The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead / XTC

[wb4ever1]

Awful, pretentious video, full of shallow politics, but a great song, one of the many forgotten hits of the 90's.

[EroticVultures]

JFK was a crook, not a saviour.

[frawgdawg]

..reminds me of Ron Paul.

[mustangfan1995]

i think the Crash Test Dummies version is better than this!

[GirlsNCows]

As an XTC fan I've heard this tune about a thousand times, but this is my first look at the video. Agree w/lovelymusick's "general notion of the well meaning savior" theory. Kind of shocked at how JFK specific the video is... even down to the "6th floor" texas book depository reference @4:56 - this video concept was probably a bad idea - in that it made a general notion visually specific - XTC much like Elvis Costello was famous for bad ideas/career mistakes - which is why I love them dearly.

[overkill2010]

@Ladyfox441 You have to be seriously fucked in the head to compare that asshole to Jesus and JFK.

[77bogart]

@SummernlightningUSA Sooo, which is it for you...Justin Beiber or Limp Biscuit?

[77bogart]

@SummernlightningUSA So why did you remove the following comment you sent me? ......@77bogart

as much as I dislike justin beiber and fred durst the whiney, effeminete pretentious anal retentive diarheah for the ears this band spent a career shitting out always been 10 times worse

[77bogart]

@SummernlightningUSA Anyway...wow. Agree to disagree then I guess. While XTC is not my favorite, I believe their lyrics are deeper and more interesting than 99% of the garbage out today (whether indie or mainstream). And it's funny because I've always felt XTC was actually totally genuine and not a bit pretentious.

[BassPlayerSusan]

I love how this song is open to so many interpretations. I also think Crash Test Dummies did a good job covering it. 

[poidog44]

I'm still going with this is about a mythical politician. Honest and does what is best for the citizens.

The JFK reference is disturbing because he was not an honest politician.

[enzo2b]

Only one radio station played this song where I lived....then they changed their format and I never heard this song again until today. Very sad.

[RottingFlesh420]

I love XTC for songs like this. Back door writing open for interpretation. This song could be about JFK, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln. Anyone.

[SummernlightningUSA]

@RottingFlesh420

right. all amazing historical figures that actually accomplished something while xtc spent a career recording whiney pretentious bullshit

[Dyluck387]

Hanging there he looked a lot like you, and an awful lot like me...

[philquinton]

Actually - its about a cat

[camilowish]

@philquinton Wrong, it's about Peter Pumpkinhead =P

[philquinton]

@camilowish True . But I have a cat called Peter Pumpkinhead....which is a Female...also a long winded story what goes on ...... (Petter Griffin, Sigh)

[PittFan888]

I think Barenaked Ladies could do a good cover of this song. They remind me of XTC sometimes.

[tbscrazy12]

This song is about Ron Paul

[trickster0092]

XTC was always such a politically incorrect band. That's why they are one of my all time favourite bands. No screaming or swearing. Just amazing songwriting.

[acrovader]

Hard to believe this band is nearly 20 years old.

[acrovader]

@acrovader Oops, didn't mean band- I meant ALBUM. Silly me..

[CharellWyatt]

Thinking of a lyrics re-write:

Julian put to shame

Governments who would slur his name

Plots and sex scandals failed outright

People merely said, "yeah right CIA, nice try"

But he made too many enemies of the people who would keep us on our knees

Hooray for Julian, Hooray for Julian Assange

Let's pray they don't nail him to a chunk of wood.

[acrovader]

@CharellWyatt Ugh.

[darwinbulldog]

Not to divert the Jesus/Kennedy discussion too much, but does anyone know who played the Marilyn Monroe part in the video?

[fleebenworth]

This heard this on the radio today after not hearing it for a few years, it choked me up. I've always thought this was a very powerful song.

[lovelymusick]

@amin1950 Really? They let you vote? I'm shocked!

[lovelymusick]

@amin1950 Wrong? Maybe. Arrogant? Nope. That would be you!

