Born in Valdosta, Georgia, Bill Hicks was the son of Jim and Mary (Reese) Hicks and had two older siblings: sister Lynn and brother Steve. The family lived in Florida, Alabama, and New Jersey, before settling in Houston, Texas when Hicks was seven. He was raised in the Southern Baptist faith, where he first began performing as a comedian for other children at Sunday School.
Hicks was 16 years old when he started performing stand-up comedy at the Comedy Workshop in Houston, Texas, in 1978. During the 1980s he toured the United States extensively and performed a number of high-profile television appearances. It was in the UK, however, where Hicks first amassed a significant fan base, packing large venues with his 1991 tour. Hicks died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32. In the years after his death, his work and legacy achieved the significant admiration and acclaim of numerous comedians, writers, actors and musicians alike. In 2007 he was voted the 6th greatest stand-up comic on the UK's Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 4th greatest stand-up comic.
Hicks was associated with the Texas Outlaw Comics group developed at the Comedy Workshop in Houston in the 1980s. Once Hicks gained some underground success in night clubs and universities, he quit drinking. However, Hicks continued to smoke cigarettes. His nicotine addiction, love of smoking, and occasional attempts to quit became a recurring theme in his act throughout his later years.
In January 1986, Hicks found himself broke, having spent all his money on a variety of substances. His career soon received another upturn, though, as he appeared on Rodney Dangerfield's Young Comedians Special, in 1987. The same year, he moved to New York City, and, for the next 5 years, performed about 300 times a year. On the album Relentless, he jokes that he quit using drugs because "once you've been taken aboard a UFO, it's kind of hard to top that", although in his performances, he continued to extol the virtues of LSD, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms. He fell back to chain-smoking, a theme that would figure heavily in his performances from then on.
In 1988, Hicks signed on with his first professional business manager, Jack Mondrus.[citation needed] Throughout 1989, Mondrus worked to convince many clubs to book Hicks, promising that the wild drug- and alcohol-induced behavior was behind him. Among the club managers hiring the newly sober Hicks was Colleen McGarr, who would become his girlfriend and fiancée in later years.[citation needed]
Hicks quit drinking in 1988, as stated in his 1990 album Dangerous on the first track, entitled "Modern Bummer".
In 1989 he released his first video, Sane Man.
In 1990, Hicks released his first album, Dangerous, performed on the HBO special One Night Stand, and performed at Montreal's Just for Laughs festival. He was also part of a group of American stand-up comedians performing in London's West End in November. Hicks was a huge hit in the UK and Ireland and continued touring there throughout 1991. That year, he returned to Just for Laughs and filmed his second video, Relentless.
Hicks made a brief detour into musical recording with the Marble Head Johnson album in 1992. During the same year he toured the UK, where he recorded the Revelations video for Channel 4. He closed the show with his soon-to become-famous philosophy regarding life, "It's Just a Ride". Also in that tour he recorded the stand-up performance released in its entirety on a double CD titled Salvation. Hicks was voted "Hot Standup Comic" by Rolling Stone magazine in 1993. He moved to Los Angeles in 1992.
The progressive metal band Tool invited Hicks to open a number of concerts in its 1992 Lollapalooza appearances, where Hicks once asked the audience to look for a contact lens he had lost. Thousands of people complied. Members of Tool felt that they and Hicks "were resonating similar concepts".
Intending to raise awareness about Hicks's material and ideas, Tool dedicated their triple-platinum album Ænima (1996) to Hicks. Both the lenticular casing of the Ænima album packaging as well as the chorus of the title track "Ænema" make reference to a sketch from Hicks's Arizona Bay album, in which he contemplates the idea of Los Angeles falling into the Pacific Ocean. Ænima's final track, "Third Eye" contains samples from Hicks's Sane Man and Relentless albums. An alternate version of the Ænima artwork shows a painting of Bill Hicks, calling him "Another Dead Hero," and mentions of Hicks are found both in the liner notes and on the record.
In 1984, Hicks was invited to appear on Late Night with David Letterman for the first time. He had a joke that he used frequently in comedy clubs about how he caused a serious accident that left a classmate using a wheelchair. NBC had a policy that no handicapped jokes could be aired on the show, making his stand-up routine difficult to perform without mentioning words such as "wheelchair".
