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| studio =
| studio =
| venue =
| venue =
| genre = [[Cowpunk]]
| genre = [[Hardcore punk]], [[Norteño (music)|Norteño]]
| length = 2:25
| length = 2:25
| label = [[SST Records|SST]]
| label = [[SST Records|SST]]
| writer = [[D. Boon]]
| writer = [[D. Boon]]
| producer = [[Ethan James (producer)|Ethan James]]
| producer = [[Ethan James (producer)|Ethan James]]
| misc =
{{Audio sample
| type = song
| file = Corona.ogg
}}
}}
}}


'''"Corona"''' is a song by American [[punk rock]] band [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]] from the album ''[[Double Nickels on the Dime]]'', which was composed by the band's lead singer and guitarist [[D. Boon]]. The title comes from the [[Corona (beer)|beer of the same name]].
"'''Corona''''" is a song by American [[hardcore punk]] band [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]]. It was included as the seventh song on the track-listing of their third studio album ''[[Double Nickels on the Dime]]'' (1984). The song was composed by lead singer and guitarist [[D. Boon]] and produced by [[Ethan James (producer)|Ethan James]]. Alongside hardcore punk, the [[Minimal music|minimalist]] composition harbors elements of [[Norteño (music)|neo-Norteño]] and [[Polka music|polka]]. The song derives its title from [[Corona Extra]], a brand of Mexican beer. Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino [[protest song]] that contains political lines. It subsequently become famous as the [[theme song]] for the [[MTV]] reality television series ''[[Jackass (franchise)|Jackass]]''.


==Background==
==Background==
Named after a bottle of Mexican beer, "Corona" is a [[protest song]].<ref name="Corona Lexicon">{{cite web|author=|title=Das Wort, das seine Unschuld verlor|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/corona-andere-bedeutung-1.4853423|work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]|publisher=Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding|date=2020-03-24|accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="Hughes">{{cite web|author=Hughes, Rob|title=SST Records: a guide to the best albums|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/buyer-s-guide-sst-records|work=[[Loudersound]]|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing Limited Quay House]]|date=2019-08-14|accessdate=}}</ref>
⚫
The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist [[Mike Watt]], and drummer [[George Hurley]]) had taken to [[Mexico]] on the [[Fourth of July]], 1982. (The same trip also inspired the Mike Watt composition "I Felt Like A Gringo" on ''[[Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat]].'') Moved by some of the more downtrodden elements of the area that he had seen, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the people of Mexico.


⚫
The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist [[Mike Watt]], and drummer [[George Hurley]]) had taken to [[Mexico]] on the [[Fourth of July]], 1982.  (The same trip also inspired the Mike Watt composition "I Felt Like A Gringo" on ''[[Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat]].'')  Moved by some of the more downtrodden elements of the area that he had seen, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the people of Mexico.  
In contrast to the more frantic [[hardcore punk]] tempos of the day, "Corona" uses an almost [[polka]]-like country swing rhythm for the song.

==Recording==
Towards the end of their career, Minutemen started to musically branch out with their songs.<ref name="Prato">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-the-minutemen-mw0000600140|title=Introducing the Minutemen|website=[[AllMusic]] |last=Prato|first=Greg |accessdate=}}}}</ref> In contrast to atypical [[hardcore punk]] tempos, the band experiments with [[Norteño (music)|Nortena]] sounds built on [[polka]] rhythms for "Corona."<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/double-nickels-on-the-dime-mw0000193728 |title=Double Nickels on the Dime – Minutemen |website=[[AllMusic]] |last=Deming |first=Mark |accessdate={{date|2005-07-25|mdy}}}}</ref> Drawing from [[post-punk]] alongside more eclectic musical influences, their music is an interaction between Hurley's virtuosic drumming, Boon's [[Treble (sound)|trebly]] electric guitar, and Watt's busy bass guitar playing. Regarding thier songwriting, Watt claimed, "We don't write songs, we write rivers."<ref name="Azerrad"/>

