Travolta (song)
| "Quote Unquote" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mr. Bungle | ||||
| from the album Mr. Bungle | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Format | Vinyl | |||
| Genre | Funk metal, avant-garde metal | |||
| Length |
6:56 4:31 (single version)[1] | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Trey Spruance, Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton | |||
| Producer(s) | Mr. Bungle, John Zorn | |||
| Mr. Bungle singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
 |
"Travolta (Quote Unquote)" (1991)
 Sample from Mr. Bungle's "Travolta (Quote Unquote)" from the album Mr. Bungle. It was Mr. Bungle's only song to ever receive a music video. |
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
"Travolta" (also known as "Quote Unquote") was the first single released by American experimental band Mr. Bungle. It was featured on their self-titled debut album.[2]
Controversy
Although the song was originally titled "Travolta", it was quickly changed to "Quote Unquote" due to legal threats.[3] A music video was made for "Travolta," using its later title "Quote Unquote." The video was banned from MTV due to images of the band members (dressed in various costumes and masks) hanging from meat hooks and overall scary, disturbing images.[4] The video used the single version of the song.[5]
References to John Travolta
Allmusic considers the song to be a tribute to John Travolta and fellow actor Patrick Swayze.[3] A biography about John Travolta, written by Bob McCabe, was titled "Quote, Unquote" after the song. [6] The main theme from the movie Grease, a movie John Travolta was famous for, was sampled twice in the song.[7]
This may however be a barbed tribute in that the lyrical context of the song strongly references the 1938 novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, throughout which a mute quadruple amputee war veteran details his personal suffering in the first person. Hence the song's title. It might be worth noting that Patrick Swayze's character in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing is also named Johnny, perhaps implying that the song is a more general homage to greasers being led off to war. The song also has references to Hitler and Trump.
Track
- Quote Unquote (Edit) - 4:31
- Quote Unquote (Album Version) - 6:56[1]
References
- 1 2 "Mr. Bungle - Quote - Unquote". Discogs. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ↑ Huey, Steve. "Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- 1 2 AllMusic Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. 2002. ISBN 087930653X.
- ↑ McGaughey, Scott. "The Unclassifiable and Ever-Evolving Music of Mr. Bungle". Furious.com. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
- ↑ Mr. Bungle -Quote Unquote (Travolta) on Vimeo
- ↑ Quote - Unquote on Amazon
- ↑ Mr. Bungle - "Quote - Unqote" on Whosampled