Moron Brothers
by NOFX

Album: Ribbed (1991)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Moron Brothers are NOFX drummer Erik "Smelly" Sandin and their roadie DJ. They were often drunk and disorderly, which didn't sit well with the band's guitarist Eric Melvin, who gave them the name.

    "Most people assume the lyrics are fictional, or an exaggeration, but every line comes from the exploits of Smelly and DJ," Melvin wrote in the book NOFX: The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories. "They'd get drunk and drugged out of their minds every single night and immediately channel their energy into creating chaos. Mostly by peeing on stuff."

    "They stole drugs from people's medicine cabinets, vomited on cue, and broke everything they touched," he added. "The Moron Brothers were a guaranteed disaster."

    Some of the deeds that show up in the song: taping people's eyelids closed, peeing in ice trays, and putting mustard up your nose.
  • Eric Melvin came up with the name Moron Brothers after seeing the 1984 movie Splash. There's a scene where Eugene Levy's character is supervising two idiots fumbling with a crate on the beach. Tom Hanks asks, "Have you seen anyone else along this beach?" and Levy replies, "No, just me and the Moron Twins."
  • The first line in the song mentions the Moron Brothers' "tattooed fingers, tattooed toes." These were improvised tattoos they would do to themselves or each other, usually resulting in bloody digits the next morning.
  • This song is part of the third NOFX album, Ribbed. It was a big step forward for the band, selling about 8000 copies in its first year and earning them more fans at shows. Their guitarist, Steve Kidwiler, didn't stick around, leaving after the album to join another band. He missed the party: NOFX became one of the top punk bands a few years later when punk became surprisingly popular.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.