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"Birthday Boy" is a song by The Residents, recorded in 1978 for the never-realised EP Buster & Glen, and first released on the album Duck Stab!/Buster & Glen by Ralph Records on November 30th 1978.

In 1982, the song was rehearsed by The Residents as part of the set list of their planned (but aborted) 10th Anniversary tour. Despite this, "Birthday Boy" would not be performed live again by The Residents until 2021, when they performed a new arrangement of the song live in the studio for the streaming TV special Duck Stab! Alive!; it was also performed during the Dog Stab! mini-tour of California in that year.

Unfinished music video[]

"Birthday Boy" was one of a number of songs from Duck Stab!/Buster & Glen which were planned to be accompanied by a music video by Ralph's in-house video director Graeme Whifler, possibly as part of a feature-length musical film inspired by the album.

Although ultimately only "Hello Skinny" was produced, the video for "Birthday Boy" was at least partially shot, and footage has been seen in the years since, most notably in the 2015 documentary film Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents, and the special features of that film's DVD and Blu-ray releases.

Lyrics[]

Bulging eyes abound about
The birthday boy today;
Screaming, "Creaming eyes!"
Screamed he,
His mother looked away.
"Creaming eyes explode upon
An apple pirate toad
And if an injun ate a plate
I'd laugh and live abode."
Nervousness itself was shifting
Guests against the door,
"Forgive us dear, but, uh, baking beer
Is what we should be near."
"Bye," the bothered birthday boy said,
"Bye," the bothered birthday boy said,
"Bye or sell or bye."[1]

List of releases[]

List of versions[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grove Street studio recording, March - August 1978 (2:42)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Grove Street live studio rehearsal recording, April 1982 (3:41)
  3. 25th Street Recording live studio recording, May 2021 (2:38)
  4. Grove Street studio demo recording, 1982 (2:39)

See also[]

External links and references[]

Duckbuster-sml-transparent Duck Stab!/Buster & Glen
(1978)

Side A: Duck Stab!
"Constantinople" · "Sinister Exaggerator" · "The Booker Tease" · "Blue Rosebuds" · "Laughing Song" · "Bach Is Dead" · "Elvis And His Boss"

Side B: Buster & Glen
"Lizard Lady" · "Semolina" · "Birthday Boy" · "Weight-Lifting Lulu" · "Krafty Cheese" · "Hello Skinny" · "The Electrocutioner"

Personnel
The Residents · Snakefinger · Ruby

Related works
Duck Stab! EP · "Soulful Sax" · "Ow Boutthat" · "When Johnny Comes Marching" · "Unlisted" · "Santa Dog '78" · "Guylum Bardot '78" · Duck Stab! film · "Hello Skinny" video · D*ck S*ab - 35th Anniversary · Dog Stab! · Duck Stab! Alive! · Duck Stab!/Buster & Glen Notebook · "Duck Kosmische"

Related articles
Ralph Records · The Cryptic Corporation · Grove St. studio · Pore No Graphics · Graeme Whifler · Bridgit Terris · The Rick & Ruby Show · "Satisfaction" · Not Available · Eskimo‏‏‎

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