In an alternate dimension Todd is referencing the long and storied career of Harvey Danger in a video entitled 'ONE HIT WONERLAND: "Creep" by Radiohead'.
It's apparently a military term of "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes" to mean "try something and see if it works," much like "throwing x at the wall and see what sticks"
@MisterSynyster There was a fad in the 1920s called “Flagpole sitting” where someone would build a small platform on the top of a flagpole, and see how long they could sit up there. Just like the Dance Marathons where the last couple standing would win, they could last for days.
I saw them in the late 90s. In a small club on Long Island called the Vanderbilt. They headlined. But it was a work night. So the place cleared out after the second band. I'd say there was 50 people left in the club and these guys came out. And kicked ass. They played like they were in front of 90,000 people. And did a blistering set. I was so impressed. That 20 + years later. I still tell people. About that show And how good they were
But wasn’t “Some Day We’ll Know” also a hit? Someone probably asked this already. That would be an interesting episode, though. Especially considering the career Danielle Brisbois has had outside of the band.
I assume he either hates it for some reason or is saving it. If I had a series like this and planned to end it eventually the New Radicals would be my choice for a final episode.
I worked for Harvey Danger as a roadie on their first tour. They are (were, R.I.P. Aaron) all such great guys. From my recollection, they were just so surprised that they even made it. Flagpole Sitta was not the song (as you said) that they wanted to be known for. They had so many more great songs. Their fans know, but they really had great songs other than that. They totally deserved better, but I think they really didn't get the chance.
"I'm a child, I'm a mother" (I'm immature, but I'm in a situation that requires maturity) "I'm here, but I'm really gone" (I'm in this location, but I'm drifting off and don't care about any of it) "I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time" (Depression, even when you're surrounded by people)
"I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time" is from Bush's Glycerine. The song is more about the lead singers relationships than anything. The lyric in question is honestly a stereotypical alt- rock turn around without much meaning :/
@@michaelhall5429 I'd interrupt that as feeling like you're just costing through life, nothing around you really changing, then suddenly years have flown by in the wink of an eye. That's just my interpretation though.
"That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight." (R.E.M. - Losing My Religion). "Look here, Junior, don't you be so happy, and for Heaven's sake, don't you be so sad." (Television - Marquee Moon). (This one is the oldest example that I know of.)
Dr G.Fimhouse BLASPHAME! How DARE you disrespect the great song of Lord Shrek!?!?! How DARE you?!?!?!?!! EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I mean, who could take this music seriously? Kurt Cobain took it seriously and he's dead." Dude, that statement gave me goosebumps. Some serious spit on the mic, sir. Keep dropping those bomb!
This song is kind of genius in my opinion. Even if it comes off a bit snotty, it really encapsulates that feeling of complete alienation, even from groups that are supposed to be havens for misfits. The guy feels completely out of place in this world. Edit: Also it’s a catchy tune.
When alternative rock was at its very best in the early days, it felt fresh and exciting. You had a handful of unique bands that were heavy, punky, soulful or eclectic. But when the late 90's rolled around all of the sudden we had safe, gutless "alt rock" like Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Semisonic, etc. It was just a basic back-to-business record industry product. Flagpole Sitta was one of the few songs that had a somewhat challenging attitude, not so much that there should be a revolution, but rather that the revolution is now over. Kind of sad really.
It's really interesting when a band or singer that seems to be heading toward one hit wonderdom suddenly reverses course, like Radiohead. I mean, I'm going to bet that in 1969 if you told people that the Space Oddity guy was going to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, few people would believe you.
Etana Edelman nobody expected Beastie Boys to last when Fight For Your Right came out, and Weird Al had to record deals that only allowed him to release one single because those labels felt he was a novelty act that would have no longevity
Todd mentioned once that Katy Perry was going to be the most obvious one-hitter ever after I Kissed A Girl got big, and only survived because the very next single was the extremely solid Hot n Cold
Way way way late to this. Radiohead were not one hit wonders before OK Computer. They're another of those bands that were always popular in their own country. The Bends, the album after Pablo Honey, produced the most actual hits. Just for some reason it didn't chart in the US. They did get college airplay off The Bends, just in time for college radio to stop being the taste makers for chart success.
@@halycon404 nobody can name another track off of Pablo Honey tho. I think that's more the point, even if The Bends still got some attention and started their following they seemed like they'd stay niche, especially when they didn't really have a radio-friendly hit (even today Creep gets triple the attention of any of their other songs). And then OK Computer made them one of the biggest bands in rock history.
Given how Toddstradamus works, Sean Nelson is probably watching this right now. Hey, Mr. Sean Nelson. This video introduced me to Harvey Danger a few months ago. _Where have all the merrymakers gone_ is now one of my favourite albums. So thank you, Todd. This is pretty cool.
Personally, I remember hearing this song for the first time on the radio and as soon as the line "then they cut off both of my legs now I'm an amputee GODDAMN YOU" hit it immediately struck me as poinient. I don't think I'd ever heard that level of seemingly genuine hatred in music up to that point, and intermixed with the seemingly upbeat nature of the song it really opened my eyes as a kid to what you could do thematically with music.
I crowd-surfed to this in high school at Jamboree 98 outside of Chicago. I hit a patch of noodle-armed middle school kids and went face first into the parking lot asphalt.....it was worth it.
@@brainhamster As in "individuals whose arms possess qualities not unlike a noodle, particularly in the aspect of load-bearing strength", not "Individuals whose possess noodles for offensive or defensive capabilities"... though i do like the image of someone using Udon or Linguini to knock over a gas station.
i always thought that the "went around the world and only stupid people are breeding" line was making fun of people who think that. like that sequence is capped of with "and i don't even own a TV" which is just too good of a punchline to not be intended. i love this song to death regardless though
He says it straight out in the song "the agony and the irony, they're killing me." I still feel like that sometimes, nothing can be genuine or vulnerable, you need nine layers or irony as armor.
Yeah, unless the group were less self-aware than they appeared, I'm fairly certain that that line is meant to be a takedown of those kinds of people. It could be argued that it follows what Todd said about the song suffering from "irony poisoning", adding irony on top of people's irony, but I'm at least certain that the line isn't meant to be taken the way he takes it, lol
For the past 13 (?) years, I just assumed the Peep Show theme was all there was to this song. I'm astonished the show wasn't even acknowledged in this clip.
Same about the lack of acknowledgement. I just binged all of Peep Show in 3 days. I watched this video when it came out and might have caught on to Peep Show earlier had it referenced them.
Is it weird that I know multiple diehard Harvey Danger fans? One had Sean Nelson's autograph tattooed on her foot. They'll all tell you Flagpole Sitta is their weakest track.
@@ClunFunDun some people just be like that. Don't worry about it my dude. If you're in the right crowds you'd find tons of people this dedicated to obscure stuff.
I actually did a mini presentation about "Carlotta Valdez" for my college class on Hitchcock, and I was pretty proud of it. I am probably the one person who would really love more rock songs about classic cinema.
My old ass first heard this from a fossil in time called "Now That's What I Call Music! vol.1" Sandwiched in between Marcy Playground AND Radiohead. They definitely hit the zeitgeist if they were LITERALLY side-by-side with the two specific bands you mentioned for example. Cheers, mate!
Found "Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone" in the used section of my local music store in high school. I remembered hearing "Flagpole Sitta" on the radio as a kid, and figured why not? Damn if I didn't fall in love with that album. I got all my friends hooked on it, and it became our default road trip music. I still know every single lyric on that record to this day. Excellent video. So glad I found this channel.
B A S E D SBG SOLDIER their indie album from before that when they were called Zog Bogbean is just as good. It’s shameful they became a one hit wonder, as they were an amazing band and their leader was a great songwriter
@tc 2452 I was referring to the oddity of the song selection; didn't think it was weird that they were indulging in major labels. I have to go back and figure it out for you...I honestly can't even *remember* the event I referred to above. Fuck you, Covid.
I'm getting the album for my birthday, and I'm HYPED. Edit: It was a goddamn masterpiece. I would honestly go so far as to say that it's superior to OK Computer.
Yes yes yes and Little By Little is fxcking perfect..... A total tragedy that this band wasn't more appreciated... I saw them on the KJV tour... Met them after and they were all really nice guys... So underrated
I'm only at 6:46 of this review and I feel I must mention out loud to you that thus far you've absolutely tapped into a core of lyric coding I hadn't even considered before and not only have you perfectly illustrated it, you made me understand it so succintly. Stop doubting yourself and your insight, you're a genius.
He's not perfect and can be kind of ignorant in many areas such as modern rap, but then again, so is basically his entire audience in one way or another. But when it comes to lyrical emotions and genres within the pop landscape of the 90s especially: he seems to really know what he's talking about.
@@torresx06 Been 6 months, but in case you haven't found it yet "Far Behind" by Candlebox. Absolute banger about Martin's regret on how he treated his friend Andy Wood when Andy started using heroin and how Martin wished he'd been a better friend to help Andy out of it. Martin changed it to be more vague and universal, though.
