Pixies On 'Caribou' - NME Song Stories

Pixies On 'Caribou' - Song Stories
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NME speaks to Black Francis and David Lovering of Pixies about the story of cult fan-favourite 'Caribou' and why the 'Come On Pilgrim' track defines the band to this day.
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[@christroutman880]

Soo they played near me and I was hanging around the back of the venue and I caught Black Francis coming from his white Lincoln Continental and said ," Hey man! I love the song Caribou, I listen to it in my headphones in school when I know other kids are say shit about me." I really meant that. He said "we haven't played it on the tour yet, maybe we can play it tonight if I can remember how to play it." They did play it and he actually called me out onstage and "This one is for some high school kid who came up to me before the show." Probably one of the coolest moments of my high school life. Circa 1992.

[@barneyanderson1224]

Funny how the exact same thing allegedly happened to someone else in the comments of a video of this song live in London....

[@christroutman880]

@@barneyanderson1224 minus the Lincoln Continental I assume.

[@barneyanderson1224]

@@christroutman880 maybe so

[@abandonedmuse]

wow that’s an awesome story. What grade were you in in 92? I was a sophomore in HS.

[@omarii.o.kenyatta7099]

And then everybody clapped

[@abandonedmuse]

I introduced my child to the pixies, took her to a concert and now she loves them. I pass on the torch. May the madness continue well into the future....

[@doomguydemonkiller]

You're doing good parenting

[@abandonedmuse]

@@doomguydemonkiller thank you sir. Musical education is important.

[@davidswanson8493]

Glad to hear that!Both of my boys (14-17) love them too!Hopefully they will pass the madness to other generations

[@damnedlock2956]

its a damn good tune...I saw it live recently and it rocked.

[@FaeriePuck]

This is my favorite Pixies song. And as with most of my favorite songs, it just means what it means to me but I love hearing what the artist had in mind.

[@BludgerAus]

Always been my favourite song to listen to and play.

[@lianocellilevi7101]

Mine too i very feel i m a reincarnazione also cause i died this summer met God are life i only choose drugs in fact i was praying for drug i finish are two weeks yes first day we Smoke crack i did heroin now i know he got to detox for driver license i m gettin clean so changed in a House wife i think maybe after 15 i need a home and don t do too much mess i m 27two husbands so

[@BANGERSLLC]

Definitely one of my favourite songs of all time.

[@PaganPunk]

And I was in the crowd Going Mad To The Pixies 1987.... I still have to go see them Live Always... 31 years of Pure JOY

[@EGoltz]

More like Karen old!

[@tompanoname3579]

Every good song, not to mention great, have different meaning to every man/woman. That's the greatness of it, it's like music itself, universal and understandable to all.

[@jimmillman5134]

It was one of the first Pixies songs I heard (perhaps even the first) and I really like it, so I'm glad they do too... Frank's vague waffling is amusing; I could probably give approximately the same level of analysis of the song (erm, it's about shapeshifting and wanting to be an animal and cast off your human form and the things you hate?). But it's a good'un for sure.

[@keithbtv]

Caribou is such a powerful song! Can’t wait to hear it in Barcelona on Wednesday night!

[@chaosmos24]

I enjoy listening to Caribou, and I agree that it defines the band. I didn't even hear it and the rest of Come on Pilgrim until after I had already heard Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, but if I had to play someone one of their songs to demonstrate who they are, it would be this one.

[@thecrankedamps]

I really hate the way the media and fans want to know what songs mean, even if the song has no meaning they try to push one. Just accept that some songs have no meaning but they just sound great!

[@NxDoyle]

Caribou and Manta Ray are the two songs that ome to mind when I think of Pixies songs with all the ingredients. Sweet singing, screaming, quiet loud, lots of Charles, lots of Joe, lots of Kim and Dave going controlled mental.

[@EzraKizito]

Just heard this five minutes ago, now its my favourite song, love the pixies, one of my favourite bands. (Gouge away is awesome aswell)

[@ceebee491]

I LOVE this song, I play this when I'm busking in the street. People seem to like it too as it's an earner!😎🎸💰💰

[@mcbillygoat]

The power of this song is in part that for many fans, the first song on the first major release is their introduction to the band itself. It has a surreal college rock aesthetic.

[@4herstory]

My first and favorite pixies song, ever fiercer & forever. It's all about the dynamics that came to define their compelling sound & i love it for that. So, "thx, pixies!"

[@scaredypicker]

It was the first Pixies song I ever heard, and it made them my favourite band from that point on. Just so, dark and mysterious. So unlike anything I'd ever heard...

[@funeralmotors2994]

0:48 Charles, that hand movement says everything, like a swing in the park.

