Holiday
| "Holiday" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Album track by Weezer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Album | Weezer (The Blue Album) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | May 10, 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | August-September 1993 at Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | DGC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RC# | 163 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COR# | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Ric Ocasek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Officially released | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rivers Cuomo song chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Weezer (The Blue Album) track listing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Holiday" is the ninth track on The Blue Album.
Contents
Appearances
- Weezer (The Blue Album)
- Undone (US Retail Cassette/US Promo 7" Jukebox Single (Black Vinyl))
- Undone (UK Retail CD/UK Retail Cassette/UK 7" Single (Blue Vinyl))
- The Lion and the Witch (Live)
- Weezer (The Blue Album) - Deluxe Edition
- Accepted: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Overview
"Holiday" belies strong influences from the things Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo was interested in at the time of 1993. Cuomo expressed in a fan interview in 2006 that the famed beat poet Jack Kerouac was one of his favorite philosophers at the time. In the notable breakdown of the song (the band often refers to these as "Beach Boys Breakdowns"), Cuomo sings the line, "On the road with Kerouac", a reference to Kerouac's seminal work On The Road. The opening line, "Let's go away for a while," is also likely inspired by the Beach Boys track "Let's Go Away For Awhile" from the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, by which Cuomo was also influenced.
Cuomo commented on the lyrics in a letter addressed to Bryan Stephenson, dated March 5, 1997, that appeared in The Pinkerton Diaries in 2011:
- "The road" is any form of escapism, be it beautiful melodies, drinking, drugs, love, art, whatever. However, it is important to note that, even in the song "Holiday," escape is short-lived. Right after the line "on this road we'll never die" come the ominous crashing chords of fate.
The song also makes extensive use of doo-wop acapella, organs and complex harmonies - hallmarks of Blue Album era writing. In an early Weezine, it was revealed that Patrick Wilson has a vocal part during the bridge. Wilson is known to have one other very small vocal part on the Blue Album, but this is otherwise the only vocal part Wilson would have on a Weezer record before The Red Album in 2008.
A demo of "Holiday", ca. [1993]], recorded solely by Cuomo exists in circulation. The demo is very similar to the album version, although one notable difference is that the breakdown features no lyrics or alternate vocal parts.
Lion & The Witch EP
Holiday is rarely played live since the band's 2000 relaunch, but a live recording can be found on the EP The Lion and the Witch. Because the song was played shortly after Scott Shriner joined the band (making him unfamiliar with several lyrics), and because set lists at the time were determined at random, Shriner flubbed the bridge lyrics. Most of the band to cracked up in laughter. After the completion of the song, Cuomo jokingly remarked "Scott just won a Grammy!"
Personnel
- Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals
- Patrick Wilson – percussion, backing vocals
- Brian Bell – backing vocals
- Matt Sharp – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Ric Ocasek – producer
Audio
Album version
Demo
Live
Lyrics
Let's go away for a while
You and I
To a strange and distant land
Where they speak no word of truth
But we don't understand anyway
Holiday
Far away, to stay
On a holiday
Far away, let's go today
In a heartbeat!
Heartbeat, heartbeat
Don't bother to pack your bags
Or your map
We won't need them where we're goin'
We're goin' where the wind is blowin'
Not knowin' where we're gonna stay
We will write a postcard
To our friends and family
In free verse
On the road with Kerouac
Sheltered in his Bivouac
On this road we'll never die
Let's go away