On October 1, 1993, Hicks was scheduled to appear on Late Show with David Letterman, his 12th appearance on a Letterman late-night show, but his entire performance was removed from the broadcast—then the only occasion where a comedian's entire routine was cut after taping.
Hicks's stand-up routine was removed from the show allegedly because Letterman and his producer were nervous about a religious joke ("If Jesus came back he might not want to see so many crosses"). Hicks said he believed it was due to a pro-life commercial aired during a commercial break. Both the show's producers and CBS denied responsibility. Hicks expressed his feelings of betrayal in a letter to John Lahr of The New Yorker. Although Letterman later expressed regret at the way Hicks had been handled, Hicks did not appear on the show again.
Hicks's mother, Mary, appeared on the January 30, 2009 episode of Late Show. Letterman played the routine in its entirety. Letterman took full responsibility for the original censorship and apologized to Mrs. Hicks. Letterman also declared he did not know what he was thinking when he pulled the routine from the original show in 1993, saying, "It says more about me as a guy than it says about Bill because there was absolutely nothing wrong with that."
For many years, Hicks was friends with fellow comedian Denis Leary. But in 1993 Hicks was angered by Leary's album No Cure for Cancer, which featured lines and subject matter similar to Hicks's routine. According to American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story by Cynthia True, upon hearing the album "Bill was furious. All these years, aside from the occasional jibe, he had pretty much shrugged off Leary's lifting. Comedians borrowed, stole stuff, and even bought bits from one another. Milton Berle and Robin Williams were famous for it. This was different. Leary had practically taken line for line huge chunks of Bill's act and recorded it."
The friendship ended abruptly as a result.
At least three stand-up comedians have gone on the record stating they believe Leary stole Hicks's material as well as his persona and attitude. In an interview, when Hicks was asked why he had quit smoking, he answered, "I just wanted to see if Denis would, too."
In another interview, Hicks said, "I have a scoop for you. I stole his [Leary's] act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and, to really throw people off, I did it before he did." During a 2003 Comedy Central roast of Denis Leary, comedian Lenny Clarke, a friend of Leary's, said there was a carton of cigarettes backstage from Bill Hicks with the message, "Wish I had gotten these to you sooner." This joke was cut from the final broadcast.
The controversy surrounding plagiarism is also mentioned in American Scream: Leary was in Montreal hosting the "Nasty Show" at Club Soda, and Colleen [McGarr?] was coordinating the talent so she stood backstage and overheard Leary doing material incredibly similar to old Hicks riffs, including his perennial Jim Fixx joke: "Keith Richards outlived Jim Fixx, the runner and health nut. The plot thickens." When Leary came offstage, Colleen, more stunned than angry, said, "Hey, you know that's Bill Hicks's material! Do you know that's his material?" Leary stood there, stared at her without saying a word, and briskly left the dressing room.
As Long as We're Talking Shelf Life
Bill Hicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All: Welcome Aboard. Glamazonian Airways
Katya: Hello everybody! Is During This Evening! Welcome Aboard I'm Miss Valerie Valentine.
I'm your economy slash coach stewardess or you could call me a flight attendant,
But I don't care for that word "attendant" cause it makes me sound like a waiter or somebody -- I'm not.
I appreciate your attention at this time. We should be taking off shortly. I would expect all kind of madness and turbulence to ensue.
Please fully recline your chairs, turn on the massage function, and get ready to be happy, hunny.
There are 8, 000 people on board!
Now listen up. Listen up
Looking for an exit
I'll make it clear.
There are two in the front and one in the rear.
You don't give a beep unless you a frequent flyer
Smoking ain't allowed unless your pussy on fire
All: ohhhh we keep our wigs in the overhead bins. We do
All: Oh, so none of your BEEP is gonna fit in. Sorry bout it
Trixie: If you drink enough alcohol you can fly anywhere, and you don't need a plane.
There's a seat belt seatt belt in each of your seats.
It's there to make you skinny
It's gonna be pulled real tight, real tight, real tight, real tight
All: tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter
Katya: Now really that is far too tight. How do you expect anyone to breathe?
When the oxygen mask drop down.
Soaring through clouds and everyone feels it.
Sucking it in and out getting so high
We can't believe it
All your troubles They'll still be.
Simply come imagination.
Take my hands and fly with me.
On a transworld transportation
Max: There's a man on the window of the plane.
