Pork Soda

Album: How to Be a Human Being (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was inspired by a tattoo. "It was a giant pig, a stick figure pig, a really cool pig," frontman Dave Bayley told Howl and Echoes. "It said 'pork soda' in big scrawling letters. I thought it was the best tattoo I've ever seen. It was this woman, she gave us a load of gifts, it was amazing, 30 little glass animals. I saw her tattoo, and I was like, 'that's sick – why?' And she was like, 'I just like pork soda,' and I thought that was really cool, it played into the mentality of the person in that song. I just really liked the phrase."
  • Asked what pork soda actually is, Bayley replied: "It's a drink. It's a drink and it's a meal, they put pork and cook it in coca cola in a stew. She says it's the best meal and a drink."

    The Urban Dictionary differs in its definition, stating that pork soda is: "The slop that results from the drainage of draft beers at a bar into a bucket."

    According to Primus, it's beer.
  • Pineapples are in my head
    (Pineapples are in my head)
    Got nobody 'cos I'm brain dead
    (Got nobody 'cos I'm brain dead)


    Frontman Dave Bayley explained the hook to Paste magazine: "I heard a homeless man talking to someone once and say 'pineapples are in my head.' In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually those words, but I thought it was at the time, and it kind of stuck with me."
  • Bayley on the track's sound: "The opening of the song is meant to sound like you're outside on the street, and you can hear a group of people chanting this song. The drum sounds are made from old bins and trash pieces of metal I found around the studio. Kind of like those street drummers use. All that is meant to set the scene for the story."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.