"Gone Daddy Gone" is a song written by Gordon Gano and originally recorded by his group Violent Femmes as the first single for their first album, Violent Femmes.[1]

"Gone Daddy Gone"
Single by Violent Femmes
from the album Violent Femmes
B-side"Good Feeling"
Released1983
RecordedJuly 1982
StudioCastle Recording Studios, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:03
LabelSlash
Songwriter(s)Gordon Gano, Willie Dixon
Producer(s)Mark Van Hecke
Violent Femmes singles chronology
"Gone Daddy Gone"
(1983)
"Ugly"
(1983)
Music video
"Gone Daddy Gone" on YouTube

Lyrics

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The lyrics use a complete verse from Willie Dixon's 1954 song "I Just Want to Make Love to You", originally recorded by Muddy Waters. For this reason, the song is occasionally referred to as "Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want to Make Love to You", as on Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes.[2] It has two xylophone solos.

Reception

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Eric Weisbard in Spin Alternative Record Guide said the "febrile vibes and springy guitar on 'Gone Daddy Gone' — make the record an early document in the coalescing of a new wave of generational angst in the 1980s".[3] Dan Hintz of the Krishmatics said, "The song is a real gem due to the sociopath vocal delivery, the skittering and shuffling drums, the brilliant melody line on the xylophone, the buzzing guitar and bass interplay, the love-is-false lyrics."[4] Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall wrote about the song in his book Ghosted (2010).[5]

Influences

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The band produced a black and white music video in 1983, produced by Steve Martin and Douglass Brian Martin of Martin Industries.[6]

A cover version of the song was the third single released in the United States by the American soul duo Gnarls Barkley, and is taken from their first album St. Elsewhere (2006).[7] An animated music video was also made. The cover version was used in a 2008 commercial for the film Igor, in the TV series Entourage and Chuck, in the 2006 game Tony Hawk's Project 8 and in the 2007 game Forza Motorsport 2.

Track listing

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US 7" single
No.TitleLength
1."Gone Daddy Gone"3:03
2."Good Feeling"3:49
UK 7" single
No.TitleLength
1."Gone Daddy Gone"3:03
2."Add It Up"4:35

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Infusino, Divina (April 15, 1983). "Violent Femmes' album may be one of year's best". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 5, 2012 – via Google News.[dead link]
  2. ^ "Permanent Record: The Very Best of the Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. ^ Weisbard, Eric (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 427. ISBN 0679755748.
  4. ^ Nodine, Steven (2017). Brick Through the Window: An Oral History of Punk Rock, New Wave and Noise in Milwaukee, 1964-1984. Milwaukee, Wis.: Brickboys. p. 515. ISBN 9781491046975.
  5. ^ Bishop-Stall, Shaughnessy (2010). Ghosted. Toronto: Random House Canada. p. 180.
  6. ^ Foti, Laura (July 9, 1983). "Music Monitor". Billboard. 95 (28).
  7. ^ "St. Elsewhere - Gnarls Barkley". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.