| "Bang the Drum All Day" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. release | ||||
| Single byTodd Rundgren | ||||
| from the albumThe Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | April 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 at Utopia Sound Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Bearsville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Producer(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
| Todd Rundgren singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Bang the Drum All Day" is a 1983 song fromTodd Rundgren's 1982 albumThe Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect, released as a single in April 1983. The lyrics describe, in thefirst person, the narrator's drive to play drums or improvised percussion to the exclusion of other activities such as work, play or education. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren.
Rundgren would re-record the song live for subscribers to his PatroNet service. The new version was retitled "Bang on the Ukulele Daily", referring to Rundgren's decision to perform it in aHawaiian style, accompanied only by aukulele. "Bang on the Ukulele Daily" was included on his albumOne Long Year.
The song has become popular as ananti-workanthem or anthem of celebration.[citation needed]
The song is played inLambeau Field after theGreen Bay Packers score atouchdown.[2] A tradition that officially started in 1995, the song has become an iconic part of the Packers fan experience and is an unofficialWisconsin celebratory anthem.[3]
Other sports teams have followed suit. It was similarly used by theCincinnati Bengals in the early 2000s and brought back in 2017 as well as by theIndianapolis Colts until being replaced byThe Black Keys' "Gold on the Ceiling". TheSt. Louis Rams also used the song as touchdown celebration music during home games played at theTWA Dome during theirSuper Bowl-winning 1999 season. In addition to being a touchdown song, the song was used as the goal song for theEdmonton Road Runners during the2004-05 AHL season whenever they scored a goal at home inRexall Place.[4][5] The song currently used as the goal song for theKansas City Mavericks of theEast Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
The song is used bytalk radio hostJim Quinn as his unionheads-up theme.Boston talk hostHowie Carr also plays a snippet to poke fun at theOccupy Wall Street movement.
The song is referenced in thevideo gameThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind by a merchant named Creeper, who says, "Don't want to work. Just want to bang on my drum. What's a scamp gotta do?"
The song was featured in a 1997 commercial forEricsson entitled "Phone Boss Vacation", where a bunch of workers are shown dancing to the song. They quickly turn it off when a woman answers a phone call from the boss, who is on vacation.[citation needed]
The song is featured in the trailer of the 1998DreamWorks animated movieAntz, inThe Prince of Egypt 1999VHS opening, and theShrek 2001 VHS opening.
The song was featured in the trailer and TV spot of the 2008 family movieNim's Island.
The song is featured on the radio showThe Morning Drive onSirius XM NASCAR Radio, a morning talk show hosted by Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone. The song is used on Friday mornings to celebrate the upcoming weekend. For many years,classic hits stationWKLH inMilwaukee played it every Friday at 5 p.m. to signal the end of thework week.WXLP inMoline, Illinois, plays the song every Friday as well, during the Dwyer and Michael's morning show as well asWHTZ inNew York City every Friday during theZ Morning Zoo.
The song is referenced by Michael Scott inThe Office episode "The Fight". The lyrics are changed to "I don't want to work, I just wanna bang on this mug all day".[6][7]
The song was also featured in commercials forCarnival Cruise Line, which paid Rundgren "ridiculous money to use it".[8]
It features in the episode "Undercover Burns" ofThe Simpsons.
OnMagnum P.I., the song is the ringtone Juliet Higgins has assigned to Thomas Magnum.
This song has also become the Friday final segment intro song forThe Dan Patrick Show.
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | UK Singles Chart[9] | 86 |
| 1983 | USBillboardPop Singles[10] | 63 |
| 1983 | USBillboardMainstream Rock[10] | 39 |