==Composition==
"Corona" is an uptempo [[hardcore punk]] and [[Norteño (music)|neo-Nortena]] song that runs for a duration of two minutes and twenty-five seconds.<ref name="Gutierrez"/><ref name="allmusic"/> It features driving guitar riffs, burly yet funky [[Bassline|bassline]] and frantic drumbeats.<ref name="Gutierrez"/><ref name="Azerrad"/> The song opens with an [[Introduction (music)|introduction]], where a twanging guitar riff is played.<ref name="McCarter">{{cite web |author=McCarter, Reid|title=Rocket-shooting drone, controlled by weaponized wet blanket, shuts down street party|url=https://news.avclub.com/rocket-shooting-drone-controlled-by-weaponized-wet-bla-1836419356|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[The Onion|Onion]]|date=2019-07-17 |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="Distefano"/><ref name="SPIN Staff">{{cite web |author=SPIN Staff|title=All 152 Foo Fighters Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.spin.com/2014/11/best-foo-fighters-songs-ranked/ |work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date=2014-11-10|accessdate=2017-11-30}}</ref> Its [[Minimalist (music)|minimalist]] arrangemtnt contains no choruses, and is instead composed of fifty-three words strucured into three [[stanza]]s.<ref name="Azerrad"/><ref name="Corona Lexicon"/>

Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino [[protest song]] which contains political lines.<ref name="Hughes"/><ref name="Gutierrez"/> It is an elegiac complaint regarding the injustice and destructive greed of the United States.<ref name="Corona Lexicon"/> Lead singer-guitarist D Boon closes by singing about a bottle of [[Corona (beer)|Mexican beer]].<ref name="Hughes"/><ref name="Corona Lexicon"/> The bottle is intended for a poor woman on a beach in Mexico due to a five cent deposit.<ref name="Corona Lexicon"/>

==Critical reception==
In his review of their album, Juan Gutierrez from ''[[LA Weekly]]'' wrote, "Minutemen's song 'Corona' finally broke big due to ''[[Jackass (franchise)|Jackass]]'', but it was D. Boon's political lyrics, driving guitar riffs, and George Hurley's frantic drumming that make ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' [[hardcore]] perfection.<ref name="Gutierrez">{{cite web|author=Gutierrez, Juan|title=Top 20 Hardcore Albums in History: Complete List|url=https://www.laweekly.com/top-20-hardcore-albums-in-history-complete-list/|work=[[LA Weekly]]|publisher=Brian Calle|date=2013-08-29|accessdate=}}</ref> ''[[Billboard]]'''s Michael Azerrad's described the song as an "ocean of scrabbling [[avant-funk]], Norteño [[Two-step (dance move)|two-step]]."<ref name="Azerrad">{{cite web | author=Azerrad, Michael| title=Former Minutemen Bassist Mike Watt on Why Their Pivotal Album ‘Double Nickels’ Mocked Sammy Hagar| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296972/minutemen-bassist-mike-watt-on-double-nickels-album-mocking-sammy-hagar| work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media|Nielson Business Media, Inc]]| date=2014-10-29| accessdate=}}</ref>

