Jump to content

Paul Revere (song)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Richhoncho (talk | contribs) at 21:40, 22 August 2014 (+Category:1986 songs; +Category:Def Jam Recordings singles using HotCat). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Paul Revere"
Song

"Paul Revere" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their debut album Licensed to Ill (1986). It was written by Adam Horovitz, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Rick Rubin. It was produced by Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys. The song tells a fictional story of how the Beastie Boys met.

Adam Horovitz told how the song evolved from an incident when the Beastie Boys were waiting outside a recording studio for Run-D.M.C., when Joseph Simmons ("Run") suddenly came running down the street screaming incoherently. When he reached the Beastie Boys, he said "Here's a little story I got to tell...". After much confusion, Simmons stated "THAT's the song". The band worked on it from there.[1]

In 2007, an artist called Kia Shine released a single called "Krispy" with a similar beat, raising questions about copyright infringement.

Quotes

"I think that the whole concept of trying the drum backwards was a mistake, and then it turned into a record.
Everybody was congratulating themselves on how creative they were, but in fact, it was really a mistake."
- Russell Simmons[2]

Content

The song tells a fictional story of how Adrock, Mike D, and MCA first met. Adrock describes riding through the desert on a horse named Paul Revere (hence, the title of the song) with a quart of beer, on the run from the police. He runs into MCA, who asks him for a drink. When Adrock refuses, MCA pulls a gun on him and says, "You got two choices of what you can do...I can blow you away or you can ride with me." Adrock agrees, saying that he'll go if they can get to the border because "The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter".

The two ride to a bar and sit down next to Mike D, who tells them he's planning to rob the place. He then pulls out his guns and shoots them in the air, telling the people in the bar, "Your cash and your jewelry is what I expect!" MCA and Adrock help Mike D escape with the money and jewelry, first causing a distraction and then helping him carry the stolen goods out, along with "Two girlies and a beer that's cold".

Charts

Chart (1986) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[3] 41
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[4] 34

Covers

Lyrics from the song are referenced in several rap songs by other artists. Cypress Hill did a cover of the song called "Busted in the Hood" on their album Till Death Do Us Part, with the lyrics changed to be about getting arrested for drug-dealing.[5] The lyrics are also referenced several times in the song "Bad Guys Always Die" on the soundtrack to the film Wild Wild West.

It was covered by Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon[6] as part of their "History of Rap" medley.

A Cover was done by Zachariah and the Lobos Riders in a country styling on the album Alcoholiday

A genre-bending cover was played by swing band The Asylum Street Spankers on their album Mercurial.

References

  1. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp1_IKWDku8
  2. ^ Beastiemania Song Spotlight
  3. ^ "Beastie Boys Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  4. ^ "Beastie Boys Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  5. ^ http://www.lyricsdepot.com/cypress-hill/busted-in-the-hood.html
  6. ^ Kung, Michelle (2010-09-30). "Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon's 'History of Rap' Duet: The Full Set List". The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Revere_(song)&oldid=622391329"