Korean Bodega

Album: 100% Colombian (1998)
Charted: 15
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Songfacts®:

  • Bodegas are little mom-and-pop stores found in cities, often on the corners. They sell groceries and various other necessities, like burner cell phones, lottery tickets and cigarettes. They're typically run by Latin shopkeepers, but the one in this song is Korean.

    The lyric was written by Fun Lovin' Criminals frontman Huey Morgan, based on a real bodega he frequented in New York City. One day, he left his wallet at home and the owner let him take his groceries with him and pay later. Thus, "Korean Bodega, it's in my favor."
  • The song was released on the second Fun Lovin' Criminals album, 100% Colombian. After releasing their first album, they made inroads on their home turf of America with the song "Scooby Snacks," but subsequent singles were largely ignored. Meanwhile, their very New York-centric songs played far better in the UK, where they found a lot more fans.
  • The band made a video for this song in the style of a fictional documentary, with the guys playing different characters. The sound bites are mixed in with the music; Fun Lovin' Criminals often incorporated dialogue and acting into their music videos. "Korean Bodega" charted there at #15.

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