McCulloch has released two albums: 1995's Shame-Based Man (praised by All Music Guide as the "most remarkable of comedy albums: one that bears [frequent] repeated listenings") and 2002's Drunk Baby Project. As with his television work, these feature a mixture of music and monologues.
McCulloch also directed the music video for The Tragically Hip's song "My Music At Work", from their 2000 album 'Music @ Work'. McCulloch has stated on his website that he is close friends with Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie. The video shares much in common with many "Kids In The Hall" sketches, including its office setting, camera angles, and some thematic elements. In it, the members of The Hip are depicted as co-workers in a stereotypical office building. Fed up with the bleakness of their work-a-day routines, they unite to form a rock band during their off-hours. The video cuts between several sketches showing the blandness and banality of corporate work, a humorous sequence showing Downie printing flyers for one of the band's shows (only to be caught by his boss playing the photocopier like a musical instrument), and the band performing on-stage (presumably at the show the flyers were being printed for).
40 Housewives
Bruce McCulloch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No note, they just got up and went. West, the direction of change, the biggest direction of all.
You could see them swaying in the breeze, stirring soup, hoping.
The housewives moved out onto the highway, cheekbones to the wind, gargling destiny.
They had left no note on the fridge with magnetic grapes. There hadn't been time.
Some of them held pies out in front of them like divining rods of freedom. They'd meant to put the pies on the windowsill to cool, but for some reason they just kept on going. And, by now, those pies were so cool, they smoldered. They were red-hot, brother.
500 housewives, no longer just brunettes, blondes, and redheads, moved through Birmingham.
Through Casper and Cheyenne, Des Moines and Fort Wayne, they marched. Gaining strength, gaining calm.
There was no need for TV trays in the cool breeze of the Arizona desert.
There was no reason to cut coupons from the papers and the towns that dotted their path.
But, my friend, if you'd seen them over the horizon like a watery pool of locusts, they came and were comin'.
Kids holdin sticks, and dogs, and men with bellies lined what seemed to their path.
Men just stood there as if to say, "Honey, what's for dinner?"
The men didn't realize there would be no hot dinner, not even a soup and sandwich. Cathy's not cookin', not this good eve, fatboy! Because tonight the dinner tables had really turned.
By the time they reached the ocean, they were 5000 housewives strong. Holding hands, with a crazed ferret look in their eyes, slowly, together, they took a step.
And as their tired feet creased the moonlit water they paused and looked back from where they'd came, as if to say,
"Are you comin?"
("Are you comin? Comin?")
"It's easy."
("It's easy. It's easy.")
The song "40 Housewives" by Bruce McCulloch depicts a rebellious act of housewives who leave their homes without any notice and march towards the west, a direction that symbolizes change. The lyrics capture the sense of liberation and determination of the women who leave behind their mundane, domestic lives and embark on a journey towards an unknown destiny. The image of the housewives swaying in the wind and holding pies in their hands like "divining rods of freedom" shows their defiance towards the expectations that society has placed on them. The women are portrayed as a united force that gains strength and calmness as they march through different towns and cities, shedding their previous identities as brunettes, blondes, and redheads to become a collective force of 5000 strong at the ocean's edge. The song illustrates the power of women's solidarity and their desire for change as they leave behind the expectations of traditional gender roles.
In terms of interesting facts, Bruce McCulloch is a Canadian actor, writer, and comedian who was part of the comedy troupe "The Kids in the Hall." The song "40 Housewives" is from his solo album "Shame-Based Man," which was released in 1995. The track features a peculiar mix of musical genres, blending pop-rock with spoken-word poetry. The song's music video was directed by fellow Kids in the Hall member Kevin McDonald and features various actresses portraying the housewives marching through the desert. McCulloch has described the song as an example of his penchant for writing about the "heroism of everyman" and the desire for change.
The chords for "40 Housewives" are not publicly available, but the song's musical style is characterized by a straightforward rock beat with occasional moments of spoken-word poetry. The song's tempo begins slowly but picks up as the women gain momentum in their march towards the west. The melody is simple but effective, highlighting the driving force of the song's message.
Overall, "40 Housewives" by Bruce McCulloch is a unique and thought-provoking song that showcases the power of women's solidarity and the desire for change in the face of societal expectations. The song's blend of musical genres and spoken-word poetry creates a distinctive sound that highlights the urgency and determination of the women in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
40 housewives start out that day.
Forty housewives began their journey that day, without leaving any note or warning behind, all heading out to the west, ready to embrace change.
You could see them swaying in the breeze, stirring soup, hoping.
The housewives could be seen moving rhythmically, stirring soup, hopeful of what lies ahead and of their destination.
They had left no note on the fridge with magnetic grapes. There hadn't been time.
There was not enough time for the housewives to leave any note or indication of their sudden departure on their refrigerator adorned with magnetic grapes.
Some of them held pies out in front of them like divining rods of freedom. They'd meant to put the pies on the windowsill to cool, but for some reason they just kept on going. And, by now, those pies were so cool, they smoldered. They were red-hot, brother.
Some housewives carried pies in front of them like sacred artifacts that symbolized their newfound freedom. They had initially intended to place the pies on the windowsill for cooling, but were overcome by the pull of the journey. The pies had since cooled to a point where they were steaming with hot fervor.
500 housewives, no longer just brunettes, blondes, and redheads, moved through Birmingham.
Five hundred housewives, beyond just hair color distinctions, marched through Birmingham, liberated and ready for what was next in store for them.
Through Casper and Cheyenne, Des Moines and Fort Wayne, they marched. Gaining strength, gaining calm.
They continued to march, passing through several towns on their way, as they gained more strength and a newfound sense of composure.
There was no need for TV trays in the cool breeze of the Arizona desert.
In the serene, crisp air of the Arizona desert, there was no need for television trays or other gadgets that reminded them of their former lives.
There was no reason to cut coupons from the papers and the towns that dotted their path.
They no longer felt the need to collect or cut coupons from newspapers or flyers distributed along their path.
But, my friend, if you'd seen them over the horizon like a watery pool of locusts, they came and were comin'.
If you had witnessed the scene from afar, it would seem as if they were swarming like a watery pool of locusts, determined and resolute in their journey.
Men just stood there as if to say, "Honey, what's for dinner?"
As the women marched past, men looked on, seemingly dumbfounded, questioning what they would eat for dinner.
By the time they reached the ocean, they were 5000 housewives strong. Holding hands, with a crazed ferret look in their eyes, slowly, together, they took a step.
Upon reaching the ocean, there were 5000 strong housewives holding hands, with wild looks in their eyes, slowly taking a unified step towards their destiny.
And as their tired feet creased the moonlit water they paused and looked back from where they'd came, as if to say,
"Are you comin?"
("Are you comin? Comin?")
"It's easy."
("It's easy. It's easy.")
As they stood by the ocean, the housewives briefly looked back at the long journey they had bravely endured. They then invited others to join them, assuring them that the journey was easy and worth it.
Contributed by Emily G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.