background on cake and "friend is a four letter word" personal meaning
The song I chose is "Friend Is A Four Letter Word" by Cake. The original lineup of this band consisted of vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, guitarist Greg Brown, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, bassist Sean McFessel, and drummer Frank French. McFessel was shortly replaced by Gabe Nelson. They formed in Sacramento, California in 1992. Musical influences include artists from the following genres: funk, hip-hop, country, new wave pop, jazz, and rock. Their lyrics are generally satirical and make references to pop-culture. In 1993, Cake released their debut single, "Rock n' Roll Lifestyle" followed by a self-released album, Motorcade of Generosity. Soon Cake signed a contract with Capricorn label. The idea of national touring and such fame overwhelmed Nelson and French, so they left the band. Bassist Victor Damiani and drummer Todd Roper replaced them. In 1995, college radio caught on to "Rock n' Roll Lifestyle", followed by "Ruby Sees All" and "Jolene".
Cake's second album, Fashion Nugget, charted in the Billboard Top 40 and sold over a million copies. This was thanks to their hit single, "The Distance". A somewhat controversial cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" was later released, though it did not gain much positive feedback. In 1997, Brown and Damiani left the band to pursue their careers in a separate band, Deathray. Continuing as an "alternative-pop" band, Cake released Prolonging The Magic in 1998. This particular album included hit singles such as "Never There", "Sheep Go To Heaven", and "Let Go". Prolonging The Magic, as well as Fashion Nugget, went platinum. In 2001, Cake signed a contract with Columbia records. They released their fourth album, Comfort Eagle, with another single, "Short Skirt/Long Jacket". This song even gained some MTV airplay as it became a hit on alternative rock radio stations. Pete McNeal has since then replaced drummer Todd Roper. Pressure Chief, released in 2004, has not gained the same credit among mainstream charts,...
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