Harvey Danger was one of the most underrated bands in the entirety of music history. All highly talented individuals and good dudes. My copy of what eventually became their semi-posthumous release "Dead Sea Scrolls" was a burned copy given to me by Aaron himself, and he was a great guy. Rest in peace, man. I believed in HD. I believed in them the whole time. They were my band.
If anyone is looking for any other great Harvey Danger songs then look no further: Starting with the rock songs- •Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo •Picture, Picture •Authenticity •The Same As Being In Love •Ballad of a Tragic Hero (this one is hard to find but one of my favorites) •Save It For Later is also fantastic Now the slower songs- •Pike St./Park Slope (one of my favorite songs period) •Moral Centralia •Little Round Mirrors •Diminishing Returns •Wrecking Ball These are just my favorites
Ballad of a Tragic Hero can also be found under the name Pity & Fear iirc. There's a song off of their album "Little Round Mirrors" that's called We Drew The Maps which I believe was sung by Aaron Huffman? It's really beautiful, probably a favorite of mine next to The Same As Being In Love. Cool James and Sometimes You Have to Work On Christmas are underrated too
Wrecking Ball oh man so good. I also have a fondness for Jack the Lion because sometimes I just want to fucking bawl forever over my own late father holy crap lol
At this point, TITS is going to cover my Dad's entire hard drive of music of the 90s. We have two of Harvey Dangers albums, but I never thought they were popular in the first place (at least I didn't know their "hit" in "one-hit-wonder"). Anyways, thanks Todd for covering this as well as Semisonic way back. -from a regular viewer
Apart from being a masturbation joke, “run it up the flagpole” is a weird old cliche. I know it from this and a variant in “Defenders of Marriage” by Roy Zimmerman. The Wikipedia reads: “Let's run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it" is a catchphrase which became popular in the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s.[citation needed] It means "to present an idea tentatively and see whether it receives a favorable reaction." It is now considered a cliché. Sometimes it is used seriously, but more often it is used humorously, with the intention that it be recognized as both hackneyed and outdated.
The thing I find clever is the song references a person doing a single thing to very visibly stand out above the crowd. Harvey Danger arguably did just that. They sent that song up the flagpole and everyone loved it. When they came down they disappeared into the crowd and the fad quickly faded away. Now kids shoot a tiktok video and get famous for a week.
I think what has always made me really happy about the song is how well it basically describes the "disenchanted". It's a timeless song. A long form way to say "This is all really stupid and pointless. We're all pretending to stand for something and fit in with a group, but that's all it is... an act." Even the music video basically points that out. Moving room to room, trying to fit in their music with whomever is there, and in the end... performing for a single monkey and being absolutely HAPPY at having done so. To that extent, this particular song has really always spoken to me on that level. Everything is just... very much saying things for the sake of saying things. Except in a tone that conveys the utter disdain for doing so. Very "I hate that pop culture and the world is like this, but it's not like I'm any better. I'm doing it too." It's self aware in an "I hate the world" and "I hate myself" sort of way at the same time. That's probably why this song has always reminded me of Fooly Cooly (FLCL, anime, check it out if you haven't heard of it). The show very much carries the same sentiment, vibe, and disenchantment with the world that the song has. It's an entire 4 minute song to say, "Nothing amazing happens here. Everything is ordinary." And, you know what? They're right. The world still feels like that. I wanna publish zines and rage against machines. I wanna pierce my tongue, it doesn't hurt it feels fine... do you know why? Because if you're bored than you're boring. OH, the agony and the irony are killin' me!
Can’t believe you didn’t talk about peep show as Sean nelson said "...the only pop culture item the song has been associated with that feels like a kindred spirit to the original attitude of the lyric."
This song IS my late 90s Friday night anthem- running around with my friends, causing havoc all over town, hitting up Blockbuster, grabbing some pizzas and drinks, finally crashing at near sunrise. Some great nights.
I get this video is 2 years old now but better late than never. Sean is actually a close friend to my family, I even went easter egg hunting with him when I was about 5. Super cool dude.
In some fairness to that 2nd verse, I get the feeling that that was meant to be taken as satire against some of those who may have lead the whole alt scene. The fact that he follows up the whole "only stupid people are breeding" bit with the line "& I don't even own a TV" -- the most pretentious "I'm an intellectual going against the mainstream"-kinda thing someone might say -- gives me the feeling that, unless he was somehow incredibly self-unaware when he wrote that line, he almost certainly meant that as satire of those pretentions rather than him being pretentious. Also, the last verse about "the voices in my head", which seems to similarly attack those kinds of pretentions, seems to help back that up.
That whole first album is great. And Private Helicopter isn't just about rekindling a relationship with an ex-girlfriend. On the hovercraft to Paris, he's with his former best friend. The song seems to be about getting another chance to connect with people from earlier points in your life, now armed with the benefit of hindsight. Anyway, this was the first video of yours I've watched. Won't be the last.
Harvey Danger are actually my favorite 90's one-hit-wonder band--they have a good mix of college radio intellectuality and pop-punk catchiness, though they can cross the line into kind of unbearable at times and they seem more than aware of this which is probably why they ended up breaking up honestly I wish you talked more about their last album Little by Little or their rarities collection Dead Sea Scrolls which I feel are two of their strongest records and both of which are/were available for free on the band's website (if it's even still up)
I was also surprised that Little by Little didn't get any attention. They somewhat notably chose to release it online for free. Which was a really smart move. I remember wondering at the time what had happened to them since their one hit. For the low price of FREE they were able to actually get it in people's hands. It also yielded the somewhat successful single "Cream and Bastards Rise".
It's interesting that you describe this song in the category of "The end of Alternative" because when I listen to it I hear more of the beginning of Pop Punk... like a bridge between the two phases of popular music. Between the two sounds. The lyrics and the music definitely have that "Upbeat Angst" sound to them. If you gave the singer a clear emo/skaterboy twang and made the instruments a little bit heavier it would pass for that genre IMO. Some people might kill me for saying this but I stand by it.
Yeah, this is pretty spot on. Though, I'll note that the some of the things that would need to be added are the things that I can't stand about pop punk/emo.
@@bfish89ryuhayabusa Emo and pop punk were once two separate (albeit related) genres, until Midwest emo influenced bands started mixing the two together to create emo pop/emo pop punk, for better and for worst.
"they all went on to other successful pursuits"....except for the bass player, who died. Kinda weird you left that bit out. Otherwise, one of your best yet, Todd!
Tony Stair He left a lot of actually interesting things out. Like how Nelson didn’t just sing with Death Cab, he got them their record deal. Or the fact that “Private Helicopter” got kneecapped during its debut; it was going to premiere on MTV’s 120 Minutes, but when the host threw to the video... they just played “Flagpole Sitta” again. After that, it got buried at 3 AM. (Also, the video was directed by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants.)
merchantfan Aaron was a really talented musician, and a really nice guy. And he did graphic design for Seattle’s The Stranger for years until his passing.
Harvey Danger is criminally underrated and Sean Nelson is a fantastic lyricist with a surprisingly powerful voice. Hard disagree on KJV being a throwaway album, every song on that, Merrymakers, and Little by Little is a banger.
I think this is Todd's best analysis of a single song yet. I love the look into irony as used in 90's pop and how it's so burnt out. "Cobain took it seriously. *He's Dead* " is a great line
Harvey Danger ripped. Their bassist was a beast. People say Smells Like Teen Spirit was the anthem of the 90's, but Flagpole Sitta captured that sardonic, cynical sarcasm that was so quintessential. I fucking love this band and it's a shame they never got bigger.
If this is the first you're hearing of Peep Show watch it. You'll probably have to torrent, but watch it. It's a fantastic show. One of the best comedy series ever.
"Fingertips have memories; they can't forget the curves of your body". Wow: 20 years and I never realized this song actually had interesting lyrics until now. Thanks, Todd!
I *highly* recommend the album this song comes from, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? I'm probably overselling it, but I see it as a brilliant dark horse of an album, like The Heist from Macklemore. I happened to find the album at a used book store in town when I was looking for music for a class project, and it had one of the songs I was looking for (Terminal Annex), and then I saw it had Flagpole Sitta too, and I was like, "Wait-- that's the same band?! OMG!!!!" Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? has become one of those albums that is very near and dear to my heart. Whenever my world comes crashing down around me and I feel like screaming in anguish and throwing things, I play this album through in my car at full blast and shout out the lyrics to every song, and by the time the album has played through, I feel like I can begin to pick up the pieces again. Special shoutouts to certain songs: Private Helicopter was the song I sent to my future ex-fiance to tell him I knew he still wanted me, and even though I didn't quite admit it to myself at the time, to tell him that I was still attracted to him too. Wooly Muffler I played on repeat when I was frustrated over a sort of love triangle I was involved in. Jack the Lion was always the song that I would want to play in honor of my ex-fiance's dad someday when he passes away. Right in the middle of this angsty album, you get one of the sweetest, most endearing love songs ever, Old Hat, right when you need it the most (it comes right after Jack the Lion). Plus, Old Hat has this lyric: "Disembodied ringlets/ From hair that looks like yours" and I have long curly hair, so I'm always like, "Aww, that's mine!"
