Crackity Jones
Encyclopedia
"Crackity Jones" is an alternative rock
song by the American band Pixies, and is the ninth track on their 1989 album Doolittle
. Written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis, "Crackity Jones" describes a crazed roommate
and was inspired by Francis' stay in an apartment block with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate" in Puerto Rico
as a student.
(the song's lyrics describe a "stinking island" that is "thirty miles by" and a "hundred miles" long) as an exchange student as part of his university degree. He found himself in a squalid high-rise apartment (describing it as a "crazy all-male dormitory"), waiting for his assigned roommate to show up. Francis later described meeting his roommate:
Francis continued to live with the roommate, but the roommate's rants about Fred Flintstone
and the voices in his head tested Francis' patience. He returned to Boston after six months to start the Pixies with Joey Santiago
.
, with a G# and A triads over a C# pedal. The rhythm guitar
, played by Francis, starts the song with an eighth-note downstroke (typical of punk rock
music). Twenty-six seconds into the song, the second verse accelerates and the rest of the song continues at a similarly fast tempo
. The song ends with Francis shouting "You're crazy!".
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
song by the American band Pixies, and is the ninth track on their 1989 album Doolittle
Doolittle (album)
Doolittle features an eclectic mix of musical styles. While tracks such as "Tame" and "Crackity Jones" are fast and aggressive, and incorporate the band's trademark loud–quiet dynamic, other songs such as "Silver", "I Bleed", and "Here Comes Your Man" reveal a quieter, slower and more melodic...
. Written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis, "Crackity Jones" describes a crazed roommate
Roommate
A roommate is a person who shares a living facility such as an apartment or dormitory. Similar terms include suitemate, housemate, flatmate , or sharemate...
and was inspired by Francis' stay in an apartment block with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate" in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
as a student.
Background and lyrics
Black Francis was on a six-month trip to San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
(the song's lyrics describe a "stinking island" that is "thirty miles by" and a "hundred miles" long) as an exchange student as part of his university degree. He found himself in a squalid high-rise apartment (describing it as a "crazy all-male dormitory"), waiting for his assigned roommate to show up. Francis later described meeting his roommate:
Francis continued to live with the roommate, but the roommate's rants about Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone
Frederick Joseph “Fred” Flintstone, also known as Fred W. Flintstone or Frederick J. Flintstone, is the protagonist of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960-66. He is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles...
and the voices in his head tested Francis' patience. He returned to Boston after six months to start the Pixies with Joey Santiago
Joey Santiago
Joey Santiago is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer. Active since 1986, Santiago is best known as the lead guitarist for the American alternative rock band Pixies. After the band's breakup in 1993, Santiago produced musical scores for film and television documentaries, and he formed The...
.
Melody
"Crackity Jones" is the fastest and shortest song on Doolittle, at an average 150 beats per minute, and has a distinctly Spanish soundMusic of Spain
The Music of Spain has a long history and has played an important part in the development of western music. It has had a particularly strong influence upon Latin American music. The music of Spain is often associated abroad with traditions like flamenco and the classical guitar but Spanish music...
, with a G# and A triads over a C# pedal. The rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, played by Francis, starts the song with an eighth-note downstroke (typical of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music). Twenty-six seconds into the song, the second verse accelerates and the rest of the song continues at a similarly fast tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. The song ends with Francis shouting "You're crazy!".