Peaches (The Presidents of the United States of America song) explained

Peaches
Cover:Peaches single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the Presidents of the United States of America
Album:The Presidents of the United States of America
B-Side:
Released:February 27, 1996
Studio:
Genre:
Length:2:51
Label:
Producer:Conrad Uno
Chronology:The Presidents of the United States of America
Prev Title:Lump
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:Ça Plane Pour Moi
Next Year:1996

"Peaches" is a song by American alternative rock band the Presidents of the United States of America. It was included on their self-titled debut album and released as a single in February 1996. The track was produced by American producer Conrad Uno. The band members have acknowledged that "Peaches" borrows riffs from Bad Company's 1975 song "Feel Like Makin' Love".[6]

The song was released worldwide as the third single from The Presidents of the United States of America. It peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Worldwide, the song reached number one in Iceland and the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It received a gold certification in Australia for shipments of over 35,000 units. In 1996, "Peaches" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[7]

Composition

Despite speculation that the lyrics contain innuendo,[8] [9] in an interview with American Songwriter magazine, the lead singer of Presidents of the United States of America, Chris Ballew, explained that the song was inspired by two separate incidents: The first, which took place in Boston, involved Ballew taking LSD and going to the house of a woman he was attracted to. After knocking on her door and not receiving an answer, Ballew decided to wait for her underneath a nearby peach tree. According to Ballew, "There were peaches that had fallen, that were in various stages of decay. And ... I just started ... squeezing the peaches and mixing it with my desire for the girl and the desire for the peaches".[10]

The second incident occurred later when Ballew had moved back to Seattle. While waiting for a bus, he overheard a homeless man repeatedly mutter under his breath, "I'm moving to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches." The phrase originally appeared in the 1971 song "Spanish Pipedream" by acclaimed American singer-songwriter John Prine, the chorus of which is:

"Blow up your TV

Throw away your paper

Go to the country

Build you a home

Plant a little garden

Eat a lot of peaches

Try an' find Jesus on your own."[11]

The phrase stuck with Ballew, and after connecting it to his experience in Boston, he began to develop the lyrics for what would become "Peaches".[10]

Ballew said he was emulating Nirvana in the verses by trying to sound "gnarly and growly".[12]

Music video

The music video features the band performing the song in an orchard filled with trees growing cans of peaches. A crate of the whole fruits rests on the ground between them, and the word "peaches" is written on the top of Ballew's head. During the song's instrumental break, the band is attacked by a group of ninjas attempting to capture them. They fight the ninjas for the remainder of the video and eventually defeat them.

For years, the video was only available in low quality online. On February 28, 2023, the video was remastered in HD and uploaded to YouTube.

Formats and track listings

US 7-inch single[13]

A. "Peaches"

B. "Video Killed the Radio Star"

US maxi-CD single[14]

  1. "Peaches" – 2:49
  2. "Candy Cigarette" – 2:00
  3. "Carolyn's Bootie" – 2:15
  4. "Confusion" – 2:45
  5. "Wake Up" – 2:37

US cassette single[15]

A. "Peaches" – 2:49

B. "Candy Cigarette" – 2:00UK CD single[16]

  1. "Peaches" – 2:49
  2. "Feather Pluckn" (live) – 3:17
  3. "Boll Weevil" (live) – 3:14
  4. "Dune Buggy" (live) – 2:43

UK 7-inch picture disc single[17]

A. "Peaches" – 2:49

B. "Confusion" – 2:43

Australian CD single[18]

  1. "Peaches" – 2:49
  2. "Wake Up" – 2:40
  3. "Monkey River" – 4:05

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[19] 37
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[20] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 29
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[22] 24
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)8
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[23] 23

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Australia (ARIA)[24] 58
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[25] 16
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[26] 14
US Modern Rock (Billboard)[27] 66

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Presidents of the United States of America: Peaches. Feinberg. Ashley. October 8, 2013. Gizmodo. February 23, 2020.
  2. Web site: Ygelsias . Matthew . The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist . The Atlantic. 21 May 2007 .
  3. Web site: Ludo is fired up and ready to play on the national stage. McLaughlin. Kathleen. February 20, 2008. Riverfront Times. February 23, 2020.
  4. Web site: The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America Songs, Reviews, Credits. Loftus. Johnny. AllMusic. February 23, 2020.
  5. Web site: Elbel . Jeff . The Presidents of the United States of America: Dischord (Issue 12) . January 22, 2022 . Paste. 30 June 2008 .
  6. News: Strauss. Neil. Simplicity and Also Crunch. The New York Times. November 21, 1995. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150526144804/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/21/arts/pop-review-simplicity-and-also-crunch.html. May 26, 2015.
  7. "ALBUMS, SOUNDTRACKS: PRESIDENTS ON THE RECORD", The Seattle Times, January 30, 1998.
  8. Web site: ’Til the juice runs down my leg: 23 songs that use fruit for sexual metaphor . The A.V. Club . 25 April 2023.
  9. Web site: Stiernberg . Bonnie . An Ode to the Peach, Music's Favorite Fruit-Based Innuendo . 25 April 2023.
  10. Web site: Uitti . Jacob . Behind The Song: PUSA's Chris Ballew Talks 'Peaches,' Madonna and Disorientation . . September 3, 2022 . August 22, 2021.
  11. https://genius.com/John-prine-spanish-pipedream-lyrics
  12. Web site: Presidents of the United States of America Founder Chris Ballew : Songwriter Interviews . Wiser. Carl. Songfacts. January 4, 2022 . January 4, 2022.
  13. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. The Presidents of the United States of America (band). 1995. US 7-inch single sleeve. Dry Hump Recordings. DH018.
  14. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. 1996. US maxi-CD liner notes. Columbia Records. 44K 78255.
  15. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. 1996. US cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 38T 78254.
  16. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. 1996. UK CD single liner notes. Columbia Records, PopLlama Records. 663107 2.
  17. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. 1996. UK 7-inch picture disc. Columbia Records. 663107 7.
  18. Peaches. The Presidents of the United States of America. 1995. Australian CD single liner notes. Columbia Records. 662767 2.
  19. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 17. 13. April 27, 1996. August 3, 2020.
  20. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (9.3. – 15.3. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 50. March 9, 1996. October 2, 2019.
  21. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. 108. 15. 100. April 13, 1996. May 16, 2021.
  22. Album Rock Tracks / Modern Rock Tracks. Billboard. 108. 11. 103. March 16, 1996. May 16, 2021.
  23. The Presidents of the United States of America Chart History (Pop Songs). Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20190812195848/https://www.billboard.com/music/The-Presidents-of-the-United-States-of-America/chart-history/pop-songs. August 12, 2019. May 16, 2021.
  24. Web site: The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996. ARIA. Imgur. https://web.archive.org/web/20151102010347/http://i.imgur.com/t1PYbhG.jpg. November 2, 2015. August 13, 2019.
  25. RPM Year End Alternative Top 50. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 13, 2019.
  26. News: Árslistinn 1996. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 25. January 2, 1997. May 30, 2020.
  27. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 24. December 27, 1996. December 25, 2023.