Ebeneezer Goode
Encyclopedia
"Ebeneezer Goode" is a song
by Scottish electronic music group The Shamen
, which, after being heavily remixed by The Beatmasters, became their biggest hit when released as a single in September 1992. The band's original version also featured on the vinyl edition of their album Boss Drum
. "Ebeneezer Goode" was one of the most controversial UK number-one hits of the 1990s, due to its perceived oblique endorsement of recreational drug use
. The song was initially banned by the BBC
, and the single was eventually withdrawn after the band were hounded by the British tabloid press.
The song also contains references to rolling a spliff
with the lines, "Has anybody got any Veras?" ("Vera Lynn
" is rhyming slang for "skin" or rolling paper) and "Got any salmon?" ("salmon and trout" is rhyming slang for "snout" or tobacco
).
The "A great philosopher once wrote.." sample at the start of the song is Malcolm McDowell
from Lindsay Anderson's 1972 film O Lucky Man!
) running round a wasteland. Because of flashing images in the video, some music channels include epilepsy warnings over the video. Some channels, including VH1
, edit the video to reduce the frame rate of these scenes which deletes each bright frame.
The music video was played with favorable commentary in episode 3, season 4 of Beavis and Butt-head
, "Kidnapped".
, it was expected that Mr C should tone down the song due to its being broadcast. The group replaced the final lyrics: "Got any Salmon?" - with "Has anyone got any underlay
?" The BBC
were furious, and dragged Mr C into a room off-camera, to explain himself, only to be told that it was simply a gratuitous rug reference.
's drug awareness week), staying there for four weeks. It was the 13th biggest selling single of 1992, selling 278,000 copies. It is the group's biggest seller.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Scottish electronic music group The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
, which, after being heavily remixed by The Beatmasters, became their biggest hit when released as a single in September 1992. The band's original version also featured on the vinyl edition of their album Boss Drum
Boss Drum
Boss Drum was The Shamen's 1992 album which featured their hit "Ebeneezer Goode". Critics still gave their Boss Drum album positive feedback, despite the death of the member Will Sinnott, who was known to have helped Colin Angus transform The Shamen into a popular rave act.-LP :# "Boss Drum" –...
. "Ebeneezer Goode" was one of the most controversial UK number-one hits of the 1990s, due to its perceived oblique endorsement of recreational drug use
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
. The song was initially banned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and the single was eventually withdrawn after the band were hounded by the British tabloid press.
Lyrics
The song is best known for its chorus, "'Eezer Goode, 'Eezer Goode/He's Ebeneezer Goode", which has been construed as a reference to ecstacy, sometimes referred to as "E": "Es are good, Es are good, these effin' E's are good.". The lyrics present the advantages of the drug, though with an admonition against excessive use:The song also contains references to rolling a spliff
Joint (cannabis)
Joint is a slang term for a cigarette rolled using cannabis. Rolling papers are the most common rolling medium among industrialized countries, however brown paper, cigarettes with the tobacco removed, and newspaper are commonly used in developing countries. Modern papers are now made from a wide...
with the lines, "Has anybody got any Veras?" ("Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
" is rhyming slang for "skin" or rolling paper) and "Got any salmon?" ("salmon and trout" is rhyming slang for "snout" or tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
).
The "A great philosopher once wrote.." sample at the start of the song is Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
from Lindsay Anderson's 1972 film O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
Music video
The video consisted of club scenes intermixed with a caped man (played by Jerry SadowitzJerry Sadowitz
Jerry Sadowitz is an American-born Scottish stand-up comic and card magician, known for his frequently controversial "sick humour". An accomplished practitioner of sleight of hand, he has written several books on magic and invented many conjuring innovations. He is widely acclaimed as one of the...
) running round a wasteland. Because of flashing images in the video, some music channels include epilepsy warnings over the video. Some channels, including VH1
VH1 UK
VH1 is a specialist music television channel from MTV Networks Europe. The channel broadcasts into the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The channel is based on the original VH1 American channel of the same name...
, edit the video to reduce the frame rate of these scenes which deletes each bright frame.
The music video was played with favorable commentary in episode 3, season 4 of Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
, "Kidnapped".
Performance on Top of the Pops
When the Shamen appeared on Top of the PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, it was expected that Mr C should tone down the song due to its being broadcast. The group replaced the final lyrics: "Got any Salmon?" - with "Has anyone got any underlay
Underlay
Underlay or underlayment generally refers to a thin layer of cushioning made of materials such as sponge rubber, foam, felt, or crumb rubber; this material is laid beneath carpeting to provide comfort underfoot, to reduce wear on the carpet, and to provide insulation against sound, moisture, and...
?" The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
were furious, and dragged Mr C into a room off-camera, to explain himself, only to be told that it was simply a gratuitous rug reference.
Chart performance
The song entered the British charts at number six in September 1992, before climbing to number one two weeks later (ironically during the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's drug awareness week), staying there for four weeks. It was the 13th biggest selling single of 1992, selling 278,000 copies. It is the group's biggest seller.
Peak positions
| Chart (1992/93) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... Singles Chart |
19 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 43 |
| German Singles Chart | 23 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 23 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 11 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Silver | 1 September 1992 | 200,000 |