The HIV Song
| "The HIV Song" | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Song by Ween | |||||
| from the album Chocolate and Cheese | |||||
| Released | September 27, 1994 | ||||
| Recorded | Summer 1992 | ||||
| Length | 2:09 | ||||
| Label | Elektra | ||||
| Chocolate and Cheese track listing | |||||
|
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"The HIV Song" is a song by Ween from the 1994 album Chocolate and Cheese.
Information/Trivia[edit | edit source]
Recording and Composition[edit | edit source]
"The HIV Song" is a psychedelic rock song with very prominent circus march influences in the key of B major.
The song was written by Dean Ween. The idea came from something his Moistboyz bandmate Guy Heller said when he was talking with Dean about how annoying it was to have to put up with the crowds of summer tourists in New Hope. As Dean remembers it, Guy had said, "Man, I just wish I had a fuckin' megaphone. I'd just like to fuckin' make an announcement and say, 'AIDS! HIV! Cancer!'" Deaner thought that was hilarious and turned it into this song.[1]
Alternate Versions[edit | edit source]
"The HIV Song" was recorded in the summer of 1992 at Greg Frey's Graphic Sound Studios. Unlike most of the demos from those sessions, "The HIV Song" was not re-recorded for the final album; the original demo version was used for Chocolate and Cheese.[2] However, the original demo recording has a slightly different mix (including audible screaming throughout the track), which can be heard on the bootleg Chocolate and Cheese Demos: Summer 1992.
Live Performances[edit | edit source]
Ween debuted "The HIV Song" live with DAT deck accompaniment for only one show in the spring of 1993. The following year, during the Chocolate and Cheese tour, they began playing the song frequently with the full live band, and it has remained a very common live song ever since, across every era of Ween.[3] A 10/23/1996 recording from the 12 Golden Country Greats tour (with the Shit Creek Boys) can be heard on the album Live in Toronto Canada. A 7/7/2000 recording from the White Pepper tour is heard on the album Live at Stubb's, And a 11/9/2003 from the Quebec tour is heard on Live in Chicago
In addition, "The HIV Song" has been played numerous times individually by both Dean Ween (with the Dean Ween Group) and Gene Ween (both solo acoustic and with the Gene Ween Band).[4]
Live performances are notable for usually having Gener play the guitar riff.
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
Official lyrics were printed in the Chocolate and Cheese liner notes:
AIDS
HIV[5]
Song Themes[edit | edit source]
Death and Injury, Sung by Dean Ween, Sung by Gene Ween
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.124
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.85
- ↑ https://brownbase.org/every_time_played.php?band=all%20bands&song_id=212
- ↑ https://brownbase.org/every_time_played.php?band=all%20bands&song_id=212
- ↑ From the Chocolate and Cheese liner notes