"Alapaap" () is a song by the Philippine alternative rock band

Eraserheads Eraserheads (sometimes stylized as ƎRASERHEADS or ƎRASƎRHƎADS) are a Filipino rock band formed in Quezon City in 1989. The band consists of lead singer and primary songwriter Ely Buendia, guitarist Marcus Adoro, bassist Buddy Zabala, and dr ...

from their second album ''

Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

'' (1994).

Music and lyrics

Along with other Philippine rock songs at the time such as "Iskolar ng Bayan" by

Yano Yano is a Filipino folk/punk rock band formed in 1993. The band members were originally composed of Dong Abay on vocals and Eric Gancio on guitar. Onie Badiang later joined them to play bass. Nowie Favila was the usual drummer but declined to ...

and "Laklak" by

Teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

, "Alapaap" became a subject of controversy due to its suggestive lyrics, which Senator

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto, III (; born August 24, 1948), is a Filipino politician and television personality who is a Senate of the Philippines, senator-elect of the Philippines. He is the longest-serving senator in the history of the upper chamb ...

saw as promoting drug use. Sotto, who was a member of the Citizens' Drug Watch, called for the song to be banned from radio in August 1995. The band responded with a letter to the senator stating that it was a misinterpretation and that the song was their "ode to freedom", not drug abuse. "That is freedom of expression," stated writer

Ely Buendia Ely Eleandre Basiño Buendia (born November 2, 1970) is a Filipino musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Eraserheads, with whom he has released seven albums since their founding in 1 ...

. "''Gusto ko lang kumawala sa problema sa mundo, gusto ko lang lumaya'' (I just wanted to get out of the world's problems, I wanted to be free)." They also personally met with the senator, vowing to join the Junior DrugWatch for an anti-drug campaign. In a 2012 ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'' article, Buendia confirmed that the song did allude to drug use but at the same time maintained that it can also be interpreted otherwise. He also acknowledged its similarity to the Pale Fountains song "Reach". The opening melody of the song was later sampled by

Francis M. Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He is regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop. Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Magalo ...

for his song "Whole Lotta Lovin'" from the 1998 album '' The Oddventures of Mr. Cool''.

Covers

6cyclemind 6cyclemind (sometimes spelled as "Six Cycle Mind", "6 Cycle Mind", "6CycleMind", or "6Cyclemind") is a Filipino rock band composed of Tito Fortunato "Tutti" Caringal II on vocals, Ryan "Rye" Sarmiento on rhythm and lead guitars and backing vocals, ...

covered the song twice: with then-vocalist Ney Dimaculangan for the first Eraserheads tribute album '' Ultraelectromagneticjam!: The Music of the Eraserheads'', released in 2005; and with vocalist Tutti Caringal and Eunice Jorge of Gracenote on guest vocals for the second Eraserheads tribute album '' The Reunion: An Eraserheads Tribute Album'', released in 2012. *

Yeng Constantino Josephine "Yeng" Eusebio Constantino-Asuncion (born December 4, 1988) is a Filipino singer, songwriter, composer and guitarist. She is referred to as the ''Philippines Pop Rock Royalty'' and is regarded as one of the biggest hitmakers in Ph ...

& Harana covered the song for the 2017 film ''

Dear Other Self ''Dear Other Self'' is a 2017 Filipino romantic comedy film written and directed by Veronica Velasco starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Xian Lim and Joseph Marco. The film was released in the Philippines on May 17, 2017, and May 26, 2017, in the United ...

''. * Leanne and Naara covered the song in 2019 as part of the third Eraserheads tribute album ''

Pop Machine the Album ''Pop Machine the Album: A Collective of Artists Turning Heads This 2020'' is the third tribute album to the Philippine alternative rock band Eraserheads. It was released on June 12, 2020 by Noisemakers. The album features covers of Eraserheads so ...

''. * Dilaw covered the song for the 2023 film ''

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

''.

In popular culture

In 2008, comedian

Michael V. Beethoven Del Valle Bunagan (born December 17, 1969), known professionally as Michael V. and nicknamed Bitoy, is a Filipino actor, comedian, and recording artist. He is a regular cast member of the GMA Network show ''Bubble Gang'' (1995–pre ...

and a few cast members from the Philippine late night show ''

Bubble Gang ''Bubble Gang'' is a Philippine television sketch comedy show broadcast by GMA Network. Originally directed by Uro Q. Dela Cruz, it was originally starred by Ogie Alcasid, Antonio Aquitania, Sunshine Cruz, Jackie de Guzman, Assunta De Rossi, ...

'' (known as the "Eraseyourheads") made a parody cover of the song entitled "Hala Pack Up" (English: Oh No, Pack Up). The song's lyrics tell the story of a fan who goes to a concert of a famous band only to be disappointment when the concert had to be cut short, referencing the band's first reunion concert that year.

Live performances

The band opened their first reunion concert in 2008 with “Alapaap”.

References

{{authority control Eraserheads songs 1994 songs 1994 singles Songs written by Ely Buendia Obscenity controversies in music Songs in Tagalog Songs about cannabis