[lovelymusick]

@amin1950 The video obviously refers to JFK to a certain degree. I had just never realized that. That's all I was saying. If the song /video evoke a certain "JFK' aura to me, then who are you to tell me I'm wrong! Sheesh. Last I checked, it was still a free country and people were still free to interpret things in their own way!

[ImpSD42]

JFK died for our sins

[lovelymusick]

Wow. I never realized this song was about JFK until I saw this video. I used to think it had religious overtones!

[JordaanM]

@lovelymusick Actually, the song is not about anyone in particular, but rather the general notion of the well-meaning saviour and how they are always destroyed by those with something to lose if the world were to get better. Jesus and JFK were just exemplars to get the point across

[megatexas]

@JordaanM maybe the song is like that but you have to get up dang early in the morning to pretend this video is not about JFK. Oh and the band is in the video, so I guess at some point they noticed this.

[lovelymusick]

@megatexas Hey, finally somebody who knows what they are talking about! Megatexas for president!!

[thettguy]

@megatexas --the lead singer is well known for his conspiracy theory beliefs and his belief that JFK was killed as part of a larger conspiracy and not a lone gunman.

[utube5432151]

@JordaanM The singer of XTC is an atheist, its doubtful he'd use Jesus as an example in his song

[Ashloomis]

@utube5432151 Just because you're an atheist doesn't mean you can't respect Jesus.

[utube5432151]

@Ashloomis Agreed, but its doubtful he choose him over say, Ghandi, Darwin, Galileo, or Socrates, all great men who died or were suppressed for spreading knowledge and morals. He probably meant the meaning to encompass all men who stood up for what is right in the face of ignorance and paid the unjust price

[jambi880]

@utube5432151 More people would understand his point if he used Jesus as an example though.

[utube5432151]

@jambi880 conceded

[7at2]

@utube5432151 I completely disagree with you. One may find Jesus's story morally valuable without beliveing it actually happened. I think in this song specifically that "nailed to a chunk of wood" is a reference do Jesus.

[utube5432151]

@7at2 Its laughable to assert that Jesus was the only person to be crucified, he was the most famous, but as I said the members of XTC are atheists, they don't believe Jesus was anything more than a man

[7at2]

@utube5432151 Jesus wasn't the only one to be crucified for sure, but his story was the most famous story about crucification. I can't see why it couldn't be a reference to him just because they don't think he was just a man: it's a story that people know. He also says "who'll pray for peter" even not believing that prayer works (I assume). Anyway, if there are references to Jesus or not, it's not much relevant. I just think they could be...

[utube5432151]

@7at2 I agree, this conversation is irrelevant

[acrovader]

@utube5432151

What makes you think that? They 'are' or 'were' atheists? Just because the band may be dead wrong on religion doesn't change how much I admire all their music.

[utube5432151]

@acrovader the lead singer and songwriter of XTC, Andy Partridge, is an atheist. I don't have a problem with atheists, I am one

[gregmart91]

@acrovader Dead wrong? More like completly correct.

[gregmart91]

@acrovader Dead wrong? More like completly correct.

[acrovader]

@gregmart91 How so? Because you think so? I don't don't need anyone to tell me what I think. I think they're DEAD WRONG on religion, assuming that they still feel that way. I'm not going to let some aloof athieist views stop me from enjoying XTC's music.

[gregmart91]

@acrovader well said!

[thettguy]

@JordaanM --perfect song for Julian Assange

[shaynegryn]

@JordaanM I always though the song was about Jeff Daniels.

[Viimane]

@JordaanM I got your point but comparing Jesus and JFK is not absolutely proper, to say the least.

[alminmusic]

YUM! in XTC :p :d

[linardos777]

>>elleti46

come on....

[elleti46]

i prefer the British version

[wolfmans46]

This is the original British Version and NOT the Canadian vesion as good as that was.

[MultiMEXICA]

es una chingonada la cancion