==Commercial performance==
In March 2020, "Corona" was among countless previously released songs with titles and lyrical themes about the [[Global catastrophic risk|world ending]] or [[Survivalism|human survival]] which prompted a rise in sales and [[streaming]].<ref name="Zellner"/> This increase occurred as populations adjusted to life in [[Quarantine#Self_quarantine|self-quarantine]] during the worldwide [[2019–20 coronavirus pandemic|Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic]].<ref name="Zellner"/> The gains "Corona" experienced included a 70% rise in digital song sales and a 26% increase in total on-demand U.S. streams to 63,000.<ref name="Zellner">{{cite web | author=Zellner, Xander| title='It's the End of the World as We Know It,' 'I Will Survive' & More Songs Surge in the Time of Coronavirus| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9336341/songs-surge-coronaviras| work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Eldridge Industries|Billboard-Hollywood Media Group]]| date=2020-03-17| accessdate=2020-03-17}}</ref> The following week, "Corona" rose 95% up in U.S. streams to 122,000 for the tracking week ending March 19.<ref name="Zellner2">{{cite web | author=Zellner, Xander| title=R.E.M.'s 'It's the End of the World,' Fifth Harmony's 'Work From Home' & More Keep Surging Amid Coronavirus| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9341868/rem-its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-fifth-harmony-work-from-home-sales-surge| work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| publisher=[[Eldridge Industries|Billboard-Hollywood Media Group]]| date=2020-03-24| accessdate=2020-03-25}}</ref> Additionally, the song also re-entered LyricFind's U.S. ranking at number 9 for the tracking week running March 9-15.<ref name="Zellner"/> The chart ranks fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the United States and globally as provided by LyricFind.<ref name="Zellner"/> 
==Legacy==
In the 2000s, "Corona" became world-famous as the [[theme song]] of the [[MTV]] reality television series ''[[Jackass (franchise)|Jackass]]''.<ref name="Corona Lexicon"/> The song was immortalized on the stunt show, which used its trademark opening guitar riff.<ref name="Distefano">{{cite web|author=Distefano, Alex|title=The 10 Best South Bay Punk Bands of All Time|url=https://www.laweekly.com/the-10-best-south-bay-punk-bands-of-all-time/|work=[[LA Weekly]]|publisher=Brian Calle|date=2016-07-28|accessdate=}}</ref> In the series, adolescent California skateboarders subject themselves to life-threatening tests of courage and self-harm.<ref name="Corona Lexicon"/>

Canadian singer-songwriter [[Ford Pier]] claimed the songwriting approach for "Great Western" from his debut studio album ''Meconium'' was inspired by "Corona."<ref name="MacInnis"/> He stated, "I had a desire to try to write a song in that style favoured by your [[journeyman]] singer-songwriters of pseudo-literary inclination where an ancillary detail or object within the narrative is selected to be the symbolic fulcrum of the whole thing. ... 'Corona' by the Minutemen would have been a touchstone in this approach."<ref name="MacInnis">{{cite web|author=MacInnis, Allan|title=Ford Pier: Of the Show Business Giants, D.O.A., Bob Mould, and the stools of baby mammals|url=https://www.straight.com/music/984376/ford-pier-show-business-giants-doa-bob-mould-and-stools-baby-mammals|work=[[The Georgia Straight]]|publisher=Brian Kalis|date=2017-10-20 |accessdate=}}</ref>

==Cover versions==
Texas [[indie rock]] band [[Calexico (band)|Calexico]] performed a cover of “Corona” during a concert at [[Newport Folk Festival]] in Newport, Rhode Island.<ref name="For The Register">{{cite web|author=For The Register|title=Way Over Yonder Recovers After Shaky Start|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2013/10/07/way-over-yonder-recovers-after-shaky-start/|work=[[Orange County Register]]|publisher=Ron Hasse|date=2013-10-07|accessdate=}}</ref> Their cover version was included on the playlist ''COVID Quarantine Dance Party'' by Lo Bradley. "Corona" was among many popular songs found in most [[quarantine]]-themed playlists.<ref name="Staff Reporter">{{cite web|author=Staff Reporter|title=Quarantine-Themed Spotify Playlists to Listen to|url=https://www.musictimes.com/articles/81127/20200320/quarantine-themed-spotify-playlists-listen.htm|work=[[Music Times]]|date=2020-03-20|accessdate=}}</ref>


