Allmusic had this to say about the Residents: "Over the course of a recording career spanning several decades, the Residents remained a riddle of Sphinx-like proportions; cloaking their lives and music in a haze of willful obscurity, the band's members never identified themselves by name, always appearing in public in disguise -- usually tuxedos, top hats and giant eyeball masks -- and refusing to grant media interviews. Drawing inspiration from the likes of fellow innovators including Harry Partch, Sun Ra, and Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, the Residents channelled the breadth of American music into their idiosyncratic, satiric vision, their mercurial blend of electronics, distortion, avant-jazz, classical symphonies and gratingly nasal vocals reinterpreting everyone from John Philip Sousa to James Brown while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of theatrical performance and multimedia interaction.
It was commonly accepted that the four-member group emigrated to San Francisco, California from Shreveport, Louisiana at some point in the early '70s. According to longtime group spokesman Jay Clem -- one member of the so-called Cryptic Corporation, the band's representative body -- they received their name when Warner Bros. mailed back their anonymous demo tape, addressed simply "for the attention of residents". Finding no takers for their oddball sounds, the Residents founded their own label, Ralph Records, for the purposes of issuing their 1972 debut "Santa Dog", released in a pressing of 300 copies which were mailed out to luminaries from Frank Zappa to President Richard Nixon. Their debut full-length, 1974's "Meet the Residents", reportedly sold fewer than 50 copies before the group was threatened with a lawsuit from Capitol Records over its cover, a twisted, dada-esque parody of the art to "Meet the Beatles".
The follow-up, 1974's neoclassical excursion "Not Available", was recorded with the intention of its music remaining unissued; locked in cold storage upon its completion, only a 1978 contractual obligation resulted in its eventual release. 1976's "The Third Reich 'N Roll" was the next official offering, a collection of pop oldies covers presented in a controversial jacket portraying Adolf Hitler clutching an enormous carrot. After a 1976 concert in Berkeley, California which cloaked the Residents behind an opaque screen, wrapped up like mummies -- the most famous of only three live performances mounted during their first decade of existence -- they issued an abrasive 1977 cover of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", which became an underground hit on both sides of the Atlantic at the peak of the punk movement. As the decade drew to a close, the group released a flurry of recordings, further building upon their growing cult following; among them were 1978's "Duck Stab", 1979's "Eskimo" (purportedly a collection of native Arctic chants) and 1980's "Commercial Album", a compilation of 40 one-minute "pop songs" that aired on San Francisco radio only because the Residents played them during the advertising time they bought.
In 1981 the Residents embarked upon their "Mole Trilogy", a prog rock collection of albums -- 1981's "Mark of the Mole", 1982's "The Tunes of Two Cities" and 1985's "The Big Bubble" -- recounting an epic battle between a pair of tribes named the Moles and the Chubs; a lavish, multimedia tour, "The Mole Show", followed. In the interim, the group also mounted another ambitious project, the "American Composer" series, although only two of the projected titles -- 1984's "George & James" (a reinterpretation of songs by George Gershwin and James Brown) and 1986's "Stars & Hank Forever" (celebrating John Philip Sousa and Hank Williams) -- ever appeared. Instead, in the wake of financial and corporate difficulties which resulted in the creation of a New Ralph label, the Residents issued the one-off "God in Three Persons" (a talking blues outing), and 1989's "The King and Eye" (a reinterpretation of Elvis Presley standards).
After losing control of the Ralph label as well as their back catalog, the Residents regained the rights to their music in 1990 and began reissuing long-out-of-print material as well as the new "Freak Show", a meditation on circus sideshows and carnival dementia. Four years later, Freak Show was reissued as a CD-ROM, marking the group's first leap into the new digital interactive technology; "Have a Bad Day" followed in 1996, and included the soundtrack to the CD-ROM game "Bad Day on the Midway." In 1997, the band celebrated their silver anniversary with the release of the career-spanning overview "Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses". "Wormwood: Curious Stories From the Bible" followed the next year, with "Roadworms" (songs from Wormwood as performed in the stage show) being issued in mid-2000. They followed that up with the awesome "Icky Flix" DVD, an incredibly detailed collection of their videos that featured both old and new soundtracks, 5.1 Digital Stereo Surround sound, countless hidden videos and in-depth histories of each individual track. That was followed by another one of their rare tours, which saw them incorporate the DVD into their live act and bring out guest singer Molly Harvey for some truly creative duets. The "Petting Zoo" retrospective followed in the spring of 2002, acting as a budget sampler for new fans and giving old fans something to tide them over while several high concept projects neared completion. The first was "Demons Dance Alone", a complicated pop album that hearkened back to the catchier material from "Duck Stab" and the "Commercial Album". That was followed in 2002 by a live retrospective called "Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town" that contained 3 cd's and a DVD, and a further look at their past via remasters and remixes put out by EuroRalph (including a remix of their previously unreleased and notorious "Warner Brothers Demo"). A DVD of the Demons Dance Alone tour came out in 2004 and another new project, "Animal Lover" was released in 2005."
