Corona (song)

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This article is about the 1984 vocal song. For the 1962 non-vocal tune, see Corona (Takemitsu).
"Corona"
Song by Minutemen
from the album Double Nickels on the Dime
ReleasedJuly 3, 1984
RecordedNovember 1983/April 1984
Genre
Length2:25
LabelSST
Songwriter(s)D. Boon
Producer(s)Ethan James

"Corona" is a song by American punk rock band Minutemen. It was included as the seventh song on the second side of their third studio album Double Nickels on the Dime (1984). The song was composed by lead singer and guitarist D. Boon and produced by Ethan James. Its minimalist composition harbors elements of neo-norteño and polka. The song derives its title from Corona Extra, a brand of Mexican beer. Lyrically, "Corona" is originally a Latino-inspired protest song that contains politically charged lines. The song later became famous as the main theme song for the MTV reality stunt show Jackass.

Background[]

Named after a bottle of Mexican beer, "Corona" is a protest song.[1][2]

The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley) had taken to Mexico on the Fourth of July, 1982.  (The same trip also inspired the Mike Watt composition "I Felt Like A Gringo" on Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat.)  Moved by some of the more downtrodden elements of the area that he had seen, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the people of Mexico.  

Recording[]

Towards the end of their career, Minutemen started to musically branch out with their songs.[3] In contrast to atypical hardcore punk tempos, the band experiments with Nortena sounds built on polka rhythms for "Corona."[4] Drawing from post-punk alongside more eclectic musical influences, their music is an interaction between Hurley's virtuosic drumming, Boon's trebly electric guitar, and Watt's busy bass guitar playing. Regarding their songwriting, Watt claimed, "We don't write songs, we write rivers."[5]

Composition[]

"Corona" is an uptempo hardcore punk and neo-Nortena song that runs for a duration of two minutes and twenty-five seconds.[6][4] It features driving guitar riffs, burly yet funky bassline and frantic drumbeats.[6][5] The song opens with an introduction, where a twanging guitar riff is played.[7][8][9] Its minimalist arrangement contains no choruses, and is instead composed of fifty-three words structured into three stanzas.[5][1]

Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino protest song which contains political lines.[2][6] It is an elegiac complaint regarding the injustice and destructive greed of the United States.[1] Lead singer-guitarist D Boon closes by singing about a bottle of Mexican beer.[2][1] The bottle is intended for a poor woman on a beach in Mexico due to a five cent deposit.[1]

Critical reception[]

In his review of their album, Juan Gutierrez from LA Weekly wrote, "Minutemen's song 'Corona' finally broke big due to Jackass, but it was D. Boon's political lyrics, driving guitar riffs, and George Hurley's frantic drumming that make Double Nickels on the Dime hardcore perfection.[6] Billboard's Michael Azerrad's described the song as an "ocean of scrabbling avant-funk, Norteño two-step."[5]

Commercial performance[]

In March 2020, "Corona" was among countless previously released songs with titles and lyrical themes about the world ending or human survival which prompted a rise in sales and streaming.[10] This increase occurred as populations adjusted to life in self-quarantine during the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.[10] The gains "Corona" experienced included a 70% rise in digital song sales and a 26% increase in total on-demand U.S. streams to 63,000.[10] The following week, "Corona" rose 95% up in U.S. streams to 122,000 for the tracking week ending March 19.[11] Additionally, the song also re-entered LyricFind's U.S. ranking at number 9 for the tracking week running March 9–15.[10] The chart ranks fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the United States and globally as provided by LyricFind.[10] 

Legacy[]

In the 2000s, "Corona" became world-famous as the theme song of the MTV reality television series Jackass.[1] The song was immortalized on the stunt show, which used its trademark opening guitar riff.[8] In the series, stuntmen subject themselves to life-threatening tests of courage and self-harm.[1]

Canadian singer-songwriter Ford Pier claimed the songwriting approach for "Great Western" from his debut studio album Meconium was inspired by "Corona."[12] He stated, "I had a desire to try to write a song in that style favoured by your journeyman singer-songwriters of pseudo-literary inclination where an ancillary detail or object within the narrative is selected to be the symbolic fulcrum of the whole thing. ... 'Corona' by the Minutemen would have been a touchstone in this approach."[12]

Cover versions[]

Arizona indie rock band Calexico performed a cover of "Corona" during a concert at Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.[13] Their cover version was included on the playlist COVID Quarantine Dance Party by Lo Bradley. "Corona" was among many popular songs found in most quarantine-themed playlists.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Das Wort, das seine Unschuld verlor". Süddeutsche Zeitung. Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding. 2020-03-24.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Hughes, Rob (2019-08-14). "SST Records: a guide to the best albums". Loudersound. Future Publishing Limited Quay House.
  3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Introducing the Minutemen". AllMusic.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Deming, Mark. "Double Nickels on the Dime – Minutemen". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2005.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Azerrad, Michael (2014-10-29). "Former Minutemen Bassist Mike Watt on Why Their Pivotal Album 'Double Nickels' Mocked Sammy Hagar". Billboard. Nielson Business Media, Inc.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Gutierrez, Juan (2013-08-29). "Top 20 Hardcore Albums in History: Complete List". LA Weekly. Brian Calle.
  7. ^ McCarter, Reid (2019-07-17). "Rocket-shooting drone, controlled by weaponized wet blanket, shuts down street party". The A.V. Club. Onion.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Distefano, Alex (2016-07-28). "The 10 Best South Bay Punk Bands of All Time". LA Weekly. Brian Calle.
  9. ^ SPIN Staff (2014-11-10). "All 152 Foo Fighters Songs, Ranked". Spin. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Zellner, Xander (2020-03-17). "'It's the End of the World as We Know It,' 'I Will Survive' & More Songs Surge in the Time of Coronavirus". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  11. ^ Zellner, Xander (2020-03-24). "R.E.M.'s 'It's the End of the World,' Fifth Harmony's 'Work From Home' & More Keep Surging Amid Coronavirus". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b MacInnis, Allan (2017-10-20). "Ford Pier: Of the Show Business Giants, D.O.A., Bob Mould, and the stools of baby mammals". The Georgia Straight. Brian Kalis.
  13. ^ For The Register (2013-10-07). "Way Over Yonder Recovers After Shaky Start". Orange County Register. Ron Hasse.
  14. ^ Staff Reporter (2020-03-20). "Quarantine-Themed Spotify Playlists to Listen to". Music Times.
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