Pepper (song)
1996 single by Butthole Surfers
title: "Pepper (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1996-singles", "1996-songs", "butthole-surfers-songs", "capitol-records-singles", "electronic-rock-songs", "psychedelic-rap-songs", "rap-rock-songs", "spoken-word-songs", "songs-about-death", "songs-about-texas"] description: "1996 single by Butthole Surfers" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1996 single by Butthole Surfers ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Pepper |
| cover | Pepper Butthole Surfers.jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | Butthole Surfers |
| album | Electriclarryland |
| B-side | Let's Talk About Cars |
| released | |
| * Electronic rock<ref name | "EW"/ |
| * rap rock{{cite web | url |
| * psychedelic rap<ref name | "Eddy 1997" |
| * spoken word<ref name | "EW" |
| length | 4:57 |
| label | Capitol |
| producer | Steve Thompson |
| prev_title | Good King Wencenslaus/The Lord Is a Monkey |
| prev_year | 1994 |
| next_title | Jingle of a Dog's Collar |
| next_year | 1996 |
| misc | {{Audio sample |
| type | single |
| file | Butthole Surfers - Pepper.ogg |
| description | "Pepper" |
| :: |
| name = Pepper | cover = Pepper Butthole Surfers.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Butthole Surfers | album = Electriclarryland | B-side = Let's Talk About Cars | released = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre =
- Electronic rock
- rap rock
- psychedelic rap
- spoken word | length = 4:57 | label = Capitol | writer =
- Gibby Haynes
- Paul Leary
- King Coffey | producer = Steve Thompson | prev_title = Good King Wencenslaus/The Lord Is a Monkey | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = Jingle of a Dog's Collar | next_year = 1996 | misc = {{Audio sample | type = single | file = Butthole Surfers - Pepper.ogg | description = "Pepper" "Pepper" is a song by American alternative rock band Butthole Surfers from their seventh studio album, Electriclarryland (1996). Released on April 11, 1996, the track reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, becoming the top-ranked song of 1996 on the former listing. In Australia, the song peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was ranked number four on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1996. It also reached number two on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30 and number 32 in New Zealand.
Composition and lyrics
"Pepper" opens with the chorus guitar riff, slowed down to half speed. The song shifts from spoken word verses to sung choruses. The lyrics of the verses list ten characters and describes how some either die or escape a brush with death.
The song also contains the bridge played in reverse. The reversed words are the first and last lines of the chorus: "I don't mind the sun sometimes; the images it shows; you never know just how you look through other people's eyes."
According to Spike TV, who put the song on their list of "The Top 10 Hits the Band Wishes Didn't Exist", the song was written as "a send-up of Beck". However, in an interview with the Hartford Courant the year of the single's release, drummer King Coffey cited Massive Attack, Tricky and Soul II Soul as influences on the sound.
Music video
The video for "Pepper", directed by Gavin Bowden, features 1960s style news clip-like footage of a group of people being arrested in a Texas hotel for kidnapping while newscasters and cameramen crowd around. The kidnapping victim, rescued by the police, is portrayed by Erik Estrada. Singer Gibby Haynes is portrayed as the ringleader, and is shown being interviewed by reporters as police gather evidence. The newsreel segment is filmed in 16mm black and white, and is broken up by 1960s-style color footage, showing the band performing on a show much like American Bandstand. This performance footage is interspersed with 1960s style enactments of cooking and variety shows. The police and Estrada are repeatedly shown eating corn from a can, which, according to the director, is "a reference to the way videos are made; how directors have to have this shot and that shot – how they're spoon-feeding images to the audience."
Track listings
US CD and maxi-cassette single
- "Pepper" (edit)
- "Pepper" (album version)
- "Let's Talk About Cars"
UK CD single
- "Pepper"
- "Hybrid" UK limited-edition 7-inch red vinyl single :A. "Pepper" (single edit) :B. "Pepper" (Butcha' Bros remix)
European CD single
- "Pepper"
- "Hybrid"
- "Pepper" (Butcha' Bros. remix)
- "The Lord Is a Monkey" (demo)
Charts
Weekly charts
::data[format=table] | Chart (1996) | Peak position | US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard) | US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) | US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) | US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard) | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 26 | | | | | | | 19 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 38 | | | | | | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table]
| Chart (1996) | Position | Australia (ARIA) | Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM) | US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) | US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | |||||
| 31 | |||||
| 80 | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| :: |
Release history
::data[format=table]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 11, 1996 | Capitol | |||||
| September 16, 1996 | ||||||
| :: |
Cover version
On September 2, 2010, Hesta Prynn and Shawn Crahan of Slipknot released a cover of "Pepper" as a 7-inch vinyl single. The B-side of the single is the previously unreleased track "Seven Sisters".
References
References
- Earles, Andrew. (January 4, 2013). "Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums". [[Spin (magazine).
- Eddy, Chuck. (March 22, 1997). "The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music". [[Da Capo Press]].
- Anderson, Kyle. "What is the best '90s alt-rock one-hit wonder?".
- (December 26, 2008). "Triple J Hottest 100 1996". [[Australian Broadcasting Company]].
- "The Top 10 Hits the Band Wishes Didn't Exist".
- (October 16, 1996). "'PEPPER' PUTS SURFERS IN MAINSTREAM".
- (1996). "Pepper". [[Capitol Records]].
- (1996). "Pepper". Capitol Records.
- (1996). "Pepper". Capitol Records.
- (1996). "Pepper". Capitol Records.
- (1996). "Pepper". Capitol Records.
- (July 27, 1996). "Radio Songs".
- (August 10, 1996). "Mainstream Rock Airplay".
- (July 6, 1996). "Alternative Airplay".
- (September 14, 1996). "Pop Airplay".
- "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". [[Australian Recording Industry Association.
- "RPM Year End Alternative 30".
- (December 27, 1996). "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks".
- Campbell, Chuck. (January 2, 1997). "Musically, 1996 Was Lackluster". [[E. W. Scripps Company]].
- Morris, Chris. (March 30, 1996). "Capitol's Butthole Surfers Journey into 'Larryland'".
- (September 14, 1996). "New Releases: Singles".
- (September 2, 2010). "Hesta Prynn interview with Spinner n the Pepper single".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::