==Versions and covers==
*An early version of the song, as performed by the band on a live video shot by ''[[Flipside (fanzine) | Flipside]]'' magazine in 1983, for some reason has the deposit on the bottle being ten cents, not five.
*An early version of the song, as performed by the band on a live video shot by ''[[Flipside (fanzine) | Flipside]]'' magazine in 1983, for some reason has the deposit on the bottle being ten cents, not five.
*The intro and outro of the song was used as the theme for the [[MTV]] stunt show ''[[Jackass (TV series)|Jackass]]'' and its spinoff movies; the [[Jackass: The Music, Vol. 1|soundtrack to the first film]] also features the full version of the song.
*A solo version of the song by D. Boon can be heard on the CD ''[[D. Boon and Friends]]'', released in 2003.
*A solo version of the song by D. Boon can be heard on the CD ''[[D. Boon and Friends]]'', released in 2003.
*The [[indie rock]] band [[Calexico (band)|Calexico]] covered "Corona," with [[mariachi]] horns, on their 2004 EP ''[[Convict Pool]]''.
*The [[indie rock]] band [[Calexico (band)|Calexico]] covered "Corona," with [[mariachi]] horns, on their 2004 EP ''[[Convict Pool]]''.
*The song has also been covered by the [[Yonder Mountain String Band]] and is featured on their live album ''[[Mountain Tracks: Volume 4]]''.
*The song has also been covered by the [[Yonder Mountain String Band]] and is featured on their live album ''[[Mountain Tracks: Volume 4]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist|30}}


{{Minutemen}}
{{Minutemen}}

Revision as of 05:18, 26 March 2020

"Corona"
Song by Minutemen
from the album Double Nickels on the Dime
Released1984
RecordedNovember 1983/April 1984
GenreHardcore punk, Norteño
Length2:25
LabelSST
Songwriter(s)D. Boon
Producer(s)Ethan James
Audio sample

"Corona'" is a song by American hardcore punk band Minutemen. It was included as the seventh song on the track-listing of their third studio album Double Nickels on the Dime (1984). The song was composed by lead singer and guitarist D. Boon and produced by Ethan James. Alongside hardcore punk, the minimalist composition harbors elements of neo-Norteño and polka. The song derives its title from Corona Extra, a brand of Mexican beer. Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino protest song that contains political lines. It subsequently become famous as the theme song for the MTV reality television series Jackass.

Background

Named after a bottle of Mexican beer, "Corona" is a protest song.[1][2]

The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley) had taken to Mexico on the Fourth of July, 1982.  (The same trip also inspired the Mike Watt composition "I Felt Like A Gringo" on Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat.)  Moved by some of the more downtrodden elements of the area that he had seen, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the people of Mexico.  

Recording

Towards the end of their career, Minutemen started to musically branch out with their songs.[3] In contrast to atypical hardcore punk tempos, the band experiments with Nortena sounds built on polka rhythms for "Corona."[4] Drawing from post-punk alongside more eclectic musical influences, their music is an interaction between Hurley's virtuosic drumming, Boon's trebly electric guitar, and Watt's busy bass guitar playing. Regarding thier songwriting, Watt claimed, "We don't write songs, we write rivers."[5]

Composition

"Corona" is an uptempo hardcore punk and neo-Nortena song that runs for a duration of two minutes and twenty-five seconds.[6][4] It features driving guitar riffs, burly yet funky bassline and frantic drumbeats.[6][5] The song opens with an introduction, where a twanging guitar riff is played.[7][8][9] Its minimalist arrangemtnt contains no choruses, and is instead composed of fifty-three words strucured into three stanzas.[5][1]

Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino protest song which contains political lines.[2][6] It is an elegiac complaint regarding the injustice and destructive greed of the United States.[1] Lead singer-guitarist D Boon closes by singing about a bottle of Mexican beer.[2][1] The bottle is intended for a poor woman on a beach in Mexico due to a five cent deposit.[1]

Critical reception

In his review of their album, Juan Gutierrez from LA Weekly wrote, "Minutemen's song 'Corona' finally broke big due to Jackass, but it was D. Boon's political lyrics, driving guitar riffs, and George Hurley's frantic drumming that make Double Nickels on the Dime hardcore perfection.[6] Billboard's Michael Azerrad's described the song as an "ocean of scrabbling avant-funk, Norteño two-step."[5]

