Meridian Leeward
by Nazz

Album: Nazz Nazz (1969)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a pig who is transformed into a human and becomes a pilot. His name is Meridian Leeward, a mashup of navigational terms.

    It was written by Todd Rundgren and released on Nazz Nazz, the second album from his band the Nazz, in 1969. Rundgren was spreading his wings as a songwriter, looking for different stories to tell and different ways to tell them. "Meridian Leeward" is an early look at his humorous side, which we'd hear on his 1983 hit "Bang The Drum All Day."
  • According to Rundgren, this is just a silly song he came up with, but he did include a dig at the police, as he didn't always get along with law enforcement. At the end of the song, Meridian Leeward considers joining the force so he can take out his aggressions.
  • Rundgren didn't sing lead on this track - the Nazz' lead vocalist was their organ player, Robert "Stewkey" Antoni. Rundgren left the band around the time the album was released, and the band broke up a short time later. He formed the band Runt soon after and then launched a very successful solo career.

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