hangover to discover that his detachable penis is missing. He searches his apartment, calls the location of the party he attended the night before, and queries numerous acquaintances, but is unable to recover his penis.
Depressed, he goes to the Kiev Restaurant for breakfast, and afterwards, while walking "down Second Avenue, toward St. Mark's Place," discovers his penis for sale "on a blanket next to a broken toaster oven." The man selling the penis wants $22 for it, but the narrator is able to "talk him down to seventeen." He takes his penis home, washes it off, and reattaches it. With his penis back in place, he is "happy again: complete."
The lyrics contain several possible double entendres, including "This comes in handy a lot of the time," "I told them if it pops up to let me know," and the final line, "Even though sometimes it's a pain in the ass, I like having a detachable penis."[2]
[edit] Musical content
The music of "Detachable Penis" consists largely of a distorted, delay-treated electric guitar riff backed by organ and drum grooves with brief lead guitar improvisation. For most of the track, the titular phrase is sung with an interval of approximately four seconds.
[edit] Music video
The video for "Detachable Penis" was directed by Richard Kern at the suggestion of drummer Roger Murdock. Hall called Kern "the perfect choice."[3] The video consists of a literal visual depiction of the song's narrative, interspersed with shots of the band performing and an anonymous woman simulating attaching and detaching the titular organ (represented by a dildo complete with artificial scrotum and testicles).[4]
[edit] Commercial performance and effect on band
According to Hall, the commercial success of "Detachable Penis" led to a commercial backlash: "[A]fter that CD [Happy Hour], we didn't really get a lot of airplay. A few stations continued to be supportive, but I think that the success of 'Detachable' resulted in a lot of people getting pretty tired of what we were doing. That is one of the bad things about having a 'hit.'"[5]
Moreover, says Hall, the band realized that the song had drawn in many casual fans who didn't care about the rest of the group's material; thus, the band began to play the song "early in the set, so that the people who didn't like us could leave, and we could play for the people who cared. That worked out well. People did leave."[5]
[edit] Interpretations
"Detachable Penis" has been subject to a wide array of interpretations. Some people take the lyrics at face value, while others see the story as an elaborate metaphor.[6] In his review of Happy Hour, Michael C. Harris of Rolling Stone wrote of the song: "A parable of self-emasculation? Who knows? And Hall's not telling."[7]
[edit] Misattributions
"Detachable Penis" is frequently misattributed to a disparate array of bands, including The Flaming Lips, Primus, Butthole Surfers, Nada Surf, Ween, Dead Milkmen, The Cramps, Rollins Band, CAKE, The Jesus Lizard, Placebo, Devo, and King Crimson.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ King Missile Singles Peak Chart Positions. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Lyrics: Detachable Penis. Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Videography. Laundry Lists of Nonsense. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Video: Detachable Penis. YouTube (2006-11-11). Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ a b Prindle, Mark (2003). Interview with John S. Hall. Prindle Rock and Roll Record Review Site. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Interpretations: Detachable Penis. Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ Harris, Michael C. (1993-03-18). King Missile: Happy Hour: Album Review. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ "Detachable Penis" Track Title Search. Last.fm. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
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