Little Girls (Oingo Boingo song)

Last updated
"Little Girls"
Single by Oingo Boingo
from the album Only a Lad
B-side "On the Outside"
Released1981
Genre
Length3:43 [1]
Label
Songwriter(s) Danny Elfman
Producer(s)

"Little Girls" is a song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo and the opening track of their debut studio album Only a Lad . [1] It was released as a single in Australia.

Contents

Background

"Little Girls" was written by Danny Elfman after reading an article in a newspaper. [2] The song was written as a satire and has a strong punk influence, as well as a horn arrangement. When asked about the song's darkly humorous lyrics in 2010, Elfman replied:

What made me write it? At that point I was just grabbing onto things that popped up in my head and taking characters and singing from their point of view. ... So it didn't necessarily reflect me...but it was just fun and I knew it was irreverent. I was out to offend everybody. [3]

Elfman would reiterate this view in 2014, claiming that the song was an "in-your-face facetious jab." [2] [3] Elfman has occasionally offered other explanations; in a 1985 concert he jokingly suggested that the song was about how his girlfriend was so "very, very little" that "she fits in the palm of [his] hand." [4] [ better source needed ]

"Little Girls" was described by Creative Loafing Tampa as one of the standout tracks of Only a Lad. [5]

Music video

The music video, directed by Elfman's brother Richard, depicts Elfman in an empty house dancing with girls and people with dwarfism, followed by on-lookers (portrayed by other members of Oingo Boingo) staring vacantly as he walks down a street with an apparent underage girl. The video features set pieces strongly reminiscent of German expressionist filmmaking, such as that seen in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).[ citation needed ] It was originally banned in Canada [6] and was later named "the creepiest music video of all time" by The Independent . [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Elfman</span> American composer (born 1953)

Daniel Robert Elfman is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores, as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oingo Boingo</span> American new wave band

Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band formed by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979. The band emerged from a surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, that Elfman had led and written material for in the years previous. Their highest-charting song, "Weird Science", reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo was an American surrealist street theatre troupe, formed by performer and director Richard Elfman in 1972. The group was led by Richard until 1976, when his brother Danny Elfman took over. The group evolved into an experimental musical theatre group, performing songs from the 1930s-40s and original material.

<i>Only a Lad</i> 1981 studio album by Oingo Boingo

Only a Lad is the debut studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1981 by A&M Records, following their self-titled EP.

<i>Dead Bands Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo</i> 2005 compilation album by Various artists

Dead Bands Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo is a tribute album by various artists to the band Oingo Boingo.

<i>Oingo Boingo</i> (EP) 1980 EP by Oingo Boingo

Oingo Boingo is the debut EP by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1980 by I.R.S. Records.

<i>Nothing to Fear</i> (Oingo Boingo album) 1982 studio album by Oingo Boingo

Nothing to Fear is the second studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1982 by A&M Records.

<i>So-Lo</i> 1984 studio album by Danny Elfman

So-Lo is the debut studio album by American musician Danny Elfman, released in 1984 by MCA Records. Recorded primarily by Elfman, but also featuring the members of his band, Oingo Boingo, it was recorded when Elfman was offered a solo contract with MCA after the band had been dropped from I.R.S. Records. The album marked the band's last release to feature bassist Kerry Hatch and keyboardist Richard Gibbs.

<i>Good for Your Soul</i> 1983 studio album by Oingo Boingo

Good for Your Soul is the third studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1983 by A&M Records. It was produced by Robert Margouleff and was the band's last album to be released on A&M Records.

<i>Boingo</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Oingo Boingo

Boingo is the eighth and final studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo. It was the band's only album recorded for the label Giant Records. With Boingo, the band's sound changed to a guitar-driven rock style, with Danny Elfman having released the keyboard and horn players after the first recording attempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Elfman</span> American film director (born 1949)

Richard Elfman is an American actor, musician, director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author and magazine publisher.

<i>Skeletons in the Closet</i> (Oingo Boingo album) 1989 greatest hits album by Oingo Boingo

The Best of Oingo Boingo: Skeletons in the Closet is a compilation of songs by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1989 by A&M Records. It features songs recorded during the band's tenure with I.R.S. Records/A&M Records, culled from the albums Only a Lad (1981), Nothing to Fear (1982) and Good for Your Soul (1983).

<i>Forbidden Zone</i> (soundtrack) 1983 soundtrack album by The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo

Forbidden Zone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Forbidden Zone, the 1982 cult film directed by Richard Elfman, with music by his brother Danny Elfman and performed by The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weird Science (song)</span> 1985 single by Oingo Boingo

"Weird Science" is a song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo. Written by frontman Danny Elfman, it is the theme song to the Weird Science film and television series. It was released on the film's soundtrack, as well as Oingo Boingo's fifth studio album, Dead Man's Party (1985), in a longer mix. The song reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and No. 81 in Canada. It is Oingo Boingo's most successful single.

<i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i> (soundtrack) 1993 soundtrack album by Danny Elfman

The Nightmare Before Christmas is the fifteenth soundtrack album by American composer Danny Elfman. It was released on October 12, 1993, by Walt Disney Records to promote the 1993 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Composed by Danny Elfman, the soundtrack was nominated for the 1993 Golden Globe for Best Original Score. The album peaked at #64 on the US Billboard 200.

The discography of Oingo Boingo, an American new wave band, consists of eight studio albums, two live albums, five compilation albums, two extended plays, one soundtrack, seventeen singles, ten music videos, and a list of soundtrack appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dead Man's Party (song)</span> 1986 single by Oingo Boingo

"Dead Man's Party" is a song by American band Oingo Boingo, released as the third single from their album of the same name.

Select commercially released recordings of Danny Elfman's music for film, television, stage and the concert hall. For a full list of Elfman's compositions, see List of compositions by Danny Elfman. For Elfman's recordings as lead singer/songwriter for Oingo Boingo, see the Oingo Boingo discography page.

<i>Big Mess</i> (Danny Elfman album) 2021 studio album by Danny Elfman

Big Mess is the second solo studio album by American singer, musician, and composer Danny Elfman. It was released by Anti- and Epitaph Records on June 11, 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 "Only a Lad - Oingo Boingo". AllMusic . Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 O'Neal, Sean (October 27, 2014). "Danny Elfman on Oingo Boingo, film scores, and the Beatles almost ruining Batman". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Hooton, Christopher (November 1, 2016). "What was the deal with Oingo Boingo's 'Little Girls', still the creepiest music video of all time?". The Independent . Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  4. "Boingo at The Palace-Little Girls". Despina838. July 22, 2009 via YouTube.
  5. Echazabal, Gabe (June 19, 2017). "Today in rock history; Oingo Boingo and its "Little Girls," Ann Wilson is born, plus Carole King and the Four Tops storm the charts". Creative Loafing Tampa . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  6. Demos, John (June 29, 1990). "Johnny 'Vatos' Hernandez talks about Oingo Boingo". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal . p. 14. Retrieved April 9, 2019.