Pass the Dutchie
Encyclopedia
"Pass the Dutchie" was a song recorded by the British group Musical Youth
from their 1982 album The Youth of Today
. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982.
, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis
, "kouchie" being slang for a cannabis pipe. For the cover version, the song's title was bowdlerized to "Pass the Dutchie", and all obvious drug references were removed from the lyrics; e. g., when the original croons "How does it feel when you got no herb?", the cover version refers to "food" instead. "dutchie" is used as a slang term to refer to a food cooking pot such as a Dutch oven
in Jamaica and the caribbean. It has since become a drug reference in itself, denoting a blunt
stuffed with marijuana and rolled in a wrapper from a Dutch Masters
cigar.
The song was first championed by radio DJ Zach Diezel and became an instant hit when it was picked up by MCA Records
in September 1982. It debuted at #26 on the chart and rose to #1 the following week. In February of the following year, it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart in the USA. The song also scored a top 5 success in the Norwegian chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The video, shot partly on the banks of the River Thames
in London
, across from the Palace of Westminster
, was one of the first by black artists to get airplay on MTV
.
Musical Youth
Musical Youth are a British reggae band. The group originally formed in 1979 at Duddeston Manor School in Birmingham, UK. They are best remembered for their successful 1982 Grammy-nominated single, "Pass the Dutchie". The group featured two sets of brothers, Kelvin and Michael Grant, plus Junior...
from their 1982 album The Youth of Today
The Youth of Today
The Youth of Today is the first album from the musical group Musical Youth. The album includes the # 1 UK hit "Pass the Dutchie" which also hit number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts...
. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982.
Background
The song was a cover version of the song "Pass the Kouchie" by The Mighty DiamondsThe Mighty Diamonds
Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group, which comprised Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson, and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson, was formed in 1969, and remains together as of 2010...
, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, "kouchie" being slang for a cannabis pipe. For the cover version, the song's title was bowdlerized to "Pass the Dutchie", and all obvious drug references were removed from the lyrics; e. g., when the original croons "How does it feel when you got no herb?", the cover version refers to "food" instead. "dutchie" is used as a slang term to refer to a food cooking pot such as a Dutch oven
Dutch oven
A Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years....
in Jamaica and the caribbean. It has since become a drug reference in itself, denoting a blunt
Blunt (cigar)
A blunt is a cigar which is wider than a cigarillo and not quite as wide as a Corona. These cigars typically consist of two main parts; the inner leaf, which is similar to a cigarette rolling paper, except it is made of tobacco, and a thicker outer leaf which is rolled around the inner leaf in a...
stuffed with marijuana and rolled in a wrapper from a Dutch Masters
Dutch Masters (cigar)
Dutch Masters is a brand of natural wrapped cigars sold in the United States since 1911. Its distinctive packaging features Rembrandt's 1662 painting The Syndics of the Drapers' Guild . Dutch Masters cigars are currently manufactured and sold by Altadis U.S.A., Inc., which is the American...
cigar.
The song was first championed by radio DJ Zach Diezel and became an instant hit when it was picked up by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in September 1982. It debuted at #26 on the chart and rose to #1 the following week. In February of the following year, it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart in the USA. The song also scored a top 5 success in the Norwegian chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The video, shot partly on the banks of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, across from the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, was one of the first by black artists to get airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
In popular culture
- The Canadian hit teen drama Degrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, which is known for naming each episode after an '80s hit song, named a Season 7Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)The seventh season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 14 January 2008, concluded on 23 June 2008, and consists of twenty-four episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series...
episode after this song, about the use of medicinal marijuana. - In the 20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
satiricalSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy filmComedy filmComedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Scary MovieScary MovieScary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
, during the rap scene involving Shorty, his friends, and the killerGhostface (Scream)Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
. Shorty's rap contains this line: "... always pass the Dutchie to the left 'cause the right way is wrong." - The song was used in the soundtrack of the 1998 movie The Wedding SingerThe Wedding SingerThe Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
. - In the Simpsons episode, Thirty Minutes over TokyoThirty Minutes over Tokyo"Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 16, 1999. In the episode, after being robbed by Snake Jailbird, the Simpsons visit a money-saving seminar, where they learn ways to...
, Homer makes a reference to the song in saying that he "wants to pass the Dutchie on the left hand side." - The song was used in the film version of Scooby-DooScooby-Doo (film)Scooby-Doo is a 2002 American comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera television cartoon series Scooby-Doo about a group of young detectives and their talking dog. It is the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live action film series...
in the scene where Shaggy and Scooby are "cooking" in their van. - The song was used on the New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
film BoyBoy (2010 film)Boy is a 2010 New Zealand coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. In New Zealand, the film has eclipsed previous records for a first week's box office takings for a local production...
.