We're A Happy Family
"We're A Happy Family" is a song written and recorded by American punk rock band the Ramones in 1977 for their third studio album Rocket to Russia. It is a satirical portrait of a dysfunctional 20th-century American family.
A short cover of the song (with elements of "Bali Ha'i" from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific) was recorded by The Residents in October 1980, as a contribution to Morgan Fisher's various artists compilation Miniatures, under the name "We're A Happy Family / Bali Ha'i".
A slightly longer edit of the track has since been featured on expanded CD reissues of The Residents' Commercial Album, beginning with the 1988 "Classic Series" edition, and most recently on the pREServed CD edition of the album. An alternate "RDX" mix of the song was released in 2021 on the limited edition vinyl release Leftovers Again?!.
History
In 1980, Morgan Fisher started to send invitations to several artists to contribute to his latest project, a compilation album called Miniatures. This would feature several songs with a length limit of exactly 60 seconds. One of the bands invited by Fisher were The Residents, who curiously, were in the middle of developing a similar project: Commercial Album, which also featured a collection of 1-minute-long songs.
The Residents contributed to Fisher's anthology, submitting a cover of the Ramones' song "We're A Happy Family". The finished cover lasted more than a minute, so its intro was cut down and the song was sped up to meet the 60 seconds mark.
The original mix of the song was included as a "bonus baby" on the 1988 "Classic Series" CD reissue of Commercial Album. This version of "We're A Happy Family" is at normal speed, and has the intro restored, clocking at 1 minute and 10 seconds. The pREServed CD edition of Commercial Album also included this version.
Name confusion
When it was first released on Miniatures, the song was called "We're A Happy Family / Bali Ha'i", indicating that the track is not only a cover of the Ramones song, but also a take on "Bali Ha'i", a showtune from the 1949 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical South Pacific. The liner notes of the compilation describe the track as a medley: "a Ramones song followed by a delightful hit from South Pacific".
While later reissues of Miniatures maintained the track's original title and status as a medley, this has never been referenced in any release by The Residents, who have titled it simply "We're A Happy Family" and credited only the Ramones as the writers of the song when it has been included on reissues of Commercial Album.
Lyrics
The Ramones version (1977)
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
Sitting here in Queens Eating re-fried beans We're in all the magazines Gulpin' down Thorazines We ain't got no friends Our troubles never end No Christmas cards to send Daddy likes men
Daddy's telling lies Baby's eating flies Mommy's on pills Baby's got the chills I'm friends with the president I'm friends with the pope We're all making a fortune Selling Daddy's dope
Sitting here in Queens Eating re-fried beans We're in all the magazines Gulpin' down Thorazines We ain't got no friends Our troubles never end No Christmas cards to send Daddy likes men
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
The Residents version (1980)
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
We're a happy family We're a happy family We're a happy family Me, Mom and Daddy
List of releases
- Miniatures (A Sequence Of Fifty-One Tiny Masterpieces Edited By Morgan Fisher) (1980) [Version 1]
- Commercial Album Classic Series CD edition (1988) [Version 2]
- Commercial Album pREServed CD edition (2019) [Version 2]
- Leftovers Again?! (2021) [Version 3]
List of versions
- ↑ Grove Street studio recording, October 17th - 18th 1979 (Miniatures edit, 1:00)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grove Street studio recording, October 17th - 18th 1979 (1:10)
- ↑ Grove Street studio recording, October 17th - 18th 1979 (RDX mix, 1:08)
Liner notes
Leftovers Again?! (2021)
During the late 70's, The Residents were invited to record a one minute piece as part of Morgan Fisher's legendary Miniatures project. The group was busy at the time, and would most likely have declined the offer. had it not been for the spooky coincidence that they themselves were also working on several one minute songs. Too weird a moment to let pass them by, the group immediately recorded their take on this Ramones classic. Sitting either side of this recording on the tapes, 'Birds In The Trees' and 'Margaret Freeman' are dated October 17th and 18th of 1979 respectively. so presumably 'We're a Happy Family' was also laid down on one of those dates.
See also
Listen online
External links and references
- "We're a Happy Family" by the Ramones at Genius
- The Residents at Miniatures The Blog
- Commercial Album pREServed CD edition at Discogs