Jessica W I frequently see CDs of it at thrift store and have never bought it because I do always see it. I’ll have to grab it next time I’m out thrifting.
Oh my god YES! I have been waiting ages for this one! I'm a huge fan of their first two albums and I saw them live at Pop Montreal in 2005. The singer's reaction whenever someone in the crowd asked them to play Flagpole Sitta was really cringey. He actually got a bit pissed off at the end of the show, but their performance was still really fun.
In all fairness, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” just mentions the title of the film. It doesn’t really talk about it other than mentioning that the singer and his girlfriend “both kinda liked it”. It’s more about a struggling relationship. “Carlotta Valdez” recaps Vertigo.
Man, I love that other album and I wish there was more of it here. "Wine Women and Song" and "Cream and Bastards" are jaded as hell, but so good. They deserved better. I mean, writing for The Stranger is better, but still.
@@meowtherainbowx4163 I think it's more about some of the songs, or the feelings expressed therein, have an incel-ish vibe. For example literally every song on Pinkerton (That being said i still love that album so goddamn much).
Great video! Subscribed! "Flagpole Sitta" is one of the best songs from its era. The sound of it is great and there are a lot of clever and catchy lines sprinkled throughout the song. A guy on my local sports radio station uses it for his intro song, and it doesn't matter how many times I hear it, I always perk up a bit when it starts to play. Whatever it is, the song is just infectious to my ears.
Back in high school in 1998, everyone else was listening to Third Eye Blind and Savage Garden, I was listening to this. And I think I loved King James Version even more than their first album.
King James is unironically one of the best albums of the 2000's, they basically predicted and one upped all the Garage and Post Punk Revivalists that would spring up just a year later
Sooo, After binging around 75% of your back catalog and loving most of it, I was wondering if you could do more bilboard charts year in review, but back in the 70's, 80's and 90's like in your video (1987) or can I perhaps bribe you to make more of them? Im willing to pay sums of money to request some of those.
Tbh while I don’t think they could’ve had more hits, Nelson’s writing is so biting and articulate and honest in a way you don’t see a whole lot of anymore. Little round mirrors is clearly the portrait of someone so obsessed with something that it ruins every relationship they’ve ever had and man...if Nelson is writing about himself he must be very lonely because the topic of alienation comes up so often. Being really open with the good bad and ugly seems to be something that doesn’t happen often because it’s hard to sell. All three albums paint a rather depressing portrait of someone who’s incredibly lonely and let down by the people in his life and man...I really admire that level of honesty. It’s kind of incredible.
A little late to this, but I saw Harvey Danger on tour for this album and my friend and I ended up hanging out with them on their tour bus, which I assume their label paid for. They were nice guys and we ended up watching "Wallace & Gromit" episodes with 'em. They put on a decent show, but there was hardly anyone at it.
This is one of those songs that sticks out in my mind as a clear divide between Gen-X and Millenials. The younger brothers & sisters of my friend circle were like 8-10 when the Seattle shit happened, they were always following us around trying to fit in with the older kids. We were snotty, depressed dickheads, kicking them off our "turf" (the parking lot of the local grocery store), all like "GTFO, child, you can't even begin to understand what this music is about". 1998, I was 20, all the younger crew had claimed our old turf for themselves, and holy shit did they love this song. All day, every day with the Flagpole Sitta blasting on a boom box, they had all pierced themselves in ways we never dreamed of. They'd mosh outside the dry cleaning place, one of the little bastards dented a vending machine with his friggin' face. Anyway, my friends and I pretty uniformly hated Flagpole Sitta, but I honestly think back on it now and think we probably hated it because it was the anthem for another generation taking our place in a way. They were like "GTFO, old people, you can't even begin to understand what this music is about". They were right, of course. There's not that much of an age gap between us and our Millenial kin, but man, we differ so much. Sometimes I wonder if it's all because we older kids acted like such complete dickholes to them during our "angst" phase. This song just represents that divide in my mind. I just want to say "I'm sorry, Millenials", and hey, Flagpole Sitta isn't so terrible. Actually, I still hate it, but you kids have turned out good and, y'know, Lit had some pretty sweet tunes.
Oddly enough, one couple did a dance to their song “Put a Lid On It” on Dancing With the Stars a few years ago. That was one bit of randomness I was NOT expecting!
Ehh... They might have had one big hit, but they were a rather successful band for quite a while. That would be akin to covering Ben Folds Five because "Brick" was their only really, really big mainstream hit.
This song kills, and still till this day resonates with me. More than 20 plus years, and the line "Been around the world and found that only stupid people were breeding"... As a childless woman, I still stand proud by this sentiment and has shaped my adult life. I too am a Flagpole Sitta. Bravo gentlemen, and thanks for creating this classic.
Aaron Huffman went on to art direct The Stranger until his recent passing. This song is always a hit at karaoke, not only because of the nostalgia factor, i think the lyrics retain some real potency
Todd, word of advice... upload your videos in private mode before you make then public. Then, even if they get blocked, your subscribers wont be notified of it until it's been cleared.
Yeah, sometimes TH-cam will make it seem like a video is okay while it’s private or unlisted, but then it’ll get flagged after going public for whatever reason. It’s... frustrating, to say the least. 🙃
I always took the " I'm not sick but I'm not well" line was talking about addiction. I have felt the same while on a " maintenance " dose that I'm not high but still have enough in me to not be sick. I could be wrong. Great stuff as always.
I love Little by Little so much. I'm not a huge rock person really only liking a few select bands but I loved and memorized every song on that album. The lyrics are bitter but clever and really captured all of the feelings I had being in high school at the time and frustrated at the mess the people had been making of the world for the last 4 years. It also has a lot there for people who are searching for their identity and don't feel as if they measure up and when they do well it turns out meritocracy is actually not really a for anybody but undeniably extrodinary people. Angry futility and self hate resonates with everyone. Still feel Cream and Bastards, Diminishing returns, and What you Live by. Also Wine Woman and Song while being less relatable to my teenage self is super fun to sing.
Hey Todd. GREAT video. I waited a LOOOOOOONG time for this. I am a HUGE fan of Harvey Danger. Three things though. 1) I’ve never heard anyone I know talk about The Pixies, yet I know they are a great band. Just because you didn’t hear anyone talk about Harvey Danger doesn’t mean people weren’t all over their message boards back in the day. There was a fantastic community there and I was a member for YEARS. 2) I recommend checking out their last official album that’s really just a collection of b-sides and unreleased material. It’s called Dead Sea Scrolls. 3) Their bassist Aaron Huffman died three years ago (R.I.P.). When you always talk about doing research, I would have at least expected you to mention that during your wrap up.
Also surprised that, with all his references to OK Computer and "Creep," he didn't mention that 2005's Little By Little album was released for free by the band, two years BEFORE Radiohead did the same with In Rainbows. It was a pretty revolutionary idea at the time.
I think they deserved better. A lot better. That first record had so many songs that 16-year old me latched onto. I dare anyone to listen to "Problems and Bigger Ones" or "Radio Silence" and feel nothing. The second record was better than Todd gave it credit for, and the third one deserved more than a throwaway comment about a song title. Maybe Harvey Danger wasn't aiming for fame, but they had the songs. Like a lot of bands, choice of single was the cause of their one-hit wonderdom. "Flagpole Sitta" should've been followed up by "Terminal Annex" or "Old Hat." Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
i dunno why. but after discovering this channel and seeing almost all of it at this point i gotta say i’m obsessed. seeing THE EXACT SAME music taste reflected back at me is a very weird and thrilling experience. i love this guy lol.
This video actually is what got me to check out more of their work, and if I'm being honest, it all rocks. I'm surprised they didn't get more hits. Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone and The King James Version are up there as some of my favorite albums now
I was delighted by this song when it came out. It's really catchy and the lyrics crack me up. I miss late 90's fun pop rock. It was a great era to be a teen in.
I genuinely think Harvey danger is one of the most underrated bands from this time. One of their later songs, "What You Live By," is still my favorite song of all time to this day, partially because of that eloquent lyric-writing and self-criticism You mentioned in the video.
As a British person, I've never felt the transatlantic divide more in a TitS video. In the UK, "Flagpole Sitta" is barely known as a song in its own right, but is still instantly recognisable as the theme music of the legendary sitcom Peep Show. I'd assumed the latter must be at least somewhat known in the US, because lots of cult British comedy has a loyal American following, but apparently not, since Todd doesn't even mention it in this video. Anyway, you guys should really check out the show, it's amazing. Contains lots of UK-specific references, but not (I think) to the point of being impenetrable to outsiders.
