Tenacious D (often referred to as "The D" and sometimes introduced as "The … Read Full Bio ↴Tenacious D (often referred to as "The D" and sometimes introduced as "The Greatest Band in the world. Period.") is an American satirical rock duo formed by musicians and actors Kyle Gass and Jack Black in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Their music fuses vulgar absurdist comedy with rock music in a style that critics have described as "mock rock". The band first gained reputation in 1999, starring in a self-titled HBO TV series. The drumming on both of their albums and the devils voice on the track Beelzeboss (also the one who plays Satan in The Pick of Destiny movie) was performed by Dave Grohl (of Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures fame).

Tenacious D's music showcases Black's theatrical vocal delivery and Gass' acoustic guitar playing abilities. Their songs discuss the duo's purported musical and sexual prowess, as well as their friendship and cannabis usage. Their debut self-titled album features absurd and humorous sketches. Music critics have compared the storyteller-style lyrics of their songs to lyrics of rock opera. In addition, they have since recorded two albums, and starred in their own movie, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.

Black and Gass, at the time respectively aged 16 and 24, met in Edinburgh, Scotland during the Edinburgh Fringe of 1989. Both were members of the Los Angeles-based theatre troupe, The Actors' Gang which was performing Tim Robbins and Adam Simon's play Carnage. Initially Black and Gass did not get on as Gass felt threatened by Black - as he was the main musician for the Actor's gang - but they eventually worked out their differences, and agreed to form a band. Gass taught Black to play guitar, in exchange for Black's helping him with his acting.

Initially, Black and Kyle covered songs by Bobby McFerrin. Later they chose the name "Tenacious D" - a name derived from a term used by sports commentator Marv Albert about the tenacious defense of the NBA's New York Knicks - decided by the audience of the band's first live show, in 1994 at the now defunct Al's Bar. Other possibilities had included "Pets or Meat", "Balboa’s Biblical Theatre" and "The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon’s Mischief", which Gass described as being his personal favorite. In attendance was David Cross who later cast Tenacious D in his sketch comedy television series, Mr. Show.

TV series:

David Cross, with the writer Bob Odenkirk from Mr Show, continued his involvement with Tenacious D by producing three half-hour shows based on the band. The series, entitled Tenacious D, premiered in 1997, immediately following an episode of Mr. Show. While a total of three episodes consisting of two shorts, ten to twelve minutes in length, were produced, only the first was aired that year; the final two episodes did not air until the summer of 2000. The series was canceled after, according to Gass, HBO offered Tenacious D ten episodes, but in doing so, they would have to relinquish their role as executive producers. Gass and Black decided to make a movie instead. Many songs that eventually were included on the band's first album were first featured on the show, though the episodes also contain songs that remain unreleased.

The six shorts were titled "The Search for Inspirado", "Angel in Disguise", "Death of a Dream", "The Greatest Song in the World", "The Fan", and "Road Gig". After the series aired, the band continued to perform. At a show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, they met Dave Grohl, who remarked that he was impressed with their performance; this led to their cameo in the Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly" music video. The popularity of Tenacious D further increased as they began to open for high profile acts, including Beck, Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters.

Lyrics and themes:

The Devil CardSatire and comedy are a major aspect of Tenacious D's lyrical content. Gass said of their approach: "I'd love to do the straight music thing, but that's kind of against our mission, which is to rebel against the serious singer-songwriter mentality." Their songs evoke heavy metal clichés of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. In particular, the song "Dio" pokes fun at the idea of a torch being passed "Now it's time for him to pass the torch" Songs like "Friendship" parody the lack of real friendship in rock groups with the lyric "As long as there's a record deal, we'll always be friends" Other songs cover the topic of sex; "Kielbasa" discusses anal sex, while "Double Team" boasts of the duos sexual prowess. Tenacious D also employs the technique of deliberate backmasking on "Karate", a technique synonymous with bands like Slayer, who recorded a message in Hell Awaits.. The band's imagery also continues the theme of evil. The front cover of Tenacious D features Black and Gass standing naked below the Devil. Black described it as he and Gass being "schooled by Satan". The pose is similar to that shown on the Devil tarot card. The Devil card signifies sexual desire, uncontrolled energy, vice and addiction.

Tenacious D's music has been criticized for its frequent use of profanity. In addition, other critics have described the band as having exhausted the joke of "cock rock".

Influences:

Black has said that the first song he enjoyed was ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me". He attributes influences from Dio, Black Sabbath, Meat Loaf and Bobby McFerrin. Gass describes their influences as being derived from "big dinosaurs of rock" such as Led Zeppelin. In addition, Gass lists his influences as being Tom Waits, Tony Hawk and Tony Robbins. The band claimed that the inspiration for the song "Tribute" came after Black played Metallica's "One" for Gass, describing it as "the best song in the world", leading to a failed attempt to themselves write an even better song.

Gass has described Tenacious D's comic assertion that they are the best band as being "ridiculous because it's a matter of opinion". Black characterizes Tenacious D's comic nature as an antidote to "the masculinity of rock", adding "There's also something funny about the macho-ness of rock. Like the bands that are the fucking hardest rocking are like, 'We'll fucking kick your ass, dude... with our rock.'"

