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).
When You're Fat
Bruce McCulloch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're fat and alone
And no one's around to know you
And you lock up your bike
And it falls down
When you're fat and alone
And on your birthday
Only your mother calls
She says hap, happy,
Happy birthday, pumpkin
I won't talk long
I bet there's someone in your bed
When you're fat, you live alone
But you share a bathroom
You walk through the halls
With your toilet paper in your hands
And later on you phone
Your friend who lives in Vancouver
And you talk at length
About her little kids
And you stop at the shop
With wedding dresses staring at you
And you think to yourself
"I better take a wok cooking class"
I know it's hard
When you're all alone
Haven't had sex for a year now
I know it's hard
When you walk alone
I've seen you at the antique flea market
Life is sad when you wear
Sweatpants and a raincoat
And you walk unescorted
And you go into ?
And you buy yourself
Some corn chips and some salsa
And you go home and eat them
While you read junk mail
And later on your hand
It moves under the covers
And after you've cum,
You think about your student loan
I know it's hard when you're all alone
I know it's hard for you
The lyrics to Bruce McCulloch’s song, “When You’re Fat”, provide a poignant, humorous and somewhat depressing critique of the experience of being fat and alone. It speaks of a situation where one is overweight and has no one that truly understands them. The first stanza opens up with a line, “I know it's hard, When you're fat and alone” which sets the tone of the song. These lyrics suggest that the experience of being alone is compounded by being overweight. The second line, “and no one's around to know you” further emphasizes the sense of isolation and loneliness that overweight people may feel.
Further in the song, the lyrics point to the struggles of being on a diet with no real support. The line “And on your birthday, Only your mother calls” seems to suggest that not only is this person alone but that they feel a sense of abandonment from those who are supposed to care for them. As the lyrics continue, it paints a picture of a life lived alone, sharing a bathroom and walking the halls with toilet paper. These are details that are poignant and vivid, emphasizing the mundane and isolated nature of this person's life.
As the song comes to its conclusion, it speaks of moments of pleasure that are quickly over as the lyrics suggest that "Later on your hand, It moves under the covers, And after you've cum, You think about your student loan". It's not a happy ending, but the lyrics suggest that these simple moments of pleasure help to alleviate the burden of being alone.
Overall, this song is a somber and critical look at the experience of being overweight and alone. It highlights the sense of isolation that overweight people may feel and brings a level of empathy to situations that are often judged harshly by society.
Line by Line Meaning
I know it's hard
Being overweight and by yourself can be difficult
When you're fat and alone
You feel isolated due to your weight and lack of companionship
And no one's around to know you
You feel unnoticed and like no one understands your struggles
And you lock up your bike
Even basic activities can be a challenge for you
And it falls down
Your weight makes even simple things difficult and causes embarrassment
And you're on a diet for no one
You try to lose weight despite lacking external motivators
And on your birthday
Even on a special day, you feel alone
Only your mother calls
You receive minimal recognition while the people who love you are far away
She says hap, happy, happy birthday, pumpkin
Your one phone call wishes you well but is perfunctory and generic
I won't talk long
Your family and friends are hardly present and don't have much to say
I bet there's someone in your bed
You lack intimacy and are envious of those who have it
But you share a bathroom
Having to share facilities highlights your loneliness
You walk through the halls
You move through your living space without any sense of purpose
With your toilet paper in your hands
Even mundane tasks make you feel self-conscious and judged
You talk at length
Your main social interactions are with people far away and involve their children
About her little kids
You find yourself being interested in other people's lives because yours lacks excitement
And you think to yourself
You introspect and acknowledge your lack of progress towards relationship milestones
"I better take a wok cooking class"
You try to make changes that could not only improve yourself but also increase social opportunities
Haven't had sex for a year now
You feel sexually frustrated and cut off from romantic experiences
You've seen you at the antique flea market
You recognize yourself in other lonely people seeking comfort in nostalgic objects
Life is sad when you wear
You are not satisfied with your current situation
Sweatpants and a raincoat
Your appearance highlights a lack of success in love and in self-improvement
And you walk unescorted
You lack the support and companionship that could improve your life and mood
And you go into ?
You visit anonymous, forgettable places
And you buy yourself
You console yourself with food and superficial entertainment
Some corn chips and some salsa
You indulge in comfort food that makes you feel good temporarily
And you go home and eat them
You find solace in small pleasures, temporary relief from the underlying problems in your life
While you read junk mail
You use mindless activities to numb the pain of your loneliness
And after you've cum
You use masturbation as a substitute for real intimacy and sex
You think about your student loan
Even in moments of pleasure, the larger worries and stresses of life don't disappear
When you're all alone
You face a multitude of problems that feel insurmountable when you're in isolation
Contributed by Maria H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.