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"Pepper"
Single by Butthole Surfers
from the album Electriclarryland
B-side	"Let's Talk About Cars"
Released	April 11, 1996 (1996-04-11)
Genre	Electronic rock rap rock psychedelic rap spoken word
Length	4:57
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Gibby Haynes Paul Leary King Coffey
Producer(s)	Steve Thompson
Butthole Surfers singles chronology
"Good King Wencenslaus/The Lord Is a Monkey" (1994) "Pepper" (1996) "Jingle of a Dog's Collar" (1996)
Audio sample
"Pepper" file help

"Pepper" is a song by American alternative rock band Butthole Surfers from their seventh studio album, Electriclarryland (1996). Released on April 11, 1996, the track reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, becoming the top-ranked song of 1996 on the former listing. In Australia, the song peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was ranked number four on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1996. It also reached number two on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30 and number 32 in New Zealand.

Composition and lyrics

"Pepper" opens with the chorus guitar riff, slowed down to half speed. The song shifts from spoken word verses to sung choruses. The lyrics of the verses list ten characters and describes how some either die or escape a brush with death.

The song also contains the bridge played in reverse. The reversed words are the first and last lines of the chorus: "I don't mind the sun sometimes; the images it shows; you never know just how you look through other people's eyes."

According to Spike TV, who put the song on their list of "The Top 10 Hits the Band Wishes Didn't Exist", the song was written as "a send-up of Beck". However, in an interview with the Hartford Courant the year of the single's release, drummer King Coffey cited Massive Attack, Tricky and Soul II Soul as influences on the sound.

Music video

The video for "Pepper", directed by Gavin Bowden, features 1960s style news clip-like footage of a group of people being arrested in a Texas hotel for kidnapping while newscasters and cameramen crowd around. The kidnapping victim, rescued by the police, is portrayed by Erik Estrada. Singer Gibby Haynes is portrayed as the ringleader, and is shown being interviewed by reporters as police gather evidence. The newsreel segment is filmed in 16mm black and white, and is broken up by 1960s-style color footage, showing the band performing on a show much like American Bandstand. This performance footage is interspersed with 1960s style enactments of cooking and variety shows. The police and Estrada are repeatedly shown eating corn from a can, which, according to the director, is "a reference to the way videos are made; how directors have to have this shot and that shot – how they're spoon-feeding images to the audience."

Track listings

Charts

Release history

Cover version

On September 2, 2010, Hesta Prynn and Shawn Crahan of Slipknot released a cover of "Pepper" as a 7-inch vinyl single. The B-side of the single is the previously unreleased track "Seven Sisters".

References

1. ^ Anderson, Kyle. "What is the best '90s alt-rock one-hit wonder?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
2. Earles, Andrew (January 4, 2013). "Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums". Spin. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
3. Eddy, Chuck (March 22, 1997). "Introductory Soapbox Speech: Why It's Good to be a Hack". The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. Da Capo Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-306-80741-6.
4. "Triple J Hottest 100 1996". Australian Broadcasting Company. December 26, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
5. "The Top 10 Hits the Band Wishes Didn't Exist". Archived from the original on June 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
6. "'PEPPER' PUTS SURFERS IN MAINSTREAM". Hartford Courant. October 16, 1996. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
7. Pepper (US CD single liner notes). Butthole Surfers. Capitol Records. 1996. C2 7243 8 58578 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Pepper (US maxi-cassette single sleeve). Butthole Surfers. Capitol Records. 1996. 4KM 7243 8 58578 4 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Pepper (UK CD single liner notes). Butthole Surfers. Capitol Records. 1996. C2 7243 8 82813 2 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Pepper (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). Butthole Surfers. Capitol Records. 1996. CL 778, 7243 8 83309 7 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Pepper (European CD single liner notes). Butthole Surfers. Capitol Records. 1996. C2 7243 8 82812 2 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. "Butthole Surfers – Pepper". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
13. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3009." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
14. "Butthole Surfers – Pepper". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
17. "Radio Songs". Billboard. July 27, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
18. "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. August 10, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
19. "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. July 6, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
20. "Pop Airplay". Billboard. September 14, 1996. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
21. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". ARIA. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via Imgur.
22. "RPM Year End Alternative 30". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
23. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 23. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
24. Campbell, Chuck (January 2, 1997). "Musically, 1996 Was Lackluster". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
25. Morris, Chris (March 30, 1996). "Capitol's Butthole Surfers Journey into 'Larryland'". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 13. p. 41. Capitol will release the new album's first track, the relatively accessible 'Pepper,' to commercial alternative and college radio April 11.
26. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. September 14, 1996. p. 29.
27. "Hesta Prynn interview with Spinner n the Pepper single". Spinner.com. September 2, 2010. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2023.

• 1996 singles
• 1996 songs
• Butthole Surfers songs
• Capitol Records singles
• Electronic rock songs
• Rap rock songs
• Songs about death
• Songs about Texas