Career: He began his career in 1989 playing open mic nights in south Florida. Two years later, in 1991, he moved to Seattle and began doing the same there, where his popularity increased. However, Hedberg did encounter some degree of difficulty. It took him more than a few years to come up with a good deal of material, and he also needed to conquer his stage fright, which was so intense that it left a mark on him throughout his career, sometimes even leading to his performing with his eyes closed, which he often incorporated into his jokes.
He first began achieving national exposure with a special on Comedy Central. Hedberg appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman ten times and became one of the show's most successful American comedians. Hedberg was deemed the "Kurt Cobain of Stand Up Comedy" because of his long hair, laid back attitude, drug addiction, and Seattle background. Hedberg was set apart from his stand-up comedy peers by many traits, including his unique pronunciations, an "abrupt" style of punchline delivery, and a curious stage presence that was professional-but-casual and confident-but-shy.
Mitch's joke topics rarely, if ever, treaded into smutty or contentious territory, instead focusing largely on deft wordplay, clever non sequiturs, innocent whimsy, and imaginative "object" observations. Although his stand-up delivery occasionally contained so-called "four-letter words," such language was never central to Hedberg's gags, instead being just exclamation/filler phrases during his stage discourse (his jokes rarely suffered when he performed them on television with the curses omitted - some might argue that they were better for the more universal appeal).
His onstage persona, though slightly nervous, was always quite endearing; he would happily joke with the audience if they hadn't reacted particularly well to a joke. He was happy to criticise his own weaker jokes, such as his statement on Strategic Grill Locations: "That joke was just a carbon copy of the last joke." His jokes ranged from compact one- or two-liners ("I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.") to slightly longer material (usually with multiple punchlines) in which he would take everyday ideas or situations and pick out certain aspects at which to poke humor (the Dufrenes joke is a good example of this). Mitch was also a three-time performer at the Montreal Just for Laughs festival.
Death: Hedberg was known to be a drug user. In May 2003, he was arrested in Austin, Texas, for possession of heroin. In 2004, Hedberg's drug use seemed to spiral out of control. At a September 23 performance in Phoenix, Arizona, Hedberg appeared on stage intoxicated, nearly collapsed, and asked the audience for drugs, which he then ingested in front of the crowd. At several other performances, he openly asked the audience for "any drugs" they might have, including Xanax and other prescription drugs.
Late in the evening on March 29, 2005, Hedberg was found dead by his wife in a Livingston, New Jersey, hotel room. He was 37 years old. His death was first announced by Howard Stern on his morning talk show (on which Hedberg had appeared many times, including less than two weeks before his death) and later confirmed by the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Many people who learned of his death thought it to be an April Fool's joke, because it was announced April 1st on his official website. Hedberg had reportedly been preparing for his first HBO special, which was his main goal to achieve as a comedian. The high school he went to in St. Paul put his picture up in the student of the month column following his death, to show how greatly loved he was by the faculty that had taught him, and the many students that had seen him perform. Hedberg was born with a heart defect for which he received extensive treatment as a child. Though this condition initially had been cited as a possible cause of death, in May 2005 the New Jersey medical examiner's office reported "multiple drug toxicity," including cocaine and heroin, as the official cause of death.
Results of the autopsy and toxicology reports were first reported by journalist Peter Hyman in the January 2006 edition of Spin magazine.
Hedberg could be heard as the voice of Jimmy John's radio advertisements during the months leading up to and after his death. (Since his name was never used in the ads, the company likely felt there was no need to pull the ads after he died.) He also was the voice of the Atlanta Thrashers "Hockey Love" ad campaign in 2002-2003. Every performance of the Insomniac tour, headed by Hedberg friend and former tourmate Dave Attell, featured a toast to Hedberg at the end of the show.
Houses
Mitch Hedberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you want to talk to me after the show
I'll be fucking surprised
I'm gonna have to have some liner notes for that joke like
"During that joke he points to the back"
So people get the full experience
I'm gonna do a bunch of jokes that require actual seeing me
"Hey what do you think of that shirt?"
"What the fuck man?
That's ridiculous"
"God damn, look at that haircut
You're fucking nuts dude"
Those people will not get the full experience
Of those jokes
If you find yourself lost in the woods
Fuck it, build a house
"Well I was lost but now I live here
I have severely improved my predicament"
I bought a house, it's a two-bedroom house
But I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are don't you?
Fuck you real estate lady, this bedroom has an oven in it
This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around and watching TV
This bedroom is over in that guy's house
Sir, you got one of my bedrooms are you aware?
