Album: The Offspring (1989)

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Songfacts®:

• The Offspring spent 3 days filming a scene in a movie that came out in Spring 1999. The film, Idle Hands, is a bizarre horror comedy directed by Rodman Flender (Party Of Five, The Unborn, Leprechaun II) and stars Devon Sawa (Wild America), Seth Green (Can't Hardly Wait, Austin Powers) and Vivica Fox (Soul Food, Independence Day). The Offspring portray a band performing at a high school dance where all hell is about to break loose and Dexter Holland gets his scalp ripped off. Before this scene, Blink 182 also makes an appearance. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  blibo - legem, Belgium
• On the band's website, Holland told the story behind the song: "I still lived at home back then, and I remember that I wrote the music for that song one night when I was just sitting in my bedroom on my bed with a guitar, being bored. I guess, sometimes, being bored is a good way to make up songs. It was one of those times where I was kind of watching TV, and just kind of strumming my guitar, not really even paying attention to what I was playing, when I just kind of accidentally played some chords that I liked. Pretty soon I had all the music written, but I had to come up with some lyrics.
  
  This is where James Lilja came in. Now, James was our first drummer, and this was before we even recorded our first record. James is a great guy with a pretty warped sense of humor, and this guy was dying to get into medical school. In fact, he was so intent on getting into medical school that he didn't really even practice with us much, which is part of why he's not our drummer anymore! But anyway, James and I got together one day and I told him how I was trying to write lyrics for this song.
  
  I had the idea of calling it 'Beheaded,' and having it be about this crazy guy who enjoys that sort of thing. You know, actually, this kind of song is something that a lot of old punk bands did back then. There's tons of songs where the band talks about liking something that's gross or sick or whatever, but of course it's just a joke. Want some examples? Like, let's see, the Dead Kennedys did songs like 'Stealing People's Mail' and 'I Kill Children.' Suicidal Tendencies had 'I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy's Dead,' TSOL had 'Code Blue,' (which was about necrophilia), and D.I. had a song called 'I Like Guns.' Of course, these bands didn't really advocate these kinds of things, it was just done for shock value, and it was kind of funny too.
  
  So we decided to make our 'Beheaded' be in that vein, and one afternoon James and I just cracked each other up making up silly lines about beheading people... And James? Yes, he got into medical school, and believe it or not, he's now a gynecologist! I hope his patients don't find out that he once helped write a song called 'Beheaded'!"

Comments: 6

• Zero from The Abyss, Nj@ Joel:
  
  Some people that are IDIOTS! Lighten up, bro.
• Joel from Columbia, ScThis song is really sick. I like most of the other stuff better. I realize it's done for shock value but still somepeople might think that the songwriters are F**king sickos.
• Sarah from Salisbury, EnglandThis is what Dexter wrote on their official website:
  Now, this is really going back. Beheaded is a song off of our very first album, so that?s like 10 years ago! It?s also the only song off that record that we still play live sometimes.
  
  I still lived at home back then, and I remember that I wrote the music for that song one night when I was just sitting in my bedroom on my bed with a guitar, being bored. I guess, sometimes, being bored is a good way to make up songs. It was one of those times where I was kind of watching TV, and just kind of strumming my guitar, not really even paying attention to what I was playing, when I just kind of accidentally played some chords that I liked. Pretty soon I had all the music written, but I had to come up with some lyrics.
  
  This is where James Lilja came in. Now, James was our first drummer, and this was before we even recorded our first record. James is a great guy with a pretty warped sense of humor, and this guy was dying to get into medical school. In fact, he was so intent on getting into medical school that he didn?t really even practice with us much ? which is part of why he?s not our drummer anymore! But anyway, James and I got together one day and I told him how I was trying to write lyrics for this song.
  
  I had the idea of calling it ?Beheaded,? and having it be about this crazy guy who enjoys that sort of thing. You know, actually, this kind of song is something that a lot of old punk bands did back then. There?s tons of songs where the band talks about liking something that?s gross or sick or whatever, but of course it?s just a joke. Want some examples? Like, let?s see, the Dead Kennedys did songs like ?Stealing People?s Mail? and ?I Kill Children.? Suicidal Tendencies had ?I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy?s Dead,? TSOL had ?Code Blue,? (which was about necrophilia), and D.I. had a song called ?I Like Guns.? Of course, these bands didn?t really advocate these kinds of things ? it was just done for shock value, and it was kind of funny too.
  
  So we decided to make our Beheaded be in that vein, and one afternoon James and I just cracked each other up making up silly lines about beheading people. You can check out the lyrics on another part of this web site.
  
  Little did I know that day that we?d still be playing that song ten years later.
  
  And James? Yes, he got into medical school, and believe it or not, he?s now a gynecologist! I hope his patients don?t find out that he once helped write a song called ?Beheaded?!
• Preecey from Sheffield, EnglandIt was also inspired by Dexter Holland's favourite band, TSOL, and their song, 'Code Blue'. The song was re-recorded in 1999 for the film 'Idle Hands', in which they perform live.
• Pete from Sydney, AustraliaApperently Dexter wrote it with some help of his gynecologist friend
• Stephen from Calgary, CanadaThis song was, according to Dexter Holland, inspired by a Dead Kennedys song called "I Kill Children." He liked the idea of them having a really gruesome song included on their album purely for shock value.

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