Sunday Music: Happy Birthday To Me (The Vandals)
December 7, 2025·0 comments·zg
I can’t quite remember the first Vandals song I heard. Part of me thinks it was “Pizza Tran” but another part thinks it was “Let The Bad Times Roll.” Either way, it was probably thanks to a comp like Slam Chops or Go Ahead Punk, or maybe a tape from a friend I’ve since forgotten getting. Either way, by 1996 I definitely had multiple albums, a VHS copy of their Sweatin’ to the Oldies show, and was thoroughly amused.
Pretty much a fan for life. At all the levels. I still quote them to myself pretty constantly. “Hey put that on your… toast” IKYKY.
I liked punk rock bands. I loved the ones who really could play their instruments, despite having the energy of punk, and could be awesome without feeling flashy. And, probably most of all, as an immature teenager, I loved the groups whose sense of humor felt like my kind of immature - not the Blink-182 brand of it, but something that felt less... I don't know, calculating. I don’t want my anarchy signs or my band t-shirts to be available in a Hot Topic, you know?
All of this is background for how, presumably in 1996, I picked what would become my official birthday song. It’s on Live Fast, Diarrhea. You’re probably wondering why that live fast, die young poop joke is higher brow than dude ranch but, I can’t tell you. All I can tell you is that for almost 30 years, on every birthday, I’ve played “Happy Birthday to Me” between 1 and 22 times.
I’m picking 22 because it’s a short song and I’m sure it’s gotten stuck on a loop at least 6 times. The kind where you forget it’s even playing but know you’ve lost count.
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