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"The Simple Song" is the twentieth track on The Residents' Commercial Album, released by Ralph Records on October 29th 1980.

History[]

The song closes side A of the Commercial Album LP, and was of the songs that received a short film on the One Minute Movies, which was directed by Graeme Whifler.

In the music video, The Residents dance around a pig on a spit decorated by birthday candles, inside of a red-lit room. During the lyrics, the film cuts to them wearing some sort of neon suit, dancing and clapping. The film ends by focusing on a person wearing a fire proximity suit, who was spinning the pig around.

In 1984, the instrumental of "The Simple Song" was included in a medley with "Easter Woman" for the film The Census Taker, which was later included on the vinyl release of the film's soundtrack.

In 2000, all 4 songs from One Minute Movies were re-recorded for Icky Flix, a DVD by the group released in 2001. This medley was the included on the setlist for Icky Flix Live later that year. To date, that tour is the only time that "The Simple Song" has been performed live.

When Commercial DVD released in 2004, "The Simple Song" served as the soundtrack for a new short film, this time directed by Eun-Ha Paek, where several bubbles float up in the sky singing the song before exploding.

Lyrics[]

We are simple
You are simple
Life is simple, too
We are simple
You are simple
Life is simple, too[1]

List of releases[]

List of versions[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Grove Street studio recording, 1980 (1:00)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Grove Street studio recording, 1980 (instrumental mix, 1:00)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Icky Flix studio recording, 2000 (1:04)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Icky Flix live recording, October 2001 (1:00)
  5. Icky Flix live recording, March 2001 (1:00)
  6. Icky Flix live recording, 2001 (1:04)

See also[]

External links and references[]

CommercialHead Commercial Album
(1980)

Side A:
"Easter Woman" · "Perfect Love" · "Picnic Boy" · "End of Home" · "Amber" · "Japanese Watercolor" · "Secrets"
"Die in Terror" · "Red Rider" · "My Second Wife" · "Floyd " · "Suburban Bathers" · "Dimples and Toes" · "The Nameless Souls"
"Love Leaks Out" · "Act of Being Polite" · "Medicine Man" · "Tragic Bells" · "Loss of Innocence" · "The Simple Song"

Side B:
"Ups and Downs" · "Possessions" · "Give It to Someone Else" · "Phantom" · "Less Not More" · "My Work Is So Behind" · "Birds in the Trees"
"Handful of Desire" · "Moisture" · "Love Is..." · "Troubled Man" · "La La" · "Loneliness" · "Nice Old Man"
"The Talk of Creatures" · "Fingertips" · "In Between Dreams" · "Margaret Freeman" · "The Coming of the Crow" · "When We Were Young"

Personnel
The Residents · Fred Frith · Snakefinger · Don Jackovich · Chris Cutler
Sandy Sandwich · Mud's Sis · Nessie Lessons · Lene Lovich · David Byrne · Brian Eno

Related works
"Electronic Elaborate Waste" · "Kraftwerk" · "Cosmetics For Reality" · "Rosco's Righteous Rodent" · "Pretty Baby" · "Tuxedos"
"No Longer Unused" · "Instant Hostility" · "Elevator Lady" · "One Minute Movies" · Commercial Single ("Shut Up Shut Up" / "And I Was Alone") · "Boy In Love" · Minatures ("We're A Happy Family") · "Talkin' in the Town" · "Womb To Worm" · Greener Postures · "Theme For An American TV Show" · Ralph Radio Special · "Commercial Suite" · Commercial DVD · Commercial Album by The 180 Gs · The Commercial Single Commercials (In Mono) · Commercial Book (Commercial Album Radio Ads)

Related articles
Ralph Records · The Cryptic Corporation · Grove St. studio · Poor No Graphics · Buy Or Die 1980½ · Diskomo/Goosebump‏‏‎

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