Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Encyclopedia
"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is the first single of Primus
's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese
. The song tells the stories of two characters, Jerry, an ill-fated race car driver who collides with a telephone pole while driving intoxicated (hence the "was") and Captain Pierce, a retired fireman.
" from 1990's indie release Frizzle Fry
. Because "John the Fisherman" was released on an indie record it had limited popularity, whereas "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was released on a major label, allowing for greater availability at record stores and more media exposure.
The music is built around Les Claypool
's funky idiosyncratic finger-tapped bass line and silly story-telling style vocals, as well as eccentric guitar accompaniment from Larry LaLonde
, including a guitar solo (which has been included in many of the Top 100 guitar solos lists on the Internet and in magazines), and Tim Alexander
's tight drumming. The chorus is followed by a metallic riff that mimics an engine revving. The result was a catchy song that helped Primus expand their fanbase. "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" received heavy airplay on rock radio, and peaked at number 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks
in 1991.
The song features a sample of Bill Moseley
's character Chop Top from the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, chuckling to himself then remarking: "Dog will hunt!"
The phrase, "El Sob #1", is a reference to El Sobrante, California
, Claypool's hometown.
Jerry is proud to display a Bocephus
sticker on his Oldsmobile 442
racecar, pegging him as a man from the south and muscle-car aficionado.
The title of the song may be an allusion to the Robert A. Heinlein
short-story, "Jerry Was a Man
".
"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" appeared in the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
video game, as well as the first ATV Offroad Fury
videogame, and in The Bigs
videogame. The song is included in Rock Band 3
.
getting an order of nachos
, only to drop them after a collision with Larry LaLonde on a skateboard. The rest of the video cuts between scenes of the band playing an out-of-control gig in a small club (Phoenix Theater
), shots of the nachos being zoomed into, and race car footage. At the end, the camera zooms in on the cheese, and there is a claymation segment which features many of the creatures on the cover of the Sailing the Seas of Cheese album, then zooms back out to the cheese, and a pit bull sniffs it, closing the video. In the video Les Claypool's Rainbow Bass can be seen without its upper horn. This is because the bass was not balanced well which caused Les to send it back to get its signature scroll horn attached. The video was created before the modification of the bass. The video became an MTV
favorite and is still sometimes played.
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese
Sailing the Seas of Cheese
-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, string bass, six-string fretless bass, clarinet, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, six-string banjo*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drums, water jugProduction*Chris Bellman – mastering...
. The song tells the stories of two characters, Jerry, an ill-fated race car driver who collides with a telephone pole while driving intoxicated (hence the "was") and Captain Pierce, a retired fireman.
Composition and history
Despite popular belief, "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was not the first ever Primus single. That credit goes to "John the FishermanJohn the Fisherman
"John the Fisherman" is the first single by the alternative rock band Primus, released first live in 1989 on Suck on This, then re-released a year later, this time studio recorded, on Frizzle Fry....
" from 1990's indie release Frizzle Fry
Frizzle Fry
-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, electric fiddle bass, string bass, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, acoustic guitar*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Todd Huth – second acoustic guitar on "Toys"...
. Because "John the Fisherman" was released on an indie record it had limited popularity, whereas "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was released on a major label, allowing for greater availability at record stores and more media exposure.
The music is built around Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
's funky idiosyncratic finger-tapped bass line and silly story-telling style vocals, as well as eccentric guitar accompaniment from Larry LaLonde
Larry LaLonde
Larry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
, including a guitar solo (which has been included in many of the Top 100 guitar solos lists on the Internet and in magazines), and Tim Alexander
Tim Alexander
Tim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
's tight drumming. The chorus is followed by a metallic riff that mimics an engine revving. The result was a catchy song that helped Primus expand their fanbase. "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" received heavy airplay on rock radio, and peaked at number 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
in 1991.
The song features a sample of Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
's character Chop Top from the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, chuckling to himself then remarking: "Dog will hunt!"
The phrase, "El Sob #1", is a reference to El Sobrante, California
El Sobrante, California
El Sobrante is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 12,669 at the 2010 census...
, Claypool's hometown.
Jerry is proud to display a Bocephus
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
sticker on his Oldsmobile 442
Oldsmobile 442
The Oldsmobile 442 was a muscle car produced by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. It was introduced as an option package for F-85 and Cutlass models sold in the United States beginning with the 1964 model year. It became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971, then reverted to an...
racecar, pegging him as a man from the south and muscle-car aficionado.
The title of the song may be an allusion to the Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
short-story, "Jerry Was a Man
Jerry Was a Man
Jerry Was a Man is a short story by Robert A. Heinlein. It is about an attempt by a genetically modified chimpanzee to achieve human rights...
".
"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" appeared in the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
-Reception:The game was very well-received by most critics, scoring an outstanding 92 on Metacritic based on 18 reviews for the PS1 version. IGN gave the N64 version of the game a 9.1 out of 10 praising the gameplay for "genius control, combo system and design" despite little criticism with sound...
video game, as well as the first ATV Offroad Fury
ATV Offroad Fury
ATV Offroad Fury is a hit PlayStation 2 racing game, released in February 2001. ATV Offroad Fury and its sequel ATV Offroad Fury 2 were developed by Rainbow Studios, whose work includes the Splashdown series, MX Unleashed, and the PC series Motocross Madness.-Gameplay:Basic gameplay is very simple,...
videogame, and in The Bigs
The Bigs
The Bigs is an arcade-style baseball video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii and PlayStation Portable. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in Europe...
videogame. The song is included in Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
Music video
A music video was also created for the song. The video begins with Bob CockBob Cock
Adam Gates is a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and composer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He was lead singer for The Spent Poets who released a self-titled album and toured nationally in the early 1990s. Gates toured in 1996 with Les Claypool as guitarist for Holy Mackerel appearing on...
getting an order of nachos
Nachos
Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
, only to drop them after a collision with Larry LaLonde on a skateboard. The rest of the video cuts between scenes of the band playing an out-of-control gig in a small club (Phoenix Theater
Phoenix Theater
The Phoenix Theater is an all-ages club located in Petaluma, California which has been in existence since 1905, and has been subject to many changes in both structure and purpose, mostly due to severe damage caused by multiple fires. - History :...
), shots of the nachos being zoomed into, and race car footage. At the end, the camera zooms in on the cheese, and there is a claymation segment which features many of the creatures on the cover of the Sailing the Seas of Cheese album, then zooms back out to the cheese, and a pit bull sniffs it, closing the video. In the video Les Claypool's Rainbow Bass can be seen without its upper horn. This is because the bass was not balanced well which caused Les to send it back to get its signature scroll horn attached. The video was created before the modification of the bass. The video became an MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
favorite and is still sometimes played.