There are, probably, numerous talks between disgruntled bass players and band leaders, when the former is advised to “Just start your own band.” There aren’t many in which the bass player ends up starting a nearly equally beloved group and creates “Cannonball,” one of the most popular rock songs of the ‘90s.
But just why did Kim Deal feel the need to branch out? And what do the lyrics about cannonballs actually mean?
The Breeders’ Road to Making “Cannonball”
Frank Black had all the angst and plenty of the talent in Pixies. But, as history will show, he was far from the only reason why this was fated to be of the greatest alternative bands of all time.
Kim Deal confesses to, initially, just being happy to be part of the band. And, her incredible vocals (usually as backing) and minimalist bass playing contributed greatly to Pixies’s sound.
However, as we later learned, the love was not exactly reciprocated. Deal wasn’t getting much room to contribute songs to Pixies.
After befriending Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses on a late 1980s, tour, the twosome started putting together demos. Record execs at 4AD begged them to build a record around it. And, so The Breeders, slang in the gay community for straight folks, was born.
“Pod” arrived at the perfect time for alt-rock in 1990, and at the worst time for Pixies, a group generally winding down. And, if there was competitiveness in the band, 1993’s platinum-seller, “Last Splash,” didn’t help matters.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Cannonball”
The first thing about “Cannonball,” is that, in my opinion, it could’ve been sung in Swahili. It’s simply one of the catches songs released in the alt-rock era.
While the magic of the distorted three power chords was beginning to wane for most bands, Deal found an entirely new language for it. I’ve never tired of the song.
There are theories, and there’s the truth. And, we’re only going to have access to the former when it comes to the lyrics for “Cannonball.”
The first thing to note is that the tune was called “Grunggae,” on account of the grunge and reggae mix of sounds. The second important thing is that, of course, many, including Deal, noted early on that the song had commercial potential. It’s highly likely that the words are just meant to fit the groove of the song, and that “Cannonball” simply refers to the loud chorus.
But, what if the song was about Deal’s issues with Frank Black and her being frozen out of Pixies. Isn’t that more interesting?
While this is merely a theory, dig, lyrics like “Spitting in a wishing well,” or “I know you, little libertine” seem to fit the situation nicely.
Then again, perhaps, even wilder theories that Deal was celebrating French literature, and that the “little libertine” refers to Le Marquis de Sade, or Jean Genet is true. I think that’s a stretch though.
Music Video
The song’s success was certainly aided by the music video. And that, in itself, was aided by having talented, famous friends. The video was directed by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Spike Jonze, a man responsible for some of the most memorable music promos of the 1990s.
Much of the video is a performance shot inside of a garage, although the parts where Kim and Kelley Deal are goofing off, or the cannonball rolling down the street just add a little playfulness that people appreciated.
The Legacy of The Breeders and of “Cannonball”
The playfulness I mentioned earlier was, actually, what many alt rock fans needed. Pixies were tremendous innovators, and arguably the most influential band of its kind. But, let’s be frank, Frank Black wrote wonderful songs about murder, mutilation and the Catholic Church. Maybe listeners just wanted a slightly less deranged version of that and got The Breeders.
And, while The Breeders aren’t quite as famous and celebrated as Pixies overall, for a while the band that Deal was fronting was the more successful one, believe it or not. “Last Splash” cracked the U.S. Top 40 and ended up selling more than 1 million copies worldwide.
The song’s gotten used in a Nissan commercial, was voted one of the “Greatest Indie Anthems Ever” by NME, and has greatly inspired the likes of Courtney Barnett. Maybe, most remarkably, it earned praise from Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, a certified Pixies fan.
Speaking of Pixies, the success of “Last Splash” may have hastened Frank Black’s desire to end the band and start a solo career.
This should’ve given Kim Deal plenty of more time to achieve even greater things, right? Well, for a while. By 1994, drug use meant that the band was put on ice. The band played sporadically and didn’t release a new album until 2002.
Fortunately, the band still exists and is one of the more respected indie/alt-rock bands ever. “Cannonball” is The Breeders’s shining moment and what a moment it is.