[@MS-wg7mc]

Its got sweet singing and then screaming............just like the universe is expanding and the galaxies within it getting compressed together..........sweet and scream together......the very essence of existence.....or in other words, formula of real things

[@georgelochinski8144]

on the Sing for Your Supper demo that was included in the 'Frank Black Francis' release, Charles introduces this as 'the one that's supposed to sound like Husker Du'

[@mw4801]

Influenced by the Track 'Find Me'...

[@scruffyp9480]

It's about erm... reincarnation... erm... native american....ya know.. ideas.

[@usernameonutube]

Surfin Bird

[@SnowWhite-dr6xh]

Any artist who claims to know more about their music is a conman

[@dessertstorm7476]

for me this is one of their easier songs to interpret. Whether literally of figuratively he wants to reject urban conrete jungle and shrug of his human form and live in nature as a caribou.

[@sarcasmo57]

Gosh it's a lovely song.

[@caramullen9186]

makes perfect non sense to me :D!!!! Love this band!!!!

[@jgfunk]

I love that song

[@hanspeterpitsch]

probably my all time favourite pixies song

[@gutopeace1153]

PIXIES 🇧🇷 2020 ❤

[@XIPHIASCDXX]

_Charles_ is too cool for school

[@fluffypuppy720]

It’s always cool when a band doesn’t know what they’re own song is about. It usually means it was written under the influence of “substances”

[@jigrodrigues]

Joe Drnec i was thinking the same. They have a lot of songs written that way, i believe

[@HogwildMcgee9000]

I mean that's always a possibility but I'd say it has more to do with the fact that this song was written 30 years ago and he's written a million songs since.

[@Pckleballer11]

You don’t really premeditate song ideas usually, you just see what comes out. It’s really common for artists to be unable to explain the meaning of a song and has nothing to do with being on substances

[@FaxanaduJohn]

Frank Black is more straight peg than you’d think. The man doesn’t need drugs.

[@richardhoulton4016]

Saw them play this 2 nights ago!

[@armandochavez1117]

amazing song

[@fingerbob74]

The Greatest American songwriter! Charles you de man!

[@shebendsneon]

favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite

[@3423-n9j]

One of my favorites

[@jerryv8758]

Legends

[@ElkoSkate]

why is Rick from pawn stars pretending he's Frank black

[@kawaiiwaffles8511]

I had a dream that I sold one of my old guitars to Frank Black at a Guitar Center store, but in the middle of the deal Frank Black turned into the Pawn Stars guy. He did pay $400 for an old Strat body Epiphone, so I got a helluva deal.

[@stopthrm]

That's a cool dream bro, but let me get an expert on cool dreams down here so I know what I'm dealing with.

[@Guanjyn]

This song is really fun to play on guitar.

[@petet6909]

fucking killer song.

[@stevecalvert5212]

I loved Franks chubby gut

[@mattfranks4335]

He knows ! He just ain't saying .

[@TheEamoB]

Apparently Joey Santiago knew there was something special about Charles Thompson when he asked him to set up Pixies. This is an example why.

[@hamishalexander5294]

Pixies AND runs a pawn shop. Some guy

[@tkgawa]

I wonder what Frank would feel about a Faustian interpretation. I listened to the song after watching "Alchemist Cookbook" and thought the line "this human form/ where I was born/ I do repent" sounded a lot like giving yourself over to a demon.

[@abandonedmuse]

Or an angel. I guess you can make it whatever you want.

[@tkgawa]

@@abandonedmuse - Perhaps, a wilder possibility.

[@abandonedmuse]

Semein Washington life and reality itself is usually open to interpretation.

[@tkgawa]

@@abandonedmuse - Very true. If you like independent horror films, The Alchemist's Cookbook is a good film. The narrator is unreliable and so what happens is very open to interpretation.

[@abandonedmuse]

Semein Washington I love horror. What streaming service? By the way, I remember the book by the same title but I would imagine the two would not be related. Correct?

[@rileymckenzie6276]

asac shrader

[@scott7521]

I was always hoping that this song was about Caribou, Maine..... guess it's not.... haha.

[@euvh8880]

The brilliant light of occidental hope that,the uniform intellect that denies failure....in 2 words....the pixies.the uniform.that enures.......1000000000000]0]0/10..the pixies rawk.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@hevertonvpMrwriters]

Jesus, I always thought the song was a simples ideia of move do the country

[@dervyscram8286]

lol I don't remember 1986 either

[@josephprouse8146]

I’m a devilish human I shall repent for my taking, because I know better

[@jonathangadzini1435]

I tried to dislike the only dislike but it was just another dislike I like this..

[@mcroa313]

Suicide song

[@croatoansounds]

Love caribou, pretty boring video lol