Pig
| "Pig" | ||||||||||||||
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| Album track by Weezer | ||||||||||||||
| Album | Weezer (The Red Album) (Deluxe Edition) | |||||||||||||
| Released | June 11, 2008 | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | July-October 2007 | |||||||||||||
| Length | 4:02 | |||||||||||||
| Label | Geffen | |||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo | |||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Weezer | |||||||||||||
| Status | Officially released | |||||||||||||
| Live debut | May 9, 2018 (Rivers Cuomo solo show) |
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| Stream |  Spotify |
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 Apple Music |
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| Weezer (The Red Album) (Deluxe Edition) track listing | ||||||||||||||
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"Pig" is the twelfth track off of The Red Album (Deluxe Edition).
Contents
Appearances
Overview
Release
"Pig" was the first new song of the Red Album era to be heard by fans. The song was leaked as an acoustic home demo on various music blogs in April of 2007, featuring only lead singer Rivers Cuomo performing on the track. The metadata from the song showed that it belonged on an eighteen-track demo album entitled Deliverance at Hand! as the twelfth track. Fans would later discover that Deliverance at Hand! was a collection of Cuomo's demos from the period between the release of Make Believe and The Red Album. A full-band recording of "Pig" was later released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Weezer (The Red Album).
"Pig" is one of the four post-Pinkerton Weezer songs to feature a harmonica, the others being "Freak Me Out", "Cleopatra" and "Dark Enough to See the Stars." Cuomo sings his own backing vocals for this song. The production of the percussion in "Pig" is also notably unique. The song features a structure atypical for the band, building to an emotional peak without a distinct chorus or set of verses. The vocal melody remains constant for most of the song. The song features synthesizer strings.
In the album version of the song, the band opted to add background noises into several sections of the song, to a mixed reception from fans. Likely sung by guitarist Brian Bell or bassist Scott Shriner, a background noise of a whiplash sound was added after the lyric "my friends all made the whip-lash sound." Additionally, hand-claps were added after the lyric "and everyone clapped when I asked her to marry me."
Other notable differences include the near-removal of the harmonica melody from the song and a loud hit of the snare drum at the song's close. Fans have speculated that this addition is supposed to represent the slaughtering of the pig.
At least three of the babies named in the song (Gina, Shannon, Gabe) appear to be named after Cuomo's half-siblings (Gina Cuomo and Gabe Cuomo) and step-brother (Shannon Cuomo).
Possible inspiration
In June of 2006, Cuomo was interviewed by Beliefnet, a spiritual website. In the interview, Cuomo discussed reading Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. He mentions, "One thing that really struck me is, what he writes about for some reason comes across as so cruel. Like there's so little feeling of compassion or regret that he has to kill the animals to survive. I'm not sure what to make of it yet. The way he describes it is so cold...It never occurred to him that the suffering of the animals is something to worry about or to feel sorry about. And maybe that was just a product of the times or maybe some Christian philosophy that justifies it; I'm not sure. Really the thing that strikes me most about it is: Maybe there's something in me that's reacting to this and that maybe other people wouldn't notice it."
Although not confirmed, it is possible that this contributed to Cuomo's inspiration for "Pig," as it was written around this time period.
Reception
"Pig" is very well-liked by Weezer's online fan community. Teenage Victory Songs, a Weezer songblog, called the song "as grand a triumph as anything Cuomo — maybe anyone — has ever achieved through song." TVS also placed "Pig" in it's Very Best category. Fans praise the song's sincerity and emotional power, and often call it one of Cuomo's best songs ever. The original demo was well-received also, however, which has caused a minor debate as to which version of the song is superior.
Audio
- This stream is viewable outside of North America.
- This stream is viewable only in North America.
Personnel
- Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Patrick Wilson – percussion
- Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, keyboard
- Scott Shriner - bass guitar
Lyrics
Red lyric sheet.
Lyric sheet from the Deliverance at Hand! booklet.
Lyric sheet from the Deliverance at Hand! booklet.
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When I was a baby I was so happy.
I played with my friends in the mud.
Wilbur and Jack and Otis and Beatty,
We were a gang, you gotta believe me.
Momma would scold us if we got too rough
She didn't care, she was proud of us.
I ran around and talked to the animals,
Tellin' 'em stories of savage cannibals.
Then I got older and noticed a girl.
At first I was sure I didn't exist to her.
I sulked around but I didn't know why.
Then she put her cheek on my shoulder and I
Was lookin' at her and she was lookin' at me.
We started to smile - it was our destiny.
Tina was her name, she was my cutie-pie.
I forgot about the things that I used to like.
I spent all my time followin' her around.
My friends all made the whip-lash sound.
But they understood, they was happy for me
And everyone clapped when I asked her to marry me
And she said "yes" and we felt so fine.
We lost track of the passin' of time.
Before I knew it, we had our own babies:
Gina and Shannon and Keebie and Gabe
But now I've got to die.
I've lived a good life - I've got no complaints.
I'd like to thank farmer Pete
For bringing me scraps of food that I could eat.
He always had a smile on his face.
He didn't want to think of this day.
It's finally here.
It's finally here, oh.
Oo-oo, they called me Pig.
Oo-oo, they called me Pig.
When I was a baby I was so happy.
I played with my friends in the mud.