Yeah Peep Show is only know in America by diehard comedy fans. And even by that standard it’s not a big cult favorite the way something like Garth Marengi’s Dark Place is and also lacks any bits that are well known apart from the show like The Mighty Boosh does.
Yes I was so confused I was like... wait the Peep Show theme tune was a big hit??? It works through. Coming across a bit snotty really works for the themes of Peep Show. 😅 that interview with Sean Nelson by the school student was pretty cringe 😅
Maybe because I've lived in Seattle for 18 years and I'm involved in the music scene here, but I personally feel Harvey Danger definitely deserved more. They wrote great songs with clever lyrics, were kind people, and were involved in the local Seattle scene.
Gonna be hard, their albums chart somewhat decently. They had a top 10-album in the US a couple years ago. Same thing can't be said for their singles, last decently charting one was Pinch Me in 2000. Probably best to see if Todd starts a retrospective series on "almosts" or something. It would hurt, I still love BNL a lot. They have a way with Words and finding interesting themes/stories to sing about.
@@HangmanVa Every record after Steven has had the same problem. It'll start with two or three songs that are great, and then immediately run out of steam. The first six albums I can listen to front to front to back endlessly, while the two BLAM records are kind of a mess.
Every time you cover stuff from the 90's, I always hope you're going to mention Radiohead. Thanks Todd. I love The Creep Band(tm) and I'm glad they didn't give up when they wanted to after they got sick of Creep.
I’m going to check them out now. This channel, and honestly the comments sections have been pretty helpful to me in finding new music. For what comments are worth. I’m Gen Z and I basically inherited my dad’s rock-heavy musical tastes, albeit with different emphases and an unfortunate fondness for showtunes. I’ve never been much of a music person but I’d like to change that a little.
I remember hearing the "paranoia paranoia everyone's coming to get me" segment for the first time in Nostalgia Critic's review of Tom and Jerry: The Movie.
In an alternate dimension Todd is referencing the long and storied career of Harvey Danger in a video entitled 'ONE HIT WONERLAND: "Creep" by Radiohead'.
The alternate dimension where he names the song “I’m not sick, but I’m not well”
Is it weird I would love to talk to someone from that dimension?
The better dimension
I want to see this universe.
I'd like to think in this dimension we can see todd but the piano is blacked out.
It's apparently a military term of "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes" to mean "try something and see if it works," much like "throwing x at the wall and see what sticks"
I think that the term comes from advertising. You can hear a character in the movie "12 Angry Men" talk about it
@@puffin88I’m with the military theory
Always thought it was a masturbation euphemism… At least in the context lol.
How interesting! This is an actual Fun Fact to Share With Your Friends.
@MisterSynyster There was a fad in the 1920s called “Flagpole sitting” where someone would build a small platform on the top of a flagpole, and see how long they could sit up there. Just like the Dance Marathons where the last couple standing would win, they could last for days.
I saw them in the late 90s. In a small club on Long Island called the Vanderbilt.
They headlined. But it was a work night. So the place cleared out after the second band. I'd say there was 50 people left in the club and these guys came out. And kicked ass. They played like they were in front of 90,000 people. And did a blistering set. I was so impressed. That 20 + years later. I still tell people. About that show And how good they were
I like this story. Wish I'd been there
I..... I think I was there....
they're the perfect unattended headliner band
@@xXxzAAa0aAAzxXx fr straight out of one of their music vids
Lol I'm from that area. Near Bay Shore to be exact.
I agree with all the people requesting New Radicals
But wasn’t “Some Day We’ll Know” also a hit? Someone probably asked this already.
That would be an interesting episode, though. Especially considering the career Danielle Brisbois has had outside of the band.
Yay! Linday’s here!
I assume he either hates it for some reason or is saving it. If I had a series like this and planned to end it eventually the New Radicals would be my choice for a final episode.
Sorry about my sudden interest in gossip, but you watch each other's stuff?
yes.
This song was also chosen as the theme for UK TV show peep show from season 2 onwards and it fits that perfectly
And yet the tune was not remotely known in the uk before then.
"Four naan, Jeremy? That's insane!"
That's where I knew it from. Didn't even realize it was an actual band and not just a weirdly great TV theme song
@@moodyinformed same here
@@GregorBarclay It kind of was, it got a lot of Radio 1 daytime play and reached number 57. But yeah, I'm really surprised Todd didn't mention it.
I never noticed that alt-rock contradiction thing, wow.
"Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball."
It would be interesting to know who actually started that and how it became a trend.
@@WinterReflections nirvana popularised it as a 90s thing but it goes back to the 80s underground.
The 90s were the best of times. They were the worst of times.
@@e11aguru *the blurst of times.
nah, that lyric has quite a clear meaning if you ever tried coke that is.
I worked for Harvey Danger as a roadie on their first tour. They are (were, R.I.P. Aaron) all such great guys. From my recollection, they were just so surprised that they even made it. Flagpole Sitta was not the song (as you said) that they wanted to be known for. They had so many more great songs. Their fans know, but they really had great songs other than that. They totally deserved better, but I think they really didn't get the chance.
What was your favorite of their songs?
@@TheEggplantThatAteChicago “Little Round Mirrors” is one of the best songs anyone has ever written
@@kevinphiggins Agreed.
@@kevinphigginsI just listened. Holy smokes that’s a good song.
What happened to Aaron?
"I'm a child, I'm a mother" (I'm immature, but I'm in a situation that requires maturity)
"I'm here, but I'm really gone" (I'm in this location, but I'm drifting off and don't care about any of it)
"I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time" (Depression, even when you're surrounded by people)
Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannon ball?
They paradoxes
"I'm never alone, I'm alone all the time" is from Bush's Glycerine. The song is more about the lead singers relationships than anything. The lyric in question is honestly a stereotypical alt- rock turn around without much meaning :/
@@michaelhall5429 I'd interrupt that as feeling like you're just costing through life, nothing around you really changing, then suddenly years have flown by in the wink of an eye. That's just my interpretation though.
"That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight." (R.E.M. - Losing My Religion).
"Look here, Junior, don't you be so happy, and for Heaven's sake, don't you be so sad." (Television - Marquee Moon). (This one is the oldest example that I know of.)
I am still waiting for Smashmouth to make their "OK Computer".
Some-body once told me the woooooorllld was ‘gonna rule me! I ‘aint the sharpest tool in the she-ed.
All-Star is the greatest song of all time. Smash Mouth seemed like a weird choice for the great god Shrek to impart his wisdom through, but it worked.
@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 No.
Dr G.Fimhouse BLASPHAME! How DARE you disrespect the great song of Lord Shrek!?!?! How DARE you?!?!?!?!! EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 grow up.
"I mean, who could take this music seriously? Kurt Cobain took it seriously and he's dead." Dude, that statement gave me goosebumps. Some serious spit on the mic, sir. Keep dropping those bomb!
Deep
"it is so 1998 that there's a dude in the background wearing one of stupid cat in the hat hats."
-deeper.
This song is kind of genius in my opinion. Even if it comes off a bit snotty, it really encapsulates that feeling of complete alienation, even from groups that are supposed to be havens for misfits. The guy feels completely out of place in this world.
Edit: Also it’s a catchy tune.
Yeah - I feel like there's a note of self-deprecation in there too. (I'm 90% sure that early line about the flagpole is an impotence joke)
Probably why it was used as the Peep Show theme.
When alternative rock was at its very best in the early days, it felt fresh and exciting. You had a handful of unique bands that were heavy, punky, soulful or eclectic. But when the late 90's rolled around all of the sudden we had safe, gutless "alt rock" like Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, Semisonic, etc. It was just a basic back-to-business record industry product. Flagpole Sitta was one of the few songs that had a somewhat challenging attitude, not so much that there should be a revolution, but rather that the revolution is now over. Kind of sad really.
i'm completely out of place in this world, unless i'm in Italy.
@@mylesco.5385 Yup it was on-the-nose but it fit those guys like a glove
when i was 12 i emailed Harvey Danger on my mum's work email. the email said "you guys rock!"
Ah, so that's why they split up
@@SteRDLK harsh.
@@SteRDLK jesus
@@SteRDLK *_christ_*
It's really interesting when a band or singer that seems to be heading toward one hit wonderdom suddenly reverses course, like Radiohead. I mean, I'm going to bet that in 1969 if you told people that the Space Oddity guy was going to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, few people would believe you.
Etana Edelman nobody expected Beastie Boys to last when Fight For Your Right came out, and Weird Al had to record deals that only allowed him to release one single because those labels felt he was a novelty act that would have no longevity
@@danieldaniels7571 damn, who knew. Beastie Boys are my favorite band!
Todd mentioned once that Katy Perry was going to be the most obvious one-hitter ever after I Kissed A Girl got big, and only survived because the very next single was the extremely solid Hot n Cold
Way way way late to this. Radiohead were not one hit wonders before OK Computer. They're another of those bands that were always popular in their own country. The Bends, the album after Pablo Honey, produced the most actual hits. Just for some reason it didn't chart in the US. They did get college airplay off The Bends, just in time for college radio to stop being the taste makers for chart success.
