Been Gi

"Been Gi"
Cover of The Yeastmaster cassette tape
Demo by Rivers Cuomo
Album	Alone V: Before Weezer
Released	November 22, 2020
Recorded	Summer 1991
Length	2:08
Writer(s)	Rivers Cuomo
RC#	80
Status	Demo circulating
Live debut	November 29, 1991 in Petaluma, CA
Last played	July 18, 1992 in Los Angeles, CA
Rivers Cuomo song chronology
"The Pppp And The Bppp" (RC# 79) "Ben Gay" (RC# 80) "Drugs" (RC# 81)

"Been Gi" (pronounced like "Ben Gay" and sometimes rendered as such, also known as "Somebody Told Me Ben Gay Doesn't Work") is a song written by Rivers Cuomo and performed by 60 Wrong Sausages in 1991. The song was performed by Weezer on one occasion in 1992.

Appearances

• Alone V: Before Weezer (2020)

Overview

The song was first demoed to 8-track by Cuomo for the band 60 Wrong Sausages on July 6, 1991 under the title "Somebody Told Me Ben Gay Doesn't Work". Cuomo named the song for his friend and Kyokushin classmate Takashi Hasegawa, who once mistakenly believed that Bengay (the analgesic heat rub) was meant for use on bruises. The title is meant as a triple entendre: Bengay, the product; the facetious statement "been gay;" and gi, a uniform used in Japanese martial arts.

The song, described as "utterly hilarious and catchy" by Karl Koch, was recorded as a band throughout September and October for the band's Cholesterol EP, while practicing the song throughout October and November. 60 Wrong Sausages dissolved shortly thereafter after a single concert around Thanksgiving Day. "Been Gi" was later performed by Weezer at an acoustic concert at the 8121 Club in Los Angeles on July 18, 1992 with Pat Finn (previously of 60 Wrong Sausages) appearing as a guest bassist and back-up vocalist.

The song was included on Cuomo's 1992 demo tape Yeastmaster Pt. 1, and first released to fans on the digital demo compilation Alone V: Before Weezer in 2020.

Known recordings

about this table

Performer(s)	Title	Filename	Date of recording	Recording location	Length	Appeared on	Notes
Rivers Cuomo	Ben Gay	15 Ben Gay.mp3	July 6, 1991		2:08	Alone V: Before Weezer
60 Wrong Sausages	Been Gi		September—October 1991	2914 Urban Ave., Santa Monica, CA			Recorded for Cholesterol EP
60 Wrong Sausages	Been Gi		October 20, 1991				Practice #1
60 Wrong Sausages	Been Gi		October 20, 1991				Practice #1
60 Wrong Sausages	Been Gi		October 28, 1991				Practice #3
60 Wrong Sausages	Been Gi		October 28, 1991				Practice #3, take 2
Weezer	Been Gi		July 17, 1992	8121 Club, West Hollywood, CA			Live performance, bootlegged by Karl Koch

Lyrics

The lyrics for this song are incomplete or missing. Can you help us fill them in? If so, we encourage you to make a move!

Even if you're walking on tiptoes in Burbank
Telly Savales will find you and hurt you;
Oftentimes pernicious, delicious
The German eating chickens are rubbing their legs so
Exercise your right of caution, exhaustion
??? control ???
??? delightful ???
Each of us ???

You have the right to your ???
Oh (woo-hoo)
You have the right to your ???
No way
Yeah

Somebody told me that Ben Gay doesn't work
??? entomology doesn't really hurt
If you know where the ???
??? on the ???

You have the right to your ???
You have the right to your ???
Yeah

Karl's Corner verse

An additional stanza of lyrics - presumably from another version of the song - was hidden in the alt text of the Karl's Corner logo on Weezer.com. This was in the earliest months of the website's existence.

Even if you're walking on tiptoe, through Burbank,
Telly Savales will find you and hurt you; Often times
pugnatious, elacious bon appetit; prenupual agreements
arguements, mistake-mints.

See also

• List of Rivers Cuomo songs
• Alone V: Before Weezer