Don't decorate it
I got a king sized bed
I don't know any kings, but if one came over he would be comfortable
"Oh, you're a king you say?
Well you won't believe what I have in store for you
And it's to your exact specifications
I did not know you guys were all the same size
I think I can set your lady up too"
When I was a boy I laid in my
Twin-sized bed wondering where my brother was
I don't have a microwave oven
But I do have a clock that occasionally cooks shit
I want to get a job naming kitchen appliances
That seems easy, you know?
Refrigerator, toaster, blender
You just say what the thing does, then you add 'er'
Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute
"What does this thing do?"
"It keeps shit fresh"
"Well that's a fresher, I'm going on break"
In this song, Mitch Hedberg shares a series of absurd jokes that require the audience to see him to get the full experience. He jokes about how some people would not appreciate his jokes on the CD because they wouldn't be able to witness his antics post-performance. He then shifts to talking about houses, stating that if one finds themselves lost in the woods, they should build a house. He then talks about how he bought a two-bedroom house, but thinks he should be the one to decide how many bedrooms are in it. He breaks down each room of his house and what purpose they serve, including a bedroom that is in a neighbor's house.
In the next part of the song, Hedberg jokes about his king-sized bed and how he doesn't know any kings, but if one came over, he would be comfortable. He then shares a childhood memory of being in a twin-sized bed and wondering where his brother was. He concludes with a joke about not having a microwave oven, but possessing a clock that occasionally cooks food. He then whimsically imagines himself as part of a "Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute," where the task at hand would be straightforward - just name each appliance after its primary function (e.g., refrigerator, toaster, blender).
Overall, Mitch Hedberg's song "Houses" is a collection of lighthearted and offbeat jokes that range from his personalised quips to absurd observations on everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey check this joke out
Hello, I would like to tell you a joke.
If you want to talk to me after the show I'll be fucking surprised
I would be very surprised if you wanted to talk to me after this show.
I'm gonna have to have some liner notes for that joke like 'During that joke he points to the back' So people get the full experience
To make sure people fully understand my joke, I may need to provide instructions on what I do during the joke, like point to the back of the room.
I'm gonna do a bunch of jokes that require actual seeing me. And the CD will piss people off. 'Hey what do you think of that shirt?' 'What the fuck man? That's ridiculous' 'God damn, look at that haircut You're fucking nuts dude' Those people will not get the full experience. Of those jokes
My jokes require visual cues, which won't be present on my CD. People who listen to the CD won't fully understand the jokes, and may say things like 'What the fuck man? That's ridiculous' or 'You're fucking nuts dude' when they hear them.
If you find yourself lost in the woods Fuck it, build a house 'Well I was lost but now I live here I have severely improved my predicament'
If you are lost in the woods with nowhere to go, build a house. You will no longer be lost and instead you will have a place to live.
I bought a house, it's a two-bedroom house But I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are don't you? Fuck you real estate lady, this bedroom has an oven in it This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around and watching TV This bedroom is over in that guy's house Sir, you got one of my bedrooms are you aware? Don't decorate it
I purchased a house which came with two bedrooms, but I believe I should be able to decide how many bedrooms there are. I reject the suggestion of the real estate lady. I will use the extra space for other purposes. Please do not enter one of the bedrooms, as it actually belongs to someone else.
I got a king sized bed I don't know any kings, but if one came over he would be comfortable 'Oh, you're a king you say? Well you won't believe what I have in store for you And it's to your exact specifications I did not know you guys were all the same size I think I can set your lady up too'
I own a large bed meant for a king, who may never actually come to sleep in it. If a king were to visit, he would be pleased with the accommodations. In fact, I could even accommodate his female partner.
When I was a boy I laid in my Twin-sized bed wondering where my brother was
As a child, I slept in a small bed meant for one person, and I would miss my brother, who I wished was there with me.
I don't have a microwave oven But I do have a clock that occasionally cooks shit
I do not own a microwave, but sometimes my clock overheats and seems to 'cook' things.
I want to get a job naming kitchen appliances That seems easy, you know? Refrigerator, toaster, blender You just say what the thing does, then you add 'er' Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute 'What does this thing do?' 'It keeps shit fresh' 'Well that's a fresher, I'm going on break'
I would like to work as a namer of kitchen appliances, as it seems like an easy job. You simply name the appliance after what it does and add '-er'. For example, if an appliance keeps things fresh, it could be called a 'fresher'. This job may be so easy that I could take frequent breaks.
Contributed by Daniel J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.