Punk Rock Girl
"Punk Rock Girl" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Dead Milkmen | ||||
from the album Beelzebubba | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | December 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Studio | Arlyn Studios (Austin, Texas) | |||
Genre |
| |||
Length | 2:40 | |||
Label | Enigma | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
The Dead Milkmen singles chronology | ||||
|
"Punk Rock Girl" is a song by American
The song was recorded with producer Brian Beattie in
The track was the group's biggest commercial hit; it peaked at number eleven on
Background
"Punk Rock Girl" was written several years prior to its recording, primarily by Genaro and Schulthise. Genaro had just graduated from Temple University and was working in its library when a musician friend spoke about wanting to write a punk rock-inflected nursery rhyme. Using this as his basis melodically, Genaro wrote much of the song but stalled when running out of words that rhymed with "girl". He enlisted the assistance of Schulthise, who contributed a reference to comedian Minnie Pearl, as well as the word "beau". The two were uncertain it would fit within the Dead Milkmen's catalogue, and took to performing it within a side project they called Ornamental Wigwam. They received positive responses from audiences, who suggested they share it with their main band, though it took them several years to do so.[1]
Composition
"Punk Rock Girl" has alternately been described as a
The song also makes reference to
Recording and production
Eventually, the song was recorded for the band's fourth album, Beelzebubba (1988). It was produced by friend Brian Beattie, and recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas. The group had forged a friendship with the producer over the years, having hosted each other when performing in the band's hometown of Philadelphia, and in Texas, where Beattie resided. They had previously worked with the producer on their last album, Bucky Fellini (1987). The album was recorded over the period of a month, during which the group rented a home with a pool, which made them "[feel] like rock stars." The album was largely recorded live in the studio's main tracking room, with vocals overdubbed in one week later. Mike Stewart engineered the sessions, and was credited as the album's co-producer.[1]
Beattie suggested incorporating an
Music video
The "gritty" and "low-budget"[10] music video was partially filmed at the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.[11] Parts of the video were filmed at Zipperhead, "a popular counterculture store on Philly's South Street" which is mentioned in the song.[12] It was directed by Adam Bernstein.[13][14]
The video was first added to MTV's rotation the week it reached its peak position on the Billboard charts;[15] peaking at number one on the channel's Dial MTV request list.[16] Several years later, the song saw a resurgence in popularity when it was featured in a segment of MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-Head, in which the titular duo criticized the band's lax attitude and numerous mistakes and Butt-Head noted on seeing the video's conclusion where the eponymous woman and a band member steal a man's car and drive away "a real punk rock girl would eat this guy alive".[17] MTV included the video among its annual yearbook of videos from 1988 on its website, calling it among the "biggest, best, most memorable music videos".[10]
Commercial performance and reception
"Punk Rock Girl" was first issued as a 7" single in the U.S. by Engima in December 1988.
Jason Heller wrote about the song in a 2012 piece for
The song was licensed as featured music in the video game Tony Hawk's Project 8 (2006),[29] and used on the Fox television show Raising Hope.[4]
Legacy
"Punk Rock Girl" was one of the first punk rock crossover hits, and balances between the genre's early days and its poppier, more mainstream interpretation.
