Mustache Man (Wasted)
by Cake

Album: Showroom of Compassion (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This funky song is a track from Californian rockers Cake's sixth studio album, Showroom of Compassion. It concerns an issue that has been bugging frontman John McCrea since his days as a youngster when so many of his seniors sported facial hair above their upper lip. He told Spinner why he penned a song about mustaches. "I think people are dealing with mustache issues in our culture," the Cake founder explained. "A lot of people grew up with men around them who had mustaches, and I think it's a therapeutic thing for us to talk about it."

    McCrea added that he saw the song as a means to put to rights some terrifying experiences he had with the unsightly fuzz as a youngster. "The song was certainly therapeutic for me having grown up in California in the '70s and '80s," he deadpanned. "You rarely see a waxed mustache anymore, but I have a few traumatic memories from childhood, like of dudes who used wax to make the ends of their mustaches into a sharp object. Yeah, it's f---ed up. As a kid, I saw this, and even then, I knew this was such a strange world."
  • The song's music video was directed by Alicia J. Rose who not only is a photographer but also is an avant-garde accordionist, who records under the name of Miss Murgatroyd. Said McCrea to Spinner: "We wanted a video that was both creepy AND life-affirming. I think we got more than we bargained for here."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.