"Corona" is a

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

by American punk rock band Minutemen. It was included as the seventh song on the second side of their third studio album ''

Double Nickels on the Dime ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the California independent record label SST Records in 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' combines elements of p ...

'' (1984). The song was composed by lead singer and guitarist D. Boon and produced by Ethan James. Its

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post– World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Do ...

composition harbors elements of neo-norteño and polka. The song derives its title from a brand of Mexican beer of the same name. Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino-inspired protest song with politically-charged lines. The song later became famous as the main theme song for the MTV reality stunt show '' Jackass''.

Background

Named after the brand of Mexican beer, "Corona" is a

. The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley) had taken to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

on the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

, 1982. (The same trip also inspired Watt's composition "I Felt Like a Gringo" on '' Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat''.) Moved by his witnessing of some of the more downtrodden elements of the area, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the Mexican people.

Recording

Towards the end of their career, Minutemen started to branch out musically with their songs. In contrast to atypical

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

tempos, the band experiments with neo-norteña sounds built on polka rhythms for "Corona." Drawing from

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...

alongside more eclectic musical influences, their music is an interaction between Hurley's virtuosic drumming, Boon's trebly electric guitar, and Watt's busy bassline. Regarding their songwriting, Watt claimed, "We don't write songs, we write rivers."

Composition

"Corona" is an uptempo hardcore punk and neo-norteña song that runs for a duration of two minutes and twenty-five seconds. It features driving guitar riffs, a burly yet funky bassline, and frantic drumbeats. The song opens with an

introduction Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...

, where a twanging guitar riff is played. Its

arrangement contains no choruses, and is instead composed of fifty-three words structured into three stanzas. Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino

and an elegiac complaint regarding the injustice and destructive greed of the United States. Lead singer-guitarist D Boon closes by singing about a bottle of

Corona beer Corona is a brand of beer produced by Mexican brewery Cervecería Modelo and owned by Belgian company AB InBev. It is the top-selling brand of imported beer in the United States. It is often served with a wedge of lime or lemon in the neck of ...

. The bottle is intended for a poor woman on a beach in Mexico, due to its five-cent deposit.

Critical reception

In his review of their album, Juan Gutierrez from '' LA Weekly'' wrote, "Minutemen's song 'Corona' finally broke big due to '' Jackass'', but it was D. Boon's political lyrics, driving guitar riffs, and George Hurley's frantic drumming that make ''Double Nickels on the Dime'' hardcore perfection. '' Billboards Michael Azerrad's described the song as an "ocean of scrabbling

avant-funk Avant-funk (also called mutant disco in the early 1980s) is a music style in which artists combine funk and disco rhythms with an avant-garde or art rock mentality. Its most prominent era occurred in the late 1970s and 1980s among post-punk and ...

, Norteño two-step."

Commercial performance

In March 2020, "Corona" was among countless previously released songs with titles and lyrical themes about the world ending or human survival, prompting an increase in sales and streaming. This increase occurred as populations adjusted to life in

self-quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the Freedom of movement, movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or Pest (organism), pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing th ...

during the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gains "Corona" experienced included a 70% rise in digital song sales and a 26% increase in total on-demand U.S. streams to 63,000. The following week, "Corona" rose 95% in U.S. streams to 122,000 for the tracking week ending March 19. Additionally, the song also re-entered LyricFind's U.S. ranking at number 9 for the tracking week running March 9–15. The chart ranks fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages in the United States and globally as provided by LyricFind.

Legacy

In the 2000s, "Corona" became world-famous as the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

of the MTV reality television series '' Jackass''. The song was immortalized on the stunt show, which used its trademark opening guitar riff. In the series, stuntmen subject themselves to life-threatening tests of courage and self-harm. Watt said the royalty money that the band received from the song's use in ''Jackass'' was used to aid Boon's father, who was ill with emphysema. Canadian singer-songwriter

Ford Pier Ford Pier (born 1970) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father is a professor of music. In addition to his solo albums, he has been a member of Jr. Gone Wild and D.O.A. as well as Roots Roundup. He has ...

claimed the songwriting approach for "Great Western" from his debut studio album ''Meconium'' was inspired by "Corona." He stated, "I had a desire to try to write a song in that style favoured by your

journeyman A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...

singer-songwriters of pseudo-literary inclination where an ancillary detail or object within the narrative is selected to be the symbolic fulcrum of the whole thing. ... 'Corona' by the Minutemen would have been a touchstone in this approach."

Cover versions

Arizona

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

band

Calexico Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Diego ...

performed a cover of "Corona" during a concert at

Newport Folk Festival Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...

in Newport, Rhode Island; their cover version was included on the playlist "COVID Quarantine Dance Party" by musician Lo Bradley. "Corona" was among many popular songs found in most

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

-themed playlists.

References

{{authority control Minutemen (band) songs 1984 songs Comedy television theme songs Songs written for films Songs about alcohol Jackass (TV series)