Recorded 1991 Label Zoo Entertainment | Length 5:53 | |
Released 1992 (original)
1993 (re-release) Format Video single, vinyl, CD single Genre Comedy rock, heavy metal, hardcore punk, punk rock | ||
"Three Little Pigs" is a song by the comedy heavy metal band Green Jellÿ, from the album Cereal Killer. Released by Zoo Entertainment in 1992 with the original band name Green Jellö, the single was re-released in 1993 under the name Green Jellÿ due to a lawsuit for trademark infringement by the owners of Jell-O.
Contents
- Writing and composition
- Music video
- Censoredchanged lyrics
- Vinyl pressing
- 1993 CD pressing
- Personnel
- References
The song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1993, and charted even higher in the UK, where it reached #5. The chart success can be partly attributed to the song's unique and heavily aired music video. The song was ranked #35 on VH1's 40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs...Ever.
Writing and composition
Written by Marc Levinthal and Bill Manspeaker after a "late-night drinkfest" at Zatar's in Hollywood, the song is a re-telling of the classic fairy tale Three Little Pigs, with modern twists such as pigs who smoke pot and graduated from Harvard, an appearance by Rambo and a Harley-Davidson-riding wolf.
The original hand written lyrics to the song, dated 4/24/89 and written on 2 yellow legal pad pages with the title "The 3 LTL' PIGS...", showing changes and corrections were sold by Bill Manspeaker in 2012.
Music video
The song's stop motion claymation music video received regular rotation on MTV, and in 1993 it was certified gold by the RIAA. "Three Little Pigs" was notable for being the first known music single to debut only in video form; when the music video was first shown on MTV, fans could buy the song on videotape, but not on CD. In 1993, however, the single was finally released in CD form.
Censored/changed lyrics
Two versions of the song exist; the only change being the lyrics as to what the second Little Pig was doing. In the censored/modified version, the lyric was "He was kind of stokin'/spent most of his days in the sun just soakin'". The original lyric was "He was kind of stokin'/spent most of his day just a ganja smokin'". Despite the attempt to remove the marijuana reference, the video does not edit "pot culture" references in this part of the song.
Vinyl pressing
- "Three Little Pigs"
1993 CD pressing
- "Three Little Pigs" (edit) – 2.30
- "Three Little Pigs" (full-length version) – 5:54
- "Obey the Cowgod" – 3:09