Caribou

Album: Come On Pilgrim (1987)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Pixies lead singer Black Francis wrote "Caribou" for the group's debut album, though he confessed to NME he has "absolutely no memory of writing that song."

    But that doesn't mean he dislikes it; in fact, it's one of his favorites. He likes playing it so much that even when it's not on a setlist, he'll swap out a different song so he can sneak it in.
  • Black Francis told NME the abstraction of this song is related to reincarnation, "maybe even the singer of the song is reincarnated as a caribou."
  • Black Francis and drummer David Lovering call this one of the group's defining songs with its juxtaposing elements like soft, sweet singing and screaming. "It kind of runs the whole gamut of things that we do with music," Francis explained.
  • Lovering says he borrowed a friend's drum set when the band recorded this at Fort Apache Studios in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?