He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot
Encyclopedia
"He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot." is a single
by American indie rock
band Grandaddy
, from their second studio album, The Sophtware Slump
, released in 2000. The song was featured on the soundtrack of UK hidden camera show Trigger Happy TV
and the films Jackpot (2001), The Forest for the Trees (2003), and Occupation: Dreamland (2005).
At approximately 3 minutes and 40 seconds in, the song contains a musical reference to their earlier single "A.M. 180
" from Under the Western Freeway
in the form of the synthesizer hook which opens that track.
Grandaddy toured with Elliott Smith
in 2000 and he would occasionally join them onstage and sing lead vocals on parts of this song.
Actor Jason Lee
has cited this song as the inspiration to name his child Pilot Inspektor.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by American indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Grandaddy
Grandaddy
Grandaddy was an American indie rock band, formed in 1992 in Modesto, California by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch. Guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden later joined the band in 1995...
, from their second studio album, The Sophtware Slump
The Sophtware Slump
The Sophtware Slump is the second studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy, released in 2000. The album received strong reviews from most critics. It is seen by some as a concept album about problems concerning modern technology in society. The title is a reference to the sophomore slump,...
, released in 2000. The song was featured on the soundtrack of UK hidden camera show Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV was a hidden camera/practical joke reality television program. The original British edition of the show, produced by Absolutely Productions, starred Dom Joly and ran for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 from 2000 until 2002...
and the films Jackpot (2001), The Forest for the Trees (2003), and Occupation: Dreamland (2005).
At approximately 3 minutes and 40 seconds in, the song contains a musical reference to their earlier single "A.M. 180
A.M. 180
"A.M. 180" is a single by American indie rock band Grandaddy from their debut studio album, Under the Western Freeway, released in 1998. It was originally titled "Rocket Like a Hurricane" before release....
" from Under the Western Freeway
Under the Western Freeway
Under the Western Freeway is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy, released in October 1997 on Will Records. The album was released in the UK in April 1998 by Big Cat Records, and later reissued in the US by Big Cat's parent company V2 Records.The track titled "A.M. 180" was...
in the form of the synthesizer hook which opens that track.
Grandaddy toured with Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
in 2000 and he would occasionally join them onstage and sing lead vocals on parts of this song.
Actor Jason Lee
Jason Lee (actor)
Jason Michael Lee is an American actor and skateboarder known for his role as the title character on the NBC television series My Name is Earl, his portrayal of Syndrome in the film The Incredibles, his role as Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and his work with director Kevin...
has cited this song as the inspiration to name his child Pilot Inspektor.