Trixie: It's a woman
Max: It's a man
Trixie: It's a woman
Max: It's a man
Katya: I believe they call them "drag queens
Ginger: If you wanna stay safe. You gotta do what mama says.
All: And be ___ of a water landing. There's only one thing you better do and let's have no misunderstanding none of us is gonna wait for you. You better use this padded ass as a flotation device or else you'll drown.
Kandy: This is only a test.
Ginger: Ahhh!!!
Jasmine: He used to take me to the cockpit. He blindfolded me and say unspeakable things. "Gibberish" And I loved it. I loved it!! OHH I LOVED IT!!!
Kandy: Don't kiss the pilot or he'll fly you away in a moment you'll never forget.
Jaydinn: Nothing you feltis like his manly embrace as he guides you to his cockpit.
Sasha: There are so many things you can do "in your wings?" but never ever ever ever kiss the pilot.
All: Cause that pilot "is, that pilot man is mine?"
Kandy: You bitch
Sasha: OHH!
Ginger: What-ah-.
MKD: You!!
Jasmine: AHH!
Kennedy: And now the "main?" captain of glamazonian airways is proud to present the vocal styling of Miss. Anita Napkin.
MKD: Hi everybody I'm here to tell you to put up your tray tables. Please "SCAT PART"" Put up your tray, Put up your tray tables..." Please put it up now! Put up your.
Jasmine: "Laugh" Wasn't she just great ladies and gentlemen? I had no idea you were so into scat.
Fart noise!!
Kennedy: Oh girl!
Jasmine: Well must I tell you not to fart? I ain't you drag mom. We'll call the TSA if you drop a booty bomb.
Kennedy: The windows never open. There is no way to ventilate but we got Rupaul perfume and we sell it by the case.
Jasmine: Rupaul's glamazon perfume.
All: Glamazonian airways. Glamazonian airways. We are the queens of the sky.
MKD: Come on bitches show them how to WORK. WORK IT BITCH. WORK! WORK IT BITCH WORK...
The lyrics to Bill Hick's song "As Long as We're Talking Shelf Life" are a satirical take on the airline industry and the experience of flying. The song is a mock safety announcement from the Glamazonian Airways, complete with over-the-top instructions on how to behave on a flight, cheeky comments on sexual behavior, and jokes about inflated seat belts, wig storage, and oxygen masks.
Through the lyrics, Hick's mocks the stereotypes associated with airline employees, like the use of the term "flight attendant" instead of a more traditional title, and the over-the-top customer service tone that is often employed. The song also highlights the absurdity of airline safety regulations and protocols, with references to padded flotation devices and specific instructions on where to find emergency exits.
The performers in the song are drag queens, adding an extra layer of humor to the mix. The lyrics also make several references to sexual innuendo, with lines about drinking alcohol to fly and kissing the pilot. The use of such language adds to the satirical tone of the song, as it subverts traditional airline safety announcements and turns them into a fun and cheeky experience.
Overall, "As Long as We're Talking Shelf Life" is a clever and humorous take on the airline industry, poking fun at its regulations and stereotypes while also celebrating the absurdity of flying.
Line by Line Meaning
Please pay attention to this preflights safety announcements for Glamazonian Airways
We need your attention for the safety announcements before our flight on Glamazonian Airways.
Hello everybody! Is During This Evening! Welcome Aboard I'm Miss Valerie Valentine.
Greetings everyone! It's great to have you here this evening on Glamazonian Airways. My name is Miss Valerie Valentine.
I'm your economy slash coach stewardess or you could call me a flight attendant,
I'm here to assist you in the economy or coach section of the plane, but you could also refer to me as a flight attendant.
But I don't care for that word "attendant" cause it makes me sound like a waiter or somebody -- I'm not.
I don't like the term "attendant" because it implies that I am a waiter or something similar, which I am not.
I appreciate your attention at this time. We should be taking off shortly. I would expect all kind of madness and turbulence to ensue.
Thank you for listening. We will be taking off soon. Please prepare for the possibility of turbulence during our flight.
Please fully recline your chairs, turn on the massage function, and get ready to be happy, hunny.
Please recline your chairs, turn on the massage function, and get ready for a comfortable and enjoyable flight.
There are 8, 000 people on board!
There are many passengers on our flight- roughly 8,000 to be exact.
Now listen up. Listen up
Pay attention now, everyone.
