Format CD, cassette, vinyl Label Columbia | Length 2:14 Writer(s) Chris Ballew | |
Released August 8, 1995 (airplay) Genre Alternative rock, grunge, post-grunge | ||
"Lump" is a song by alternative rock band The Presidents of the United States of America. It was released in 1995 and featured on their self-titled debut album. The song reached #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1995. Composer Chris Ballew said that the lyrics combined his own history of having a benign tumor in the head with a vision he had of a woman in a swamp, while employing the word "lump" because Ballew was fond of it. The musical part was described by Ballew as him "trying to write a Buzzcocks song". Ballew considers it his favorite composition.
Contents
Later in the same year, it debuted on the Album Rock Tracks chart, and went on to hit #7. The song is featured in the video games Rock Band 2, the Nintendo DS version of Band Hero, Just Dance, and Saints Row IV. It has additionally been covered or remade by several artists such as The Johnstones and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Track listings
- "Lump" – 2:13
- "Carilyn's Bootie" – 2:17
- "Candy Cigarette" – 2:02
- "Twig in the Wind" – 2:54
- "Lump" – 2:12
- "Wake Up" – 2:37
Music videos
The music video for "Lump", directed by Roman Coppola, takes place in a "boggy marsh" (as the lyrics state). The video shows the band singing in a swamp as well as on the stern of a large barge in Elliott Bay interspersed with a silhouette scene of the band performing.
Another video was also made for the song. This version, commonly referred to as "Lump 2", was considered too disturbing and dark to be aired on MTV (reflecting the band's grunge and post-grunge origins). It features the band performing on a dark stage while various people lip sync the lines "She's lump!" during the chorus. This version can be found on "Ten Year Super Bonus Special Anniversary Edition" of The Presidents of the United States of America's debut album.