@@halycon404 nobody can name another track off of Pablo Honey tho. I think that's more the point, even if The Bends still got some attention and started their following they seemed like they'd stay niche, especially when they didn't really have a radio-friendly hit (even today Creep gets triple the attention of any of their other songs). And then OK Computer made them one of the biggest bands in rock history.
Given how Toddstradamus works, Sean Nelson is probably watching this right now.
Hey, Mr. Sean Nelson. This video introduced me to Harvey Danger a few months ago. _Where have all the merrymakers gone_ is now one of my favourite albums.
So thank you, Todd. This is pretty cool.
Personally, I remember hearing this song for the first time on the radio and as soon as the line "then they cut off both of my legs now I'm an amputee GODDAMN YOU" hit it immediately struck me as poinient. I don't think I'd ever heard that level of seemingly genuine hatred in music up to that point, and intermixed with the seemingly upbeat nature of the song it really opened my eyes as a kid to what you could do thematically with music.
*poignant
I crowd-surfed to this in high school at Jamboree 98 outside of Chicago. I hit a patch of noodle-armed middle school kids and went face first into the parking lot asphalt.....it was worth it.
what's a 'noodle armed'?
@@brainhamster As in "individuals whose arms possess qualities not unlike a noodle, particularly in the aspect of load-bearing strength", not "Individuals whose possess noodles for offensive or defensive capabilities"... though i do like the image of someone using Udon or Linguini to knock over a gas station.
can't go wrong with linguine
i always thought that the "went around the world and only stupid people are breeding" line was making fun of people who think that. like that sequence is capped of with "and i don't even own a TV" which is just too good of a punchline to not be intended.
i love this song to death regardless though
He says it straight out in the song "the agony and the irony, they're killing me." I still feel like that sometimes, nothing can be genuine or vulnerable, you need nine layers or irony as armor.
@@eiaboca1 the more things change, huh?
Yeah, unless the group were less self-aware than they appeared, I'm fairly certain that that line is meant to be a takedown of those kinds of people. It could be argued that it follows what Todd said about the song suffering from "irony poisoning", adding irony on top of people's irony, but I'm at least certain that the line isn't meant to be taken the way he takes it, lol
Honestly never knew this song had an existence outside of being the Peep Show theme. It is awesome though, hope they got plenty of royalties!
For the past 13 (?) years, I just assumed the Peep Show theme was all there was to this song. I'm astonished the show wasn't even acknowledged in this clip.
Same about the lack of acknowledgement. I just binged all of Peep Show in 3 days. I watched this video when it came out and might have caught on to Peep Show earlier had it referenced them.
@@JohnSimpson2112 especially considering the band loves that it's associated with peep show
@@Crunchy_Punch you binGe-watched PEEP SHOW? Dang
Peep Show wasn't popular in America compared to other British comedies.
Is it weird that I know multiple diehard Harvey Danger fans? One had Sean Nelson's autograph tattooed on her foot. They'll all tell you Flagpole Sitta is their weakest track.
Well no, their weakest track was probably “Old Hat.” But they have some all-timers buried in their catalog.
@@ClunFunDun some people just be like that. Don't worry about it my dude. If you're in the right crowds you'd find tons of people this dedicated to obscure stuff.
People cared enough about Harvey Danger to get tattoos?
I like Jack the Lion. Lol
All one of them?
I actually did a mini presentation about "Carlotta Valdez" for my college class on Hitchcock, and I was pretty proud of it. I am probably the one person who would really love more rock songs about classic cinema.
My old ass first heard this from a fossil in time called "Now That's What I Call Music! vol.1"
Sandwiched in between Marcy Playground AND Radiohead.
They definitely hit the zeitgeist if they were LITERALLY side-by-side with the two specific bands you mentioned for example. Cheers, mate!
Marcy Playground? Radiohead? Now that’s what I call music!
Found "Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone" in the used section of my local music store in high school. I remembered hearing "Flagpole Sitta" on the radio as a kid, and figured why not?
Damn if I didn't fall in love with that album. I got all my friends hooked on it, and it became our default road trip music. I still know every single lyric on that record to this day.
Excellent video. So glad I found this channel.
You may also enjoy that dog's _Retreat From the Sun._
You're gonna have to do that Marcy Playground episode one of these days, Todd.
Seriously tho
Just saw an ECW pay per view where one of the wrestlers used Sex and Candy as his theme song...for reasons completely unclear to me.
That self titled album is fire they absolutely had more than just Sex and Candy
B A S E D SBG SOLDIER their indie album from before that when they were called Zog Bogbean is just as good. It’s shameful they became a one hit wonder, as they were an amazing band and their leader was a great songwriter
@tc 2452 I was referring to the oddity of the song selection; didn't think it was weird that they were indulging in major labels.
I have to go back and figure it out for you...I honestly can't even *remember* the event I referred to above. Fuck you, Covid.
Tell you what that crack is really moreish
crack super hans? crack?
Harriet B Don’t worry, it’s not fucking Blue Peter, Jez
It really is super hans.
the secret ingredient is crime
Harvey Danger's second album, King James Version is one of the best albums of all time that nobody has even heard. They're an amazing band.
I'm getting the album for my birthday, and I'm HYPED.
Edit: It was a goddamn masterpiece. I would honestly go so far as to say that it's superior to OK Computer.
Yes yes yes and Little By Little is fxcking perfect..... A total tragedy that this band wasn't more appreciated... I saw them on the KJV tour... Met them after and they were all really nice guys... So underrated
Honestly, the Dead Sea Scrolls compilation might be my favourite thing they put out. The demo for Diminishing Returns, Defrocked...
I'll check it out.
@@Captain_Neckbeard Let us know what you think, Jeremy!
I'm only at 6:46 of this review and I feel I must mention out loud to you that thus far you've absolutely tapped into a core of lyric coding I hadn't even considered before and not only have you perfectly illustrated it, you made me understand it so succintly. Stop doubting yourself and your insight, you're a genius.
He's not perfect and can be kind of ignorant in many areas such as modern rap, but then again, so is basically his entire audience in one way or another. But when it comes to lyrical emotions and genres within the pop landscape of the 90s especially: he seems to really know what he's talking about.
@@UBvtuber todd is a frustratingly limited critic. he seems to only really shine for the rock of the 90s
Anybody knows What is the song at 6:48?
@@torresx06 Been 6 months, but in case you haven't found it yet "Far Behind" by Candlebox. Absolute banger about Martin's regret on how he treated his friend Andy Wood when Andy started using heroin and how Martin wished he'd been a better friend to help Andy out of it. Martin changed it to be more vague and universal, though.
@@calmcnutt481 thank you for answering and for the explanation. Great song.
"Living Dangerously" (the Harvey Danger high school documentary) isn't real; they recorded it as a bonus feature for the Soul Survivors DVD.
It's bizarre that Todd missed the obvious satirizing going on in that video. Like he went in already convinced that the band was a bunch of blowhards.
Yeah seriously. How did he miss that?
Well he did say it was a 'mockumentary' so I think it's safe to say that he did get it
Right? After that I'm convinced that Todd must be exceptionally gullible... it wasn't even shot as a "convincing" or realistic mockumentary!
Harvey Danger was one of the most underrated bands in the entirety of music history. All highly talented individuals and good dudes. My copy of what eventually became their semi-posthumous release "Dead Sea Scrolls" was a burned copy given to me by Aaron himself, and he was a great guy. Rest in peace, man. I believed in HD. I believed in them the whole time. They were my band.
Hey fellow traveler. Thanks for adding to the chorus. Aaron was awesome, and the Seattle scene won't be the same without him.
You: no one wants rock songs about classic cinema
Me: what about breakfast at Tiffany’s
Breakfast at Tiffany's? I think I remember the film.
Here's Todd's review about that song: th-cam.com/video/_Pm3Be6Bt70/w-d-xo.html
Breakfast.
We both kind of liked it?
The Pixies Debaser.
If anyone is looking for any other great Harvey Danger songs then look no further:
Starting with the rock songs-
•Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo
•Picture, Picture
•Authenticity
•The Same As Being In Love
•Ballad of a Tragic Hero (this one is hard to find but one of my favorites)
•Save It For Later is also fantastic
Now the slower songs-
•Pike St./Park Slope (one of my favorite songs period)
•Moral Centralia
•Little Round Mirrors
•Diminishing Returns
•Wrecking Ball
These are just my favorites
A cover of "Pike St./Park Slope" by Bomb the Music Industry is what really made me check them out years ago.
"I CAME IN LIKE A--" OK I'm assuming that's not what you mean...