Summer of 2006 brought the internet download project, The River of Crime: Episodes 1-5. River of Crime was their first project with Warner Music Group's Cordless label. Following the success of "River of Crime", The Residents launched their weekly Timmy video project on YouTube. In 2007 they did the music for the documentary "Strange Culture" and also released a double instrumental album, "Night of the Hunters". On the Fourth of July, 2007, the planned October release of their latest project with Mute Records, The Voice of Midnight (a music theater adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann's short story Der Sandmann), was announced on their website.
On the 21st of May 2008 they announced on their website that their first North America tour since "Demons Dance Alone" for a project entitled "The Bunny Boy" is set to begin on October 9th in New York — later an earlier date was added for Santa Cruz. Soon, it was announced that the tour will also include Europe, starting November 13th. On June 3rd, the Residents.com website boasted the planned release of "The Bunny Boy" which was released on September 1st. The website had posted information in which Foxboro claimed this would be a Farewell Tour; it was later revealed that this was nothing more than a mistake by Foxboro.
In October 2017, Hardy Fox identified himself as both the anonymous primary composer and producer for The Residents as well as the pseudonymous Charles Bobuck.
Hardy Fox died on October 30, 2018.
Popcorn
The Residents Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Were Gonna Lay Out Some Rules To This Game, And If You Follow These Rules, You Go Definetly Have A Good Time Up In Here Tonight. Now, Rule One: You Got To Leave All Your Attitude At The Front Door.
Rule Two: Find Yourself The Sexyist Dance Barman That You Can, And Let The Residents Take Control.
Rule Three: Their Will Be No Wipping A Sweat From Anybody.
And Rule Four: Always Remember The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
The Music,
You All Readay To Play?
You All Readay To Play?
You All Readay To Play The Game?
Lets Go!
Rule One: You Got To Leave All Your Attitude At The Front Door.
Rule Two: Find Yourself The Sexyist Dance Barman That You Can, And Let The Residents Take Control.
Rule Three: Their Will Be No Wipping A Sweat From Anybody.
And Rule Four: Always Remember The Music.
You All Readay To Play The Game?
C′mon!
Lets Go!
The lyrics to The Residents' song "Popcorn" convey a set of rules or guidelines for a fun and enjoyable experience. The song begins with a declaration for silence in the house, suggesting a need for focus and attention. The first rule states that one must leave any negative or confrontational attitude at the front door. This implies the importance of adopting a positive and open mindset in order to fully enjoy the experience that follows.
The second rule advises listeners to seek out the most attractive and captivating dance partner that they can find, then surrender control to The Residents. This suggests a willingness to let go and allow oneself to be swept away by the music and the atmosphere. It also indicates the trust that listeners should put in The Residents' ability to provide an enjoyable experience.
The third rule states that no one should wipe away any sweat. This may seem odd at first, but it can be interpreted as a directive to fully immerse oneself in the energy and physicality of the moment. It encourages listeners to actively participate and not shy away from embracing the intensity of the experience.
Lastly, the fourth rule emphasizes the importance of the music itself. It is repeated multiple times, highlighting its significance in creating a vibrant and engaging atmosphere. The repeated question "You all ready to play?" further reinforces the idea that this is a game or a playful experience, inviting listeners to fully engage and participate.
In summary, the lyrics to "Popcorn" by The Residents outline a set of guidelines for an enjoyable experience. They promote leaving behind negativity, surrendering control, embracing physicality, and always keeping the music at the forefront. These rules create a sense of excitement and anticipation, inviting listeners to participate wholeheartedly in the game that The Residents are setting up.
Line by Line Meaning
I Need Some Silence Up In The House!
I desire a calm atmosphere within this residence.
Rule One: You Got To Leave All Your Attitude At The Front Door.
The first rule is to remove any negative behavior or arrogance before entering.
Rule Two: Find Yourself The Sexyist Dance Barman That You Can, And Let The Residents Take Control.
The second rule instructs to locate the most attractive and skilled dance partner and allow The Residents to guide the experience.
Rule Three: Their Will Be No Wipping A Sweat From Anybody.
The third rule declares that no one is allowed to remove perspiration from their body.
And Rule Four: Always Remember The Music.
Additionally, the fourth rule emphasizes the importance of constantly acknowledging and appreciating the music.
You All Readay To Play The Game?
Are all of you prepared to participate in this activity?
C'mon!
Come on!
Lets Go!
Let us begin!
Writer(s): Gershon Kingsley
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
zoe mills
Wished music like this was produced nowadays, those were the times!!🙌
Alan 27 Bunting
XOXO AB
27 TVT
Jamie Gillespie
Scott walker was the man 💯
S1mulation 0ne
Searching for this mix ever since I came across the sample on a vinyl I bought a few years back. I knew it existed, was just a matter of time. Haven't heard this in a good 10 years.
Courtney Evans
🍷🥂🍹🍸🎪🎼🎭pier on the pier memories just love this tune and watching everyone go mental when it drops 🎤🎧💥
Pepper
I FINALLY FOUND THE POPCORN I WAS LOOKING FOR FOR HOURS
Rachel T
Heard it in my mates car and couldnt get it out of my head... thanks soooo much :)
matty20077
yeah man!! been looking for this for ages sweet as is this tune
Chris Simpson
I like this song
MICHAEL
Classic n a half 💪