Commercial performance

In March 2020, "Corona" was among countless previously released songs with titles and lyrical themes about the world ending or human survival which prompted a rise in sales and streaming.[10] This increase occurred as populations adjusted to life in self-quarantine during the worldwide Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.[10] The gains "Corona" experienced included a 70% rise in digital song sales and a 26% increase in total on-demand U.S. streams to 63,000.[10] The following week, "Corona" rose 95% up in U.S. streams to 122,000 for the tracking week ending March 19.[11] Additionally, the song also re-entered LyricFind's U.S. ranking at number 9 for the tracking week running March 9-15.[10] The chart ranks fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the United States and globally as provided by LyricFind.[10] 

Legacy

In the 2000s, "Corona" became world-famous as the theme song of the MTV reality television series Jackass.[1] The song was immortalized on the stunt show, which used its trademark opening guitar riff.[8] In the series, adolescent California skateboarders subject themselves to life-threatening tests of courage and self-harm.[1]

Canadian singer-songwriter Ford Pier claimed the songwriting approach for "Great Western" from his debut studio album Meconium was inspired by "Corona."[12] He stated, "I had a desire to try to write a song in that style favoured by your journeyman singer-songwriters of pseudo-literary inclination where an ancillary detail or object within the narrative is selected to be the symbolic fulcrum of the whole thing. ... 'Corona' by the Minutemen would have been a touchstone in this approach."[12]

Cover versions

Texas indie rock band Calexico performed a cover of “Corona” during a concert at Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.[13] Their cover version was included on the playlist COVID Quarantine Dance Party by Lo Bradley. "Corona" was among many popular songs found in most quarantine-themed playlists.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Das Wort, das seine Unschuld verlor". Süddeutsche Zeitung. Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding. 2020-03-24.
  2. ^ a b c Hughes, Rob (2019-08-14). "SST Records: a guide to the best albums". Loudersound. Future Publishing Limited Quay House.
  3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Introducing the Minutemen". AllMusic.}}
  4. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Double Nickels on the Dime – Minutemen". AllMusic. Retrieved July 25, 2005.
  5. ^ a b c d Azerrad, Michael (2014-10-29). "Former Minutemen Bassist Mike Watt on Why Their Pivotal Album 'Double Nickels' Mocked Sammy Hagar". Billboard. Nielson Business Media, Inc.
  6. ^ a b c d Gutierrez, Juan (2013-08-29). "Top 20 Hardcore Albums in History: Complete List". LA Weekly. Brian Calle.
  7. ^ McCarter, Reid (2019-07-17). "Rocket-shooting drone, controlled by weaponized wet blanket, shuts down street party". The A.V. Club. Onion.
  8. ^ a b Distefano, Alex (2016-07-28). "The 10 Best South Bay Punk Bands of All Time". LA Weekly. Brian Calle.
  9. ^ SPIN Staff (2014-11-10). "All 152 Foo Fighters Songs, Ranked". Spin. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  10. ^ a b c d e Zellner, Xander (2020-03-17). "'It's the End of the World as We Know It,' 'I Will Survive' & More Songs Surge in the Time of Coronavirus". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
  11. ^ Zellner, Xander (2020-03-24). "R.E.M.'s 'It's the End of the World,' Fifth Harmony's 'Work From Home' & More Keep Surging Amid Coronavirus". Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. ^ a b MacInnis, Allan (2017-10-20). "Ford Pier: Of the Show Business Giants, D.O.A., Bob Mould, and the stools of baby mammals". The Georgia Straight. Brian Kalis.
  13. ^ For The Register (2013-10-07). "Way Over Yonder Recovers After Shaky Start". Orange County Register. Ron Hasse.
  14. ^ Staff Reporter (2020-03-20). "Quarantine-Themed Spotify Playlists to Listen to". Music Times.
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