Also I love The Beat/The English Beat so I'm super interested in that cover
Ballad of a Tragic Hero can also be found under the name Pity & Fear iirc. There's a song off of their album "Little Round Mirrors" that's called We Drew The Maps which I believe was sung by Aaron Huffman? It's really beautiful, probably a favorite of mine next to The Same As Being In Love. Cool James and Sometimes You Have to Work On Christmas are underrated too
"Moral Centralia" is the most WA song title in existence
Wrecking Ball oh man so good. I also have a fondness for Jack the Lion because sometimes I just want to fucking bawl forever over my own late father holy crap lol
R.I.P Aaron Huffman.
c.1973-2016
I was wondering why he didnt mention that. Or is this one of Todds older videos he reposted?
@@jusbaize No, this just came out. Maybe Todd didn't know.
Damn you 2016
At this point, TITS is going to cover my Dad's entire hard drive of music of the 90s. We have two of Harvey Dangers albums, but I never thought they were popular in the first place (at least I didn't know their "hit" in "one-hit-wonder"). Anyways, thanks Todd for covering this as well as Semisonic way back.
-from a regular viewer
I just realized Todd in the Shadows abbrieviates to TITS
Tits, that’s awesome.
Pls don't abbreviate Todd in the Shadows like that lmao
Apart from being a masturbation joke, “run it up the flagpole” is a weird old cliche. I know it from this and a variant in “Defenders of Marriage” by Roy Zimmerman.
The Wikipedia reads: “Let's run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it" is a catchphrase which became popular in the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s.[citation needed] It means "to present an idea tentatively and see whether it receives a favorable reaction." It is now considered a cliché. Sometimes it is used seriously, but more often it is used humorously, with the intention that it be recognized as both hackneyed and outdated.
I love the idea that it's a cliche but no one has ever heard of it so it has to be explained
The thing I find clever is the song references a person doing a single thing to very visibly stand out above the crowd. Harvey Danger arguably did just that. They sent that song up the flagpole and everyone loved it. When they came down they disappeared into the crowd and the fad quickly faded away. Now kids shoot a tiktok video and get famous for a week.
dumb thicc wizard most everyone over 50 has heard of it
Thanks for sharing! I honestly like this version of the phrase way more than as just a silly masturbation joke.
Cool pfp@@no_peace
I think what has always made me really happy about the song is how well it basically describes the "disenchanted". It's a timeless song. A long form way to say "This is all really stupid and pointless. We're all pretending to stand for something and fit in with a group, but that's all it is... an act." Even the music video basically points that out. Moving room to room, trying to fit in their music with whomever is there, and in the end... performing for a single monkey and being absolutely HAPPY at having done so.
To that extent, this particular song has really always spoken to me on that level.
Everything is just... very much saying things for the sake of saying things. Except in a tone that conveys the utter disdain for doing so. Very "I hate that pop culture and the world is like this, but it's not like I'm any better. I'm doing it too."
It's self aware in an "I hate the world" and "I hate myself" sort of way at the same time.
That's probably why this song has always reminded me of Fooly Cooly (FLCL, anime, check it out if you haven't heard of it). The show very much carries the same sentiment, vibe, and disenchantment with the world that the song has.
It's an entire 4 minute song to say, "Nothing amazing happens here. Everything is ordinary."
And, you know what? They're right. The world still feels like that.
I wanna publish zines and rage against machines. I wanna pierce my tongue, it doesn't hurt it feels fine... do you know why? Because if you're bored than you're boring. OH, the agony and the irony are killin' me!
This also makes it a great theme for PEEP SHOW
Can’t believe you didn’t talk about peep show as Sean nelson said "...the only pop culture item the song has been associated with that feels like a kindred spirit to the original attitude of the lyric."
Shout out to Peep Show
Big beats are the best. Get high all the time.
It's a savage garden my friend.
A SAVAGE GARDEN.
I was here to say that - An American who appreciates raunchy British comedy
We could all be men with ven.
People elected the Nazi's and like Cold Play. You cant trust people
I can't imagine a band hating their biggest hit more than Radiohead hate creep.
Or Kurt hating Teen Spirit
Tears for fears play creep nearly every live show x they nail it imo
Or Bob Marley hating Don't Worry Be Happy. He flat-out refused to sing it at one point.
@@jakobsanchez738 pfft, he didn't write it, so... I GUESS HE DOESN'T WRITE SINS
I'm sorry, I'll escorts myself out, thank you.
@@mar6488 Close the goddamn door behind you
This song IS my late 90s Friday night anthem- running around with my friends, causing havoc all over town, hitting up Blockbuster, grabbing some pizzas and drinks, finally crashing at near sunrise. Some great nights.
I get this video is 2 years old now but better late than never. Sean is actually a close friend to my family, I even went easter egg hunting with him when I was about 5. Super cool dude.
Someone on Patreon better request New Radicals.
You can be that person
;)
Wes Papes They’ll probably request “Sex and Candy” instead. : (
@@cartmann94 It's a shame since You Get What You Give is one of my favorite songs ever.
@@Arcademan09 if I had the money.
Been done I think.
Kingdom Hearts 3 *AND* Todd In The Shadows?! You spoil us good sir
Yes he did
Arcademan09 Who are you pretending to talk to? God?
Know this song from one of Weird Al's polks medleys.
I loved those polka mashups. I
I want sex and candy (yeahh)
Anime polkaaaaaa♡.♡
Arguably the best polka off his inarguably best album.
Sr.Joestar What a legendary AMV. A back-in-the-day classic.
In some fairness to that 2nd verse, I get the feeling that that was meant to be taken as satire against some of those who may have lead the whole alt scene. The fact that he follows up the whole "only stupid people are breeding" bit with the line "& I don't even own a TV" -- the most pretentious "I'm an intellectual going against the mainstream"-kinda thing someone might say -- gives me the feeling that, unless he was somehow incredibly self-unaware when he wrote that line, he almost certainly meant that as satire of those pretentions rather than him being pretentious. Also, the last verse about "the voices in my head", which seems to similarly attack those kinds of pretentions, seems to help back that up.
That whole first album is great. And Private Helicopter isn't just about rekindling a relationship with an ex-girlfriend. On the hovercraft to Paris, he's with his former best friend. The song seems to be about getting another chance to connect with people from earlier points in your life, now armed with the benefit of hindsight.
Anyway, this was the first video of yours I've watched. Won't be the last.
Harvey Danger are actually my favorite 90's one-hit-wonder band--they have a good mix of college radio intellectuality and pop-punk catchiness, though they can cross the line into kind of unbearable at times and they seem more than aware of this which is probably why they ended up breaking up
honestly I wish you talked more about their last album Little by Little or their rarities collection Dead Sea Scrolls which I feel are two of their strongest records and both of which are/were available for free on the band's website (if it's even still up)
I was also surprised that Little by Little didn't get any attention. They somewhat notably chose to release it online for free. Which was a really smart move. I remember wondering at the time what had happened to them since their one hit. For the low price of FREE they were able to actually get it in people's hands. It also yielded the somewhat successful single "Cream and Bastards Rise".
It's interesting that you describe this song in the category of "The end of Alternative" because when I listen to it I hear more of the beginning of Pop Punk... like a bridge between the two phases of popular music. Between the two sounds. The lyrics and the music definitely have that "Upbeat Angst" sound to them. If you gave the singer a clear emo/skaterboy twang and made the instruments a little bit heavier it would pass for that genre IMO. Some people might kill me for saying this but I stand by it.
The Soulvian Holy crap, you're right. I didn't even notice that, and I listened to a LOT of pop punk back in the day.
The Soulvian Nah, it’s there
Yeah, this is pretty spot on. Though, I'll note that the some of the things that would need to be added are the things that I can't stand about pop punk/emo.
@@bfish89ryuhayabusa Emo and pop punk were once two separate (albeit related) genres, until Midwest emo influenced bands started mixing the two together to create emo pop/emo pop punk, for better and for worst.
PARANEUYA PARANEYUYA OOEVREBODYS CUMING TO GYET MEEEY
"they all went on to other successful pursuits"....except for the bass player, who died. Kinda weird you left that bit out. Otherwise, one of your best yet, Todd!
Tony Stair
He left a lot of actually interesting things out. Like how Nelson didn’t just sing with Death Cab, he got them their record deal. Or the fact that “Private Helicopter” got kneecapped during its debut; it was going to premiere on MTV’s 120 Minutes, but when the host threw to the video... they just played “Flagpole Sitta” again. After that, it got buried at 3 AM. (Also, the video was directed by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants.)
@@mcfeelyat Wow yeah they left out a lot of interesting stuff. Also the bass player was *really* good. All of their songs have killer bass parts.
merchantfan
Aaron was a really talented musician, and a really nice guy. And he did graphic design for Seattle’s The Stranger for years until his passing.
Yea todd doesnt really do research all that well
PacifistBetaFish it's a 17 minute video, he usually make this 12 or 15 minutes, Jesus man
Harvey Danger is criminally underrated and Sean Nelson is a fantastic lyricist with a surprisingly powerful voice. Hard disagree on KJV being a throwaway album, every song on that, Merrymakers, and Little by Little is a banger.
"Snotty 90s Morrissey" might be the most brilliant and complimentary thing anyone has ever said about anybody
I just hope he's significantly less racist.