Looking for an exit I'll make it clear. There are two in the front and one in the rear.
In the event of an emergency, there are two exits located at the front and one located at the rear of the plane.
You don't give a beep unless you a frequent flyer
If you are not a frequent flyer, you may not care about certain details of our flight.
Smoking ain't allowed unless your pussy on fire
Smoking is not allowed on the plane except for in the case of a dire emergency.
ohhhh we keep our wigs in the overhead bins. We do
Our wigs are stored in the overhead bins on the plane.
Oh, so none of your BEEP is gonna fit in. Sorry bout it
Your larger items may not fit in the overhead bins, unfortunately.
If you drink enough alcohol you can fly anywhere, and you don't need a plane.
Alcohol can give you the sensation of flying, but please do not attempt to fly without a plane.
There's a seat belt seatt belt in each of your seats.
Each seat on the plane has a seat belt for your safety.
It's there to make you skinny
The seat belt is meant to fasten securely around your waist for your safety, not to make you look thinner.
It's gonna be pulled real tight, real tight, real tight, real tight
The seat belt must be pulled tight for proper effectiveness.
tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter
Please adjust your seat belt as tightly as possible.
Now really that is far too tight. How do you expect anyone to breathe?
Some passengers may find the seat belt too tight and uncomfortable.
When the oxygen mask drop down.
In case of a loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will be released from above.
Soaring through clouds and everyone feels it.
Flying through clouds can be a thrilling and exciting experience for passengers on the plane.
Sucking it in and out getting so high We can't believe it
Inhaling the recycled air on the plane can give passengers a sense of being high in the sky.
All your troubles They'll still be. Simply come imagination. Take my hands and fly with me. On a transworld transportation
You may still have problems or stresses in your life, but during our flight, let your imagination soar and use this opportunity to relax.
There's a man on the window of the plane.
There is a passenger sitting by the window on the plane.
It's a woman
This passenger by the window is actually a woman.
I believe they call them "drag queens
This passenger by the window is likely a drag queen.
If you wanna stay safe. You gotta do what mama says.
In order to ensure your safety during the flight, please follow the guidelines given by the flight crew.
And be ___ of a water landing. There's only one thing you better do and let's have no misunderstanding none of us is gonna wait for you. You better use this padded ass as a flotation device or else you'll drown.
In the event of a water landing, use the cushion of your seat as a flotation device to prevent drowning, as there may not be time for rescue.
This is only a test.
This announcement is just a test and not a real emergency.
He used to take me to the cockpit. He blindfolded me and say unspeakable things. "Gibberish" And I loved it. I loved it!! OHH I LOVED IT!!!
This statement is inappropriate and should not be said on an airplane.
Don't kiss the pilot or he'll fly you away in a moment you'll never forget.
Do not approach or kiss the pilot of the plane as this could cause a disturbance and distract from their important duties.
Nothing you feltis like his manly embrace as he guides you to his cockpit.
This statement is inappropriate and should not be said on an airplane.
There are so many things you can do "in your wings?" but never ever ever ever kiss the pilot.
While many things can be done during a flight for entertainment, please do not try to kiss the pilot.
Cause that pilot "is, that pilot man is mine?"
This statement is inappropriate and should not be said on an airplane.
Come on bitches show them how to WORK. WORK IT BITCH. WORK! WORK IT BITCH WORK...
This statement is inappropriate and should not be said on an airplane.
Well must I tell you not to fart? I ain't you drag mom. We'll call the TSA if you drop a booty bomb.
Please do not pass gas on the plane and if you do feel the need to do so, please use the bathroom.
The windows never open. There is no way to ventilate but we got Rupaul perfume and we sell it by the case.
There is no way to open the windows on the plane, but we do have Rupaul perfume for sale to help make the air more pleasant.
Glamazonian airways. Glamazonian airways. We are the queens of the sky.
Welcome to Glamazonian Airways- where we pride ourselves on our high level of service and comfort in the sky.
Hi everybody I'm here to tell you to put up your tray tables. Please "SCAT PART"" Put up your tray, Put up your tray tables..." Please put it up now! Put up your.
Please put your tray tables in the upright position at this time.
"Laugh" Wasn't she just great ladies and gentlemen? I had no idea you were so into scat.
This statement is inappropriate and should not be said on an airplane.
Contributed by Eva G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.