# The Presidents of the United States of America **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 7, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666 "2021-12-07T22:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/1 "2021-12-07T22:02:36Z")
I was just treated to a double shot of The Presidents of the United States of America on the iPod (which is set to Shuffle); [_Old Man On The Back Porch_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmYMTOyG3bw), and [_Peaches_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3rsocMnDM). (Incidentally, I also heard [_Peaches_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuT5KUA7iaY) by The Stranglers before lunch. NB: It’s ‘clitares’, not ‘clitoris’. 😉 ) By now, TPotUSA are an oldies band. When were those songs released? 1995? I must admit my music tastes pretty much stalled after I moved away from L.A. in 2003, but I still enjoy listening to their eponymous album. They’re fun to listen to. What do you think? Do they hold up? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/2 "2021-12-07T22:09:21Z")
They hold up! I just played a bunch of songs back-to-back a few weeks ago. She’s Lump! She’s Lump! She’s Lump! In my head! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/3 "2021-12-07T22:15:49Z")
It’s hard get _[Lump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=digiN84gD_g)_ out of my head! (Also, _[Kitty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRaSXh9-n4)_.) ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/4 "2021-12-07T22:22:27Z")
POT-USA is a great band and their songs totally held up. I probably wouldn’t put them in my top 20 90s bands but they’re probably in the top 50. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/5 "2021-12-07T22:22:30Z")
Great video, I’d never seen that. Based on a link to the right, however, Weird Al had… [“Weird Al” Yankovic - Gump (Parody of “Lump”) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQwWaWFjd0Y) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/6 "2021-12-08T00:22:02Z")
I saw Weird Al perform _Gump_ on something like _New Year’s Rockin’ Eve_. The Presidents of the USA were standing right behind him. They absolutely loved the parody. They were laughing and dancing along. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/7 "2021-12-08T03:23:43Z")
I remember reading in the 90s that they played with some kind of odd, simplified guitars. Wikipedia [claims](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Presidents_of_the_United_States_of_America_(band)#Instruments) that they were actually playing a “basitar” and “guitbass”: > Ballew and Dederer/McKeag play a basitar and guitbass, which are regular, [six-string guitars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-string_guitar) with special modifications: Ballew’s instrument has two bass strings (with which he plays bass parts), and Dederer/McKeag’s instrument has three guitar strings (used to play guitar parts). The original idea came from [Morphine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine_(band)) frontman [Mark Sandman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sandman), with whom Ballew had previously worked. > > Guitars modified in this way use heavy-gauge strings for a heavier sound and are normally tuned in [Drop D](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_D_tuning), though the Presidents play half a step lower in C#. For a basitar, the strings are placed in the D and B positions. Ballew uses a .60 gauge string tuned to C# and a .36 tuned to G#. On a guitbass, the strings are placed in the A, D, and G positions. .54-gauge tuned to C#, .42 to G#, and a .32 gauge tuned to C#. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/8 "2021-12-08T03:29:52Z")
I usually think of their cover of _Video Killed the Radio Star_ whenever I hear their name. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/9 "2021-12-08T04:25:18Z")
I saw the Presidents play in Seattle a few times; 1995 sounds about right. The first time was as the opening act for They Might Be Giants, and that was a great show. They’d just been signed to a major label, and their CD was reissued, but a friend of mine had the original on the local Pop Llama label. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/10 "2021-12-08T04:32:29Z")
Their cover of Ian Hunter’s _Cleveland Rocks_ was used as the opening theme song for the Drew Carey Show for several seasons. Here’s the full-length version of the show opening. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oKDjis1fg8E/maxresdefault.jpg "The Drew Carey Show - Cleveland Rocks (LONG VERSION / Widescreen)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKDjis1fg8E) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/11 "2021-12-08T15:29:45Z")
I was a fan of their dumb pop punk rock. I saw them play on a small stage at a local university and it was a ton of fun. I was such a fan, I pre-ordered their third album and my name is proudly listed in the liner notes. So if you are curious about my real name, you can find it there. 🙂 I still occasionally put in one of their albums and enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/12 "2021-12-08T16:07:11Z")
Adding to this, I have their album _Pure Frosting_, which has a live version of _Lump_. At the end of the song, instead of singing > [@](#): > > Is this lump out of my head? > I think so. they sing the last line from _Gump_. > [@](#): > > And that’s all I have to say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/13 "2021-12-08T22:51:58Z")
Dumb punk or stupid alternative? I love me some Presidents (PsOTUS?). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-presidents-of-the-united-states-of-america/955666/14 "2021-12-08T23:04:02Z")
Lead singer now puts out (quality) kids albums under the name Caspar Babypants. Good stuff, a lot of Beatles covers.