Except Morrissey was the snotty '90s Morrissey.
Of course their sophomore album wasn’t an OK Computer. It was their The Bends.
This band absolutely deserved better.
Lats Feelyat they deserved WAAAAAYYY better
Agreed. So many excellent songs.
Just wanted someone to love them as much as their little round mirrors
The Bends is a good album though. Nothing quite as banging as Creep, but every track on there is better than every other track on Pablo Honey.
They should've probably done the ok computer one as well.
Oh, I love this one. Such childhood, much memories...
I'm now realizing John and Todd have similar sounding voices...are they the same person?
I remember hearing this song from the Scooby-Doo 2 soundtrack.
Because that song is what I think of when it comes to Scooby-Doo.
Michael Strong the first movie had OutKast and Killer Mike on the soundtrack. Nothing surprises me anymore
I
i kinda think the frontman is cute
then again i've always liked arnold from the magic school bus, so...
There is my friend in the comments!! He is def a hottie during this time period, and actually still is now. Sean Nelson can get it thru the decades
I think this is Todd's best analysis of a single song yet. I love the look into irony as used in 90's pop and how it's so burnt out. "Cobain took it seriously. *He's Dead* " is a great line
I was just listening to this album yesterday. Carlotta Valdez is one of the best opening tracks ever.
Harvey Danger ripped. Their bassist was a beast. People say Smells Like Teen Spirit was the anthem of the 90's, but Flagpole Sitta captured that sardonic, cynical sarcasm that was so quintessential. I fucking love this band and it's a shame they never got bigger.
Oh hey, it's the Peep Show theme song.
This was the first thing that I thought of
Yeah! All I could do in this episode was to try to find parallels between Jeremy Usborne and Sean Nelson
every time I hear this song all I see is David Mitchell's face
If this is the first you're hearing of Peep Show watch it. You'll probably have to torrent, but watch it. It's a fantastic show. One of the best comedy series ever.
That was my reaction too :P
"Fingertips have memories; they can't forget the curves of your body". Wow: 20 years and I never realized this song actually had interesting lyrics until now. Thanks, Todd!
"Self-defeating in that special 90s way" is a fantastic quote, and Dinosaur Jr is a fantastic reference point.
I *highly* recommend the album this song comes from, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? I'm probably overselling it, but I see it as a brilliant dark horse of an album, like The Heist from Macklemore. I happened to find the album at a used book store in town when I was looking for music for a class project, and it had one of the songs I was looking for (Terminal Annex), and then I saw it had Flagpole Sitta too, and I was like, "Wait-- that's the same band?! OMG!!!!"
Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? has become one of those albums that is very near and dear to my heart. Whenever my world comes crashing down around me and I feel like screaming in anguish and throwing things, I play this album through in my car at full blast and shout out the lyrics to every song, and by the time the album has played through, I feel like I can begin to pick up the pieces again.
Special shoutouts to certain songs:
Private Helicopter was the song I sent to my future ex-fiance to tell him I knew he still wanted me, and even though I didn't quite admit it to myself at the time, to tell him that I was still attracted to him too.
Wooly Muffler I played on repeat when I was frustrated over a sort of love triangle I was involved in.
Jack the Lion was always the song that I would want to play in honor of my ex-fiance's dad someday when he passes away.
Right in the middle of this angsty album, you get one of the sweetest, most endearing love songs ever, Old Hat, right when you need it the most (it comes right after Jack the Lion). Plus, Old Hat has this lyric: "Disembodied ringlets/ From hair that looks like yours" and I have long curly hair, so I'm always like, "Aww, that's mine!"
Jessica W I frequently see CDs of it at thrift store and have never bought it because I do always see it. I’ll have to grab it next time I’m out thrifting.
Oh my god YES! I have been waiting ages for this one! I'm a huge fan of their first two albums and I saw them live at Pop Montreal in 2005. The singer's reaction whenever someone in the crowd asked them to play Flagpole Sitta was really cringey. He actually got a bit pissed off at the end of the show, but their performance was still really fun.
Todd seven rings when
Also “wouldn’t it be good” would be great too
"All they had to do was record an era-defining masterpiece."
Really? That's all? Sounds easy enough, lol.
“just record an opus lol”
I've heard that they've reformed as "Men With Ven"
HistoricBanjo, as a mate, as someone who knows me really well, can you tell me. Is the bottom half of me on fire?
Historic banjo and Steven trotter........... LMAO
i thought they were the Hair Blair Bunch?
@@jamie2051 nope, it was danny dyer's chocolate homunculus for sure
@@this-aint-no-party Look, this is the end of Spunk Bubble
Paranoia paranoia. Everybody's coming to get me!
Its true we are cough cough i mean arn't we definatly arn't
Why do I suddenly feel the need to hunt people on an ice-cream cart?
I always thought it was "Paranoid, I'm Paranoid." Same difference, I guess.
Just say you never met me!
Ash Kitt Yeah this song always makes me think of Doug talking about Tom and Jerry the movie
“Maybe they thought no one wanted rock songs about classic cinema...”
Yeah, Deep Blue Something would like to have a word with you...
Weren't they also a one hit wonder?
In all fairness, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” just mentions the title of the film. It doesn’t really talk about it other than mentioning that the singer and his girlfriend “both kinda liked it”. It’s more about a struggling relationship. “Carlotta Valdez” recaps Vertigo.
Man, I love that other album and I wish there was more of it here. "Wine Women and Song" and "Cream and Bastards" are jaded as hell, but so good. They deserved better. I mean, writing for The Stranger is better, but still.
“What if weezer weren’t incels?”
You mean Harvey Danger?
That quote is just depressing.
How are we defining “incel” here? Idk too much about Weezer, but I’ve never heard of them acting like incels.
@@meowtherainbowx4163 I think it's more about some of the songs, or the feelings expressed therein, have an incel-ish vibe. For example literally every song on Pinkerton (That being said i still love that album so goddamn much).
@@Pink000h Oh yeah "Tired of Sex" is the fucking anthem of involuntary celibacy.
@@roddorfj IMO Rivers in this context is more about "being frustrated at own's obsession with sex and women".
Great video! Subscribed!
"Flagpole Sitta" is one of the best songs from its era. The sound of it is great and there are a lot of clever and catchy lines sprinkled throughout the song. A guy on my local sports radio station uses it for his intro song, and it doesn't matter how many times I hear it, I always perk up a bit when it starts to play. Whatever it is, the song is just infectious to my ears.
Wow. I genuinely had no idea this was an actual record! I'd always assumed it was just recorded as the theme song for "Peep Show".
Back in high school in 1998, everyone else was listening to Third Eye Blind and Savage Garden, I was listening to this. And I think I loved King James Version even more than their first album.
It's funny, I enjoy TEB and HD about equally for mostly the same reasons
All I remember from that is the line about “the Marlboro man died of cancer.”
King James is unironically one of the best albums of the 2000's, they basically predicted and one upped all the Garage and Post Punk Revivalists that would spring up just a year later
Sooo, After binging around 75% of your back catalog and loving most of it, I was wondering if you could do more bilboard charts year in review, but back in the 70's, 80's and 90's like in your video (1987) or can I perhaps bribe you to make more of them? Im willing to pay sums of money to request some of those.
I know, right! That would be epically awesome!😁
@Yoshifan9511 Where did he say that? Can you copy and paste the link here? Thanks!
pretty sure you can request that on patreon
@Yoshifan9511 oh thanks!
That's what Patreon is for my man
Tbh while I don’t think they could’ve had more hits, Nelson’s writing is so biting and articulate and honest in a way you don’t see a whole lot of anymore. Little round mirrors is clearly the portrait of someone so obsessed with something that it ruins every relationship they’ve ever had and man...if Nelson is writing about himself he must be very lonely because the topic of alienation comes up so often. Being really open with the good bad and ugly seems to be something that doesn’t happen often because it’s hard to sell. All three albums paint a rather depressing portrait of someone who’s incredibly lonely and let down by the people in his life and man...I really admire that level of honesty. It’s kind of incredible.
A little late to this, but I saw Harvey Danger on tour for this album and my friend and I ended up hanging out with them on their tour bus, which I assume their label paid for. They were nice guys and we ended up watching "Wallace & Gromit" episodes with 'em. They put on a decent show, but there was hardly anyone at it.
This is one of those songs that sticks out in my mind as a clear divide between Gen-X and Millenials.
The younger brothers & sisters of my friend circle were like 8-10 when the Seattle shit happened, they were always following us around trying to fit in with the older kids. We were snotty, depressed dickheads, kicking them off our "turf" (the parking lot of the local grocery store), all like "GTFO, child, you can't even begin to understand what this music is about".
1998, I was 20, all the younger crew had claimed our old turf for themselves, and holy shit did they love this song. All day, every day with the Flagpole Sitta blasting on a boom box, they had all pierced themselves in ways we never dreamed of. They'd mosh outside the dry cleaning place, one of the little bastards dented a vending machine with his friggin' face.
