Bender

"Bender"
Demo by Rivers Cuomo
Album	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Released	October 18, 2021
Recorded	2016-2017
Writer(s)	Rivers Cuomo
Status	Released

"Bender" is a song written by Rivers Cuomo and demoed by Weezer in contention for the band's 2017 album, Pacific Daydream. Demos of the song were released in 2021 as part of the digital demo compilation Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years.

Appearances

• Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years (2021)

Overview

"Bender" is first known to have been demoed in 2016 or 2017 for the project that would eventually become Pacific Daydream (itself a divergence from the band's planned eventual Black Album). The song remained in consideration for subsequent albums after the release of Pacific Daydream. Regarding the song's consideration for Black, Cuomo mentioned on his official Discord server that Black Album producer Dave Sitek "wasn't a fan." The song is known to have been in consideration for the 2022 EPs SZNZ: Summer and SZNZ: Winter.

Several demos for "Bender" were released on the digital compilation Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years on October 18, 2021. One demo, possibly a full-band pre-production demo (based on the filename), was among the demos initially included before being quickly removed.

Lyrics

C'mon, c'mon

Welcome to Happiness Lane
Don't just assume it's okay
Where the fuck you been all day?
What's in the back of that little-kid mind of yours?
What do you want me to do?
You have more rules than the fuckin' army

Dreamhouse, quiet as a mouse
Dreamhouse, quiet as a mouse
Kick me, what is wrong with me?
Kiss me, what is wrong with me?

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a
Bender, la da da la da da
Bender

C'mon, c'mon

Meet me in front of the pint
Casting my pearls before swine
Mama, you ain't gonna die
Why do we fight all the time like mafia?
I need to be understood
Up to the top of the very last drop

Dreamhouse, quiet as a mouse
Dreamhouse, quiet as a mouse
Kick me, what is wrong with me?
Kiss me, what is wrong with me?

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a
Bender, la da da la da da
Bender

Come to my sick bed, baby, sing me a song
This is our last chance, honey, tell me what you want
Remember the white picket fence in front of the house
Put on your old pajamas, tell me what you want

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a
Bender, la da da la da da
Bender

Ohh

I can't remember who I am
But I'm sure that I can fly
From the top of this skyscraper
I'm on the way to paradise
I can sleep the day I die
Sun and moon and tree vibrations

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
We went on a bender
We went on a

We slid across a sea of whipped cream
As we split open our minds
And they took us to the hospital
Things seem much better than they are
'Til you wake up the next day
Twenty stitches and a headache

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
We went on a bender
We went on a

We ate our breakfasts for lunch
You and me knew how to have fun
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, through the summer memories
We sat and drank with the sun
You and me knew how to have fun
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, through the summer memories

One night in December we went on a bender
Why won't you surrender? I can still remember
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
We went on a bender
We went on a

 
Suddenly we can't remember who we are
We spend our days and nights out counting shooting stars
Happy we can see it where we are

We go down down down down

One night in December we went on a bender
I can still remember, why won't you surrender?
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday ay hey hey hey
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday ay hey hey

Just relax your body let your soul unwind
You and me are on the way to paradise
We can take it easy on the day we die

We go down down down down

One night in December we went on a bender
I can still remember, why won't you surrender?
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday ay hey hey
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday

Smoking drugs
Doing crack
Smoking drugs
Doing crack
Bowling shoes
Cheeto pants
Smoking drugs

One night in December we went on a bender
I can still remember, why won't you surrender?
West coast does it better, set a new world record
I can still remember: we went, we went on a bender
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday ay hey hey hey
Oh I'll swallow poison on Sunday
Sunday ay hey hey hey

Known recordings

about this table

Performer(s)	Title	Filename	Date of recording	Recording location	Length	Appeared on	Notes
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   1 @79.mp3	2016–2017		3:08	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   2 @79.mp3.mp3	2016–2017		3:08	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   3 Dream House @86.mp3	2016–2017		2:19	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   4 Dream House edit @86.mp3	2016–2017		2:25	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   5 more melody @86 @79.mp3	2016–2017		2:44	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   6 pre extension @86 @79.mp3	2016–2017		3:44	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   8 tell me what you want bridge @86.mp3	2016–2017		3:41	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   9 tweaks.guitar.chorusvox @86 to 81.mp3	2016–2017		3:40	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on November 2, 2021
Weezer(?)	Bender	Bender_10_weezer_pre_pro_86.mp3	2016–2017		3:31	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Removed from Alone XIII bundle on October 18, 2021
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   15 summer memories  @79 -1.mp3	2016–2017		3:38	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   16 refined  @79 -1.mp3	2016–2017		3:32	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   17 drop  @79 -1.mp3	2016–2017		3:38	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   18 verse lyrics  @80 -1.mp3	2016–2017		3:42	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   19 tweaks  @80 -1.mp3	2016–2018		3:42	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   21 piano verse  @95 +1.mp3	2016–2018		3:17	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   22 beat  @92 +1.mp3	2016–2018		3:23	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   23 rap pre  @95 +1.mp3	2016–2018		3:21	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years
Rivers Cuomo	Bender		2016–2018				Ver. 24
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   25 @92 +3.mp3	2016–2018		3:13	Alone XIII: The Pacific Daydream Black Years	Considered for SZNZ: Summer. Interpolates "I See Colors" and "Smokin' Crack"
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender_post_2018_5_30_10_39_44.mp3	May 30, 2018
Rivers Cuomo	Bender	Bender   29 no drums @92…

See also

• List of Rivers Cuomo songs