Happy Idiot

Album: Seeds (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Danny Jelinek-directed video for this song stars Paul Reubens as an insane race car driver. The American comic actor is best known for his character Pee-Wee Herman. TVOTR frontman Tunde Adebimpe told Billboard magazine that it was his idea for Reubens to be in the clip. "I went to the people at Funny Or Die and I had this idea of Paul Reubens as a race car driver, sort of in a 1950's-ish Russ Meyer sort of situation," he recalled. "Then it didn't seem like it was gonna go for a while. I got an email literally a week before we started from my manager and some other people at the label who just said, 'Paul wants to talk to you, call him at this number right now.'"

    "Someone had been texting me and I didn't recognize the number so I was like, 'I'm not gonna deal with that,'" Adebimpe continued. "So I got this email and it said he wants to talk to you, so I called, left a message, he wasn't there and I was like, Okay, I f---ed that up, I guess.' And then the phone rings, I pick up and he goes, 'Hey, Tunde, it's Paul Reubens.' He was just the coolest, most down to earth person ever."

    Ruebens also starred in Elton John's 2001 video for "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" and The Raconteurs 2006 clip for "Steady, As She Goes."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

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

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.