Anyway, my friends and I pretty uniformly hated Flagpole Sitta, but I honestly think back on it now and think we probably hated it because it was the anthem for another generation taking our place in a way. They were like "GTFO, old people, you can't even begin to understand what this music is about".
They were right, of course. There's not that much of an age gap between us and our Millenial kin, but man, we differ so much. Sometimes I wonder if it's all because we older kids acted like such complete dickholes to them during our "angst" phase. This song just represents that divide in my mind.
I just want to say "I'm sorry, Millenials", and hey, Flagpole Sitta isn't so terrible.
Actually, I still hate it, but you kids have turned out good and, y'know, Lit had some pretty sweet tunes.
Go away Dad
You are forgiven Gen Xer. 😂
YES !!!
Do an episode on Squirrel Nut Zippers "Hell", please.
Agreed
I just watched the video for this song. One of my favorites.
The D and the A and the M and the N and the A and the T and the I-O-N!
Oddly enough, one couple did a dance to their song “Put a Lid On It” on Dancing With the Stars a few years ago. That was one bit of randomness I was NOT expecting!
Ehh... They might have had one big hit, but they were a rather successful band for quite a while. That would be akin to covering Ben Folds Five because "Brick" was their only really, really big mainstream hit.
The white stripes had a good song about classic cinema, it was called the union forever
Honestly, glad this video introduced me to this band. Their first album is one of my all-time favorites.
This song kills, and still till this day resonates with me. More than 20 plus years, and the line "Been around the world and found that only stupid people were breeding"... As a childless woman, I still stand proud by this sentiment and has shaped my adult life. I too am a Flagpole Sitta. Bravo gentlemen, and thanks for creating this classic.
Aaron Huffman went on to art direct The Stranger until his recent passing.
This song is always a hit at karaoke, not only because of the nostalgia factor, i think the lyrics retain some real potency
Todd, word of advice... upload your videos in private mode before you make then public. Then, even if they get blocked, your subscribers wont be notified of it until it's been cleared.
I think he already does. That's how his patrons get to see them early.
Yeah, sometimes TH-cam will make it seem like a video is okay while it’s private or unlisted, but then it’ll get flagged after going public for whatever reason. It’s... frustrating, to say the least. 🙃
They must be getting royalies for their song being used as Peep Show's theme.
I always took the " I'm not sick but I'm not well" line was talking about addiction. I have felt the same while on a " maintenance " dose that I'm not high but still have enough in me to not be sick. I could be wrong.
Great stuff as always.
Bummed at Little By Little getting only a brief mention. It's easily my favorite HD album and has some brilliant songs.
I love Little by Little so much. I'm not a huge rock person really only liking a few select bands but I loved and memorized every song on that album. The lyrics are bitter but clever and really captured all of the feelings I had being in high school at the time and frustrated at the mess the people had been making of the world for the last 4 years. It also has a lot there for people who are searching for their identity and don't feel as if they measure up and when they do well it turns out meritocracy is actually not really a for anybody but undeniably extrodinary people. Angry futility and self hate resonates with everyone. Still feel Cream and Bastards, Diminishing returns, and What you Live by. Also Wine Woman and Song while being less relatable to my teenage self is super fun to sing.
The version of "Little Round Mirrors" they perform on Burn to Shine is a masterpiece.
I love Little By Little. Wine, Women, and Song is a masterpiece.
Hey Todd. GREAT video. I waited a LOOOOOOONG time for this. I am a HUGE fan of Harvey Danger. Three things though.
1) I’ve never heard anyone I know talk about The Pixies, yet I know they are a great band. Just because you didn’t hear anyone talk about Harvey Danger doesn’t mean people weren’t all over their message boards back in the day. There was a fantastic community there and I was a member for YEARS.
2) I recommend checking out their last official album that’s really just a collection of b-sides and unreleased material. It’s called Dead Sea Scrolls.
3) Their bassist Aaron Huffman died three years ago (R.I.P.). When you always talk about doing research, I would have at least expected you to mention that during your wrap up.
Also surprised that, with all his references to OK Computer and "Creep," he didn't mention that 2005's Little By Little album was released for free by the band, two years BEFORE Radiohead did the same with In Rainbows. It was a pretty revolutionary idea at the time.
The forum board got renewed for its IP but the whole damn thing is just malware and bots which is a shame
I think they deserved better. A lot better. That first record had so many songs that 16-year old me latched onto. I dare anyone to listen to "Problems and Bigger Ones" or "Radio Silence" and feel nothing. The second record was better than Todd gave it credit for, and the third one deserved more than a throwaway comment about a song title. Maybe Harvey Danger wasn't aiming for fame, but they had the songs.
Like a lot of bands, choice of single was the cause of their one-hit wonderdom. "Flagpole Sitta" should've been followed up by "Terminal Annex" or "Old Hat." Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
i dunno why. but after discovering this channel and seeing almost all of it at this point i gotta say i’m obsessed. seeing THE EXACT SAME music taste reflected back at me is a very weird and thrilling experience. i love this guy lol.
This video actually is what got me to check out more of their work, and if I'm being honest, it all rocks. I'm surprised they didn't get more hits. Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone and The King James Version are up there as some of my favorite albums now
I was delighted by this song when it came out. It's really catchy and the lyrics crack me up. I miss late 90's fun pop rock. It was a great era to be a teen in.
I genuinely think Harvey danger is one of the most underrated bands from this time. One of their later songs, "What You Live By," is still my favorite song of all time to this day, partially because of that eloquent lyric-writing and self-criticism You mentioned in the video.
As a British person, I've never felt the transatlantic divide more in a TitS video. In the UK, "Flagpole Sitta" is barely known as a song in its own right, but is still instantly recognisable as the theme music of the legendary sitcom Peep Show. I'd assumed the latter must be at least somewhat known in the US, because lots of cult British comedy has a loyal American following, but apparently not, since Todd doesn't even mention it in this video. Anyway, you guys should really check out the show, it's amazing. Contains lots of UK-specific references, but not (I think) to the point of being impenetrable to outsiders.
Yeah Peep Show is only know in America by diehard comedy fans. And even by that standard it’s not a big cult favorite the way something like Garth Marengi’s Dark Place is and also lacks any bits that are well known apart from the show like The Mighty Boosh does.
Peep Show doesn't really have an audience in America. The Office, Spaced and The IT Crowd do, but Peep Show is pretty unknown.
Yes I was so confused I was like... wait the Peep Show theme tune was a big hit??? It works through. Coming across a bit snotty really works for the themes of Peep Show. 😅 that interview with Sean Nelson by the school student was pretty cringe 😅
It's pretty known in AUS tho 💪
Maybe because I've lived in Seattle for 18 years and I'm involved in the music scene here, but I personally feel Harvey Danger definitely deserved more. They wrote great songs with clever lyrics, were kind people, and were involved in the local Seattle scene.
I am pleasantly surprised at the lack of comments referring to Bean Dad and his connection to this song/band
Todd u know I have homework right
Now I want Todd to talk about Barenaked ladies. To bad I don't think they match any format.
They just need to release a modern pop song that's getting radio play, then boom "pop song review."
Gonna be hard, their albums chart somewhat decently. They had a top 10-album in the US a couple years ago. Same thing can't be said for their singles, last decently charting one was Pinch Me in 2000. Probably best to see if Todd starts a retrospective series on "almosts" or something. It would hurt, I still love BNL a lot. They have a way with Words and finding interesting themes/stories to sing about.
Trainwreckords.
That first album without Steven was pretty bad.
You want Todd to talk about Barenaked ladies? I thought he was supposed to be a music reviewer...
@@HangmanVa Every record after Steven has had the same problem. It'll start with two or three songs that are great, and then immediately run out of steam.
The first six albums I can listen to front to front to back endlessly, while the two BLAM records are kind of a mess.
Every time you cover stuff from the 90's, I always hope you're going to mention Radiohead. Thanks Todd. I love The Creep Band(tm) and I'm glad they didn't give up when they wanted to after they got sick of Creep.
I’m going to check them out now. This channel, and honestly the comments sections have been pretty helpful to me in finding new music. For what comments are worth. I’m Gen Z and I basically inherited my dad’s rock-heavy musical tastes, albeit with different emphases and an unfortunate fondness for showtunes. I’ve never been much of a music person but I’d like to change that a little.
I saw Sean Nelson solo in Nashville a couple months ago, he was amazing and nice guy too.
I remember hearing the "paranoia paranoia everyone's coming to get me" segment for the first time in Nostalgia Critic's review of Tom and Jerry: The Movie.
THAT'S where I remember it from!!!
It's also in the thief and the cobbler
@@TheAlps36 that actually clicks even more :D
@@KingRandor82 Welcome to the mindfuck!!
that's where i heard the song first, 11 or 12 years ago!!
As a huge Harvey danger fan who never even acknowledged their existence until like 2013, I actually think their 2005 album is some of their best work.