Tenacious D is featured in the highly anticipated video game "Guitar Hero III". `The Metal' is prominently featured in the game's trailer released at E3 2007.

Tenacious D also did backing vocals on the Styx song "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye". It can be found on the album "Cyclorama" from 2003.

They were included in Rock Band 2 with their song "Master Exploder".

In October of 2009 Jack Black starred as roadie Eddie Riggs in the open world video game Brütal Legend by Double Fine Productions on the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3.

Marijuanaville
Tenacious D Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Talking)
Do another one here
This is my version of Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville
Little different thought we had to bring it up in to the 90's
Its now called marijuanaville (eh eh eh eh eh)

Rollin my homegrown smoking a big bone
I look at the ganja covered with oil

Using my tweezers
Got pot in the freezer
Made a new pipe out of aluminum foil

(Chorus)
Wasted away again in marijuanaville
Searchin for my roach clip on a rope (on a rope, on a rope, on a rope)
Some people claim that there is a women to blame
but I know that its all this damn dope

Don't know the reason, stayed here all season
Maybe that tai stick was a way bit too strong
But I got a real beauty a Colombian dubey
Soon ill be up on my way alone (Lucy you got some splaining to
do baby)

(Chorus)

I blew out my bong pipe
Ran out of bud light
But I found some stash I had hidden at home
I put it into a blender and soon it will render
These little fudge brownies that help me get stoned

(Chorus 2x)

Some people claim that I sound like Dylan when I'm
Stoned but I knowwww that its all this damn dope

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Marijuanaville by Tenacious D describe the singer's experience of being high on marijuana. The track is based on Jimmy Buffet's famous song, Margaritaville, but adapted to the modern era. The singer is rolling his homegrown weed and smoking it in a big bone, and he looks at the ganja, which is covered with oil. Then, he uses tweezers to handle the marijuana and creates a new pipe made of aluminum foil. He sings about how he wasted away in Marijuanaville, and he's searching for his roach clip on a rope, which he lost while he was high.

The singer acknowledges that some people say that a woman is to blame for his current situation, but he knows that it's all because of his excessive smoking of weed. He admits that he doesn't know why he's still in Marijuanaville as he's spent the whole season there. He suspects that the Thai stick he smoked was too strong, but he's got a Colombian Dubey, and he'll soon be on his way again. In the final verse, he talks about blowing out his bong pipe and running out of bud light, but he finds some stash he had hidden at home, and he puts it into a blender to make fudge brownies that will help him get stoned.

Line by Line Meaning

Rollin my homegrown smoking a big bone
I am smoking my own, personal marijuana and enjoying myself.

I look at the ganja covered with oil
I admire the marijuana I am smoking. It has oil on it which adds to its potency and flavor.

Using my tweezers
I am being careful with the marijuana as I prepare it for smoking.

Got pot in the freezer
I am storing some of my marijuana in the freezer so that it stays fresh and potent.

Made a new pipe out of aluminum foil
I am improvising a new way to smoke my marijuana because I don't have a regular pipe available. Aluminum foil works in a pinch.

Wasted away again in marijuanaville
I am getting really high and enjoying my time smoking marijuana.

Searchin for my roach clip on a rope (on a rope, on a rope, on a rope)
I am looking for my clip that helps me hold onto the end of my joint, so I don't burn my fingers.

Some people claim that there is a women to blame
Some people say that my marijuana habit is because of a woman who led me astray.

but I know that its all this damn dope
I know that my love of smoking marijuana is my own decision and not because of anyone else.

Don't know the reason, stayed here all season
I have been smoking marijuana for so long that I can't remember why I started, but I have stayed committed to it all year long.

Maybe that tai stick was a way bit too strong
I may have smoked a particularly strong strain of marijuana, which had a more potent effect than I was expecting.

But I got a real beauty a Colombian dubey
I have acquired a high-quality, Colombian strain of marijuana which I am excited to smoke.

Soon ill be up on my way alone (Lucy you got some splaining to do baby)
I am high and about to leave my current location. The reference to 'Lucy' is unclear, but perhaps my high state is causing me to say strange things.

I blew out my bong pipe
I exhaled the smoke from the marijuana I was smoking through a bong.

Ran out of bud light
I have used up all the lighter fluid I have to light my bong or lighter for smoking.

But I found some stash I had hidden at home
I have hidden a small supply of marijuana at home which I have now located and can smoke.

I put it into a blender and soon it will render
I am using a blender to mix the marijuana into a batch of brownies, which once cooked, will get me stoned in an edible way.

These little fudge brownies that help me get stoned
I have successfully made the marijuana-infused brownies and they have the desired effect of getting me high.

Some people claim that I sound like Dylan when I'm Stoned but I knowwww that its all this damn dope
Some people think that my speech patterns resemble Bob Dylan's when I am high, but I know that it's just because of the marijuana I've smoked.

Contributed by Victoria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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