Tribute (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Tribute" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Tenacious D | ||
| from the album Tenacious D | ||
| Released | July 16, 2002 | |
| Format | CD | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 4:07 | |
| Label | Epic Records | |
| Producer(s) | The Dust Brothers | |
| Tenacious D singles chronology | ||
| Tribute (2002) |
Wonderboy (2002) |
|
"Tribute", or unofficially, "A Tribute to the Best Song in the World" is the first single of Tenacious D's self-titled debut album. It was released July 16, 2002.
"Tribute" (#4 Australia) was the most requested video on Kerrang! TV in 2002. A cross between "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and "Stairway to Heaven", the song is a tribute to the "greatest song in the world," which Tenacious D themselves came up with, but have since forgotten.
- "This is not the greatest song in the world.
- This is just a tribute.
- Couldn't remember the greatest song in the world, no no.
- This is a tribute."
The song chronicles the band members' encounter in the desert with a demon who demands the duo play "the best song in the world" or have their souls devoured. Having nothing to lose from trying, they "play the first thing that came into [their] heads" and it "Just so happened to be / The best song in the world."
On original versions of the song (including the version played on the TV series in the episode The Greatest Song in the World) one can hear Kyle Gass play the opening to "Stairway to Heaven", and, commonly, during live performances after the song is completed, harmoniously sing, "And they're playing the best song in the world," in a manner identical to the ending lyrics of "Stairway to Heaven", where "And she's buying a stairway to heaven" is sung, implying in a way that "Stairway to Heaven" is the "best song in the world" (this is corroborated by the two songs' shared key: A minor, as well as very similar chord progressions).
In an interview the band claimed that the inspiration from the song came after Jack Black played Metallica's "One" for Kyle Gass, describing it as "the best song in the world"[1][2], leading to a failed attempt to themselves write an even better song, and a discussion of the meaninglessness of labeling any song that way. "Tribute" was written to make the claim that the greatest song in the world had, in fact, been briefly theirs but they had forgotten it, as a paean to the impossibility of reaching musical perfection.
The song was also referenced in the 2006 movie Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.
In Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, it is obvious that the climax of the movie, a rock-off challenge between Satan and Tenacious D told through the song "Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)", is indeed the incident chronicled in "Tribute", and that the portion of "Beezleboss" performed by Tenacious D is the song receiving tribute. After defeating Satan, JB and Kyle recall the incident once more, describing it as, "the greatest song in the world." Unfortunately, they are unable to remember how it went. Also in the song beezleboss, they mention that they know how to defeat the demon by using rocket sauce which is what they use in their HBO television series to defeat the demon.
[edit] Music Video
The music video for Tribute features Jack Black and Kyle Gass, in a cheap shopping mall karaoke booth, rewired to record their tribute to their encounter with a demon and the song they sang for him, which saved their lives. At the end a scary looking old lady comes, picks up the now-recorded CD and cackles, her eyes turning red.
Liam Lynch directed and edited the video with Rhet Bear as the cinematographer. It was first aired during the week beginning May 20, 2002.[3]
Dave Grohl (Lead singer of Foo Fighters) plays the drums in the live music video, and also plays the role of the demon (he also plays Satan in the movie Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny)), and Ben Stiller makes a brief cameo as a passer-by entering from the right hand side of the screen as they sing "just a matter of opinion." Liam Lynch, the director of the video, also makes a cameo as a passer-by from the left hand side of the screen as they sing "I'm found! Rich motherfucker". Tenacious D's friend Lee is the policeman in the video.
Although the video had huge success on UK television - readers of Kerrang! magazine voted for their Top 10 rock videos with Tribute coming fifth[4] - the song was never actually released there as a single. To date, the only song released as a single in the UK by Tenacious D is Wonderboy that made the Top 40.
Tribute was nominated for two Music Video Production Association Awards -"Alternative Video of the Year" and "Directorial Debut of the Year". [5]
[edit] References
- ^ Emily Watson and Lauren Thompson. "The D contemplates rock-off for soul and the perfect groupie", The Daily Texan, 2006-11-22. Retrieved on January 1, 2007.
- ^ JimmyO. "INT: Tenacious D!", JoBlo.com, 2006-11-22. Retrieved on January 1, 2007.
- ^ Tenacious D - "Tribute". Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
- ^ Victoria Newton. "Nirvana tonce op vid", The Sun, 2004-04-09. Retrieved on January 12, 2007.
- ^ News Archive. Retrieved on January 24, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Tribute Music Video - via YouTube.
- Making Of Tribute - via YouTube.
- Tribute video - via Dailymotion.
- Tribute Guitar Tab
| Tenacious D |
| Jack Black • Kyle Gass Lee |
| Other musicians: Warren Fitzgerald • David Grohl • John Konesky • Liam Lynch • Page McConnell • Steve McDonald • John Spiker • Meat Loaf • Ronnie James Dio |
| Management and producers: John King • Michael Simpson • Dust Brothers |
| Discography |
| Albums/EP: Tenacious D (2001) • D Fun Pak EP (2002) The Pick of Destiny (2006) |
| Singles: "Tribute" • "Wonderboy" • "POD" |
| Music videos: "Tribute" • "Wonderboy" • "Fuck Her Gently" • "POD" • "Classico" |
| TV/DVD/Film |
| Tenacious D (1997 – 2000) • Tenacious D - The Complete Masterworks DVD (2003) • Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (2006) |
| Related articles |
| Trainwreck • Tenacious D 2006-2007 Tour • Sax-a-boom |
