La Brea Tar Pits
"La Brea Tar Pits" is the twelfth and final track from OK Human.
| "La Brea Tar Pits" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Album track by Weezer | |
| from the album OK Human | |
| Released | January 29, 2021 |
| Recorded | May 2020 |
| Length | 2:50 |
| Label | Crush Music/Atlantic Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Rivers Cuomo |
| Producer(s) | Jake Sinclair |
| Status | Released |
| Live debut | March 21, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA |
| Stream |  Spotify |
| OK Human track listing | |
Appearances
- OK Human (2021)
Overview
The La Brea Tar Pits are a natural landmark and paleontological research site in Los Angeles, where natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years, preserving the bones of trapped animals over the centuries. In the song, Rivers Cuomo likens himself to animals going extinct after falling into tar. "I think it was a metaphor for me feeling like the world has evolved beyond me and I'm going extinct," Cuomo told Upset Magazine, "and no matter what I try to do, I'm just stuck here in this tar."[1] The song's existence was first made known to fans during a Zoom webinar held by Cuomo on May 9, 2020. Cuomo mentioned that he was recording tracks for the song the day prior to the call, noting that the song he covered during that session ("Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana) also used the term "tar pit" in its lyrics.
The track contains a moment where drummer Patrick Wilson puts down his drum sticks to answer his phone mid-song. Cuomo attributed the moment's inclusion on the song to producer Jake Sinclair during an episode of the Broken Record Podcast with Rick Rubin, saying, "...He just stops playing, he picks up the phone, he starts talking, and Jake puts it on the album!"[2] Brian Bell also discussed this moment in an interview with Kyle Meredith of the radio station WFPK, remarking, "That’s so Pat!" and adding, "There’s such a human moment where the phone is controlling us even while we’re working and recording."[3]
"La Brea Tar Pits" has, to date, been performed live once, for the concert film OK Human Live.
Audio
Lyrics
I was tromping the jungles; there was nothin' to find
No mastodon so that I could be the guy that provides
With empty hands, I headed on home
Live long enough you're gonna choke on a bone, hey hey
That's just the way that it goes
Hey hey
That's just the way that it goes
Now I'm sinking in the La Brea Tar Pits
And I don't want to die ‘cause there's still so much to give
I'm sinking, could you give me a lift?
Wanna make an escape, but don't know where to begin
Each time I wriggle I sink a little deeper, aw damn
So let me try to persuade you all to lend me a hand
Good with a spear and settling fights
Do anything for the good of the tribe, hey hey
Could you throw me a rope (Throw me a rope)
Cause I'm sinking in the La Brea Tar Pits
And I don't want to die ‘cause there's still so much to give
I'm sinking, could you give me a lift?
Wanna make an escape, but don't know where to begin
See also
References
- ↑ Eastoe, Dillon, "Weezer: "I'm very anxious right now about what it means to be human": Weezer's surprise new album 'OK Human' sees the band utilise a pretty impressive orchestra to ponder the impact of technology." Upset 29 January 2021. https://www.upsetmagazine.com/features/weezer-interview-feb21
- ↑ Rubin, Rick "Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's New Album and a Nirvana Conspiracy" Broken Record Podcast, 2 February 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5TW0FHEC94
- ↑ "Kyle Meredith with... Weezer." YouTube, uploaded by Kyle Meredith, 12 February 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ-JfPVbxXk%7C