Released July 26, 1990 Length 3:56 | Genre Alternative metal | |
Label Caroline Records (1990)
Prawn Song Records (2002) Writer(s) Claypool/LaLonde/Alexander Producer(s) Primus and "Exxon" Matt Winegar | ||
"Too Many Puppies" is a song by Primus and was the second single from their first album Frizzle Fry (1990). It was the first Primus song bassist and lead singer Les Claypool ever composed. A reworked version featuring drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia can be found on their Rhinoplasty EP (1998).
The song is mostly about the band's reflection on war, and how many soldiers are too young to go off to war, parodying the idea of "the dogs of war" by claiming the dogs are merely puppies. The song was written six years prior to the first Persian Gulf War (despite being released in 1990) and was possibly about violence happening around the region during that time period, such as the Soviet war in Afghanistan or Iran-Iraq war.
A video was in production for this song, but the project was canceled when Primus was signed to Interscope Records. The video had been a rarity until 2003, when it was released on Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People. The music video features a man who, after shaving his head, acts weird with army material (such as an army helmet, a pair of boots, and a rifle) and a woman in makeup (presumably his mother) and milk, all in accordance with the song's lyrics; interspersed are shots of the band playing live in front of a rowdy crowd.
Occasionally, when playing the song live, Les Claypool plays the opening riff of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" as a bridge before the final verse.