For the Milkmen, this newfound spotlight was fleeting and not to their liking. The label pushed Genaro to write more songs to feature his solo vocals, to capitalize on the success of the single, but the group refused.[23] Their follow-up album, Metaphysical Graffiti (1990), received a divided response from fans and critics, and stalled the band's momentum.[32] After the band broke up in 1995,[33] the band members got day jobs but continued to occasionally pursue music part-time.[10] Since 2008, the Milkmen have recorded two new albums and have continued to tour; "Punk Rock Girl" remains the band's best-known song.[4]
The song is also the namesake and title track of a
Formats and track listing
|
|
Personnel
Adapted from Beelzebubba's liner notes.[36]
|
|
Charts
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. | 11 |
References
- ^ a b c d e Schultz, Barbara (November 17, 2017). "Classic Tracks: The Dead Milkmen, "Punk Rock Girl"". Mix. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Robinson, Joe (January 23, 2013). "10 Best Pop-Punk Songs". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Huey, Steve. "Punk Rock Girl – Dead Milkmen". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Sigelman, Danny (October 20, 2011). "The Dead Milkmen's Joe Jack Talcum talks pizza, politics, 'Punk Rock Girl'". City Pages. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Marchese, John (March 14, 1993). "Out There: Philadelphia; Exceeding Odd". The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Russock, Caroline (April 30, 2015). "South Street restaurateurs talk about the past, present and future of this storied strip". My City Paper. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (April 14, 1989). "Zany rock stays demented". The Bulletin. No. 112. p. 16. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0472119950.
- ISBN 978-0762496082.
- ^ a b c Fiorillo, Victor (September 23, 2011). "Photo of the Day: The Dead Milkmen". Philadelphia. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Leppo, Skye (October 27, 2014). "Scariest set in the city? A look at Eastern State Penitentiary's most famous videos". WXPN: The Key. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Heller, Jason (June 5, 2012). "Punks and squares alike get lampooned in The Dead Milkmen's "Punk Rock Girl"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0879306076.
- ^ Pond, Steve (July 30, 2014). "Emmy Nominated Director's Strange Trip: From Sir-Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' to 'Fargo'". TheWrap. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "The Clip List – A Sampling of Playlists at National Music Video Outlets" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 5. February 4, 1989. p. 51. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (January 18, 1991). "Dead Milkmen Becoming More Proficient, But Haven't Outgrown Brattiness". The News. p. 22E. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Perry, Adam (May 28, 2019). "Dead Milkmen's Rodney Anonymous: Hippies Are Better Than Rednecks". Westword. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "45cat - The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl / Dizzy In The Daylight - Fever / Enigma - USA - 7 75038-7". 45cat. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "Modern Rock Tracks – For Week Ending January 7, 1989" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 1. January 7, 1989. p. 14. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0898201741.
- ^ a b "Modern Rock Tracks – For Week Ending February 4, 1989" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 5. February 4, 1989. p. 16. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Punk Rock Girl. 45cat (liner notes). The Dead Milkmen. UK: Enigma Records. 1988. ENV 8.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Jones, Kevin L. (April 17, 2015). "Punk's Comedy Troupe The Dead Milkmen Discuss the Old Days". KQED.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Beelzebubba – Dead Milkmen". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Kraus, Brian (July 11, 2011). "MxPx cover "Punk Rock Girl" with the Dead Milkmen's Joe Jack Talcum". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Vettese, John (November 8, 2012). "Ben Gibbard loosens up at The Keswick Theater (review, setlist)". WXPN: The Key. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Sofa King Cool (liner notes). Diesel Boy. Honest Don's. 1999. DON 025-1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume One (liner notes). Streetlight Manifesto. Victory Records. 2010. VR471.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Kuchera, Ben (October 18, 2006). "Tony Hawk Project 8 soundtrack revealed". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Ells, Blake (May 8, 2015). "The Dead Milkmen carry on". Weld: Birmingham's Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Blistein, Jon & Doyle, Patrick (June 27, 2019). "The First Time: Tom DeLonge". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Huey, Steve. "Dead Milkmen: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Yabroff, Jennie. "Squeeze Out A Tear For Dead Milkmen". MTV.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Reitman, Shelby (December 17, 2018). "New 'Punk Rock Girl' Musical to Feature Songs by Pink, Avril Lavigne, Pat Benatar & More". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ "Argyle Theatre Presents 'Punk Rock Girl' World Premiere". Long Island Weekly. January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Beelzebubba (liner notes). The Dead Milkmen. US: Enigma Records. 1988. 7 73351-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
- Lyrics of this song at Genius