Pink Triangle (song)
Encyclopedia
"Pink Triangle" is a song by American rock
band Weezer
. Released as the third single from their second album Pinkerton
, it was released to radio on May 20, 1997 in a last ditch effort to boost sales for the album. The song was remixed by Tom Lord-Alge
, adding a reworked guitar solo, a synth track and overdubbed vocals.
who possibly thinks that the man himself is gay. The song is based on a real person that Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
encountered while a student at Harvard
. Years later, he discovered that the woman was actually not a lesbian but merely showing support for the gay community by wearing a pink triangle.
A promo single was sent to radio stations that also contained an acoustic version of the song recorded at Shorecrest High School
in Seattle, Washington
. The song received limited airplay
and never charted and thus was deemed not to warrant a video. It is the band's least successful single thus far.
In 2004, the band released their first DVD Video Capture Device
, which features a video of the Shorecrest performance as well as a video cut by Weezer.com webmaster and longtime friend of the band Karl Koch that features footage shot by Jennifer Wilson, wife of Weezer drummer
Patrick Wilson
.
Live acoustic track is the same as on "The Good Life" OZ EP
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. Released as the third single from their second album Pinkerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
, it was released to radio on May 20, 1997 in a last ditch effort to boost sales for the album. The song was remixed by Tom Lord-Alge
Tom Lord-Alge
Tom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
, adding a reworked guitar solo, a synth track and overdubbed vocals.
Background
The song describes a man with ambiguous sexuality who falls in love with a woman with whom he imagines he could settle down and be married. However, he soon discovers that the object of his affection is a lesbianLesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
who possibly thinks that the man himself is gay. The song is based on a real person that Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
encountered while a student at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Years later, he discovered that the woman was actually not a lesbian but merely showing support for the gay community by wearing a pink triangle.
A promo single was sent to radio stations that also contained an acoustic version of the song recorded at Shorecrest High School
Shorecrest High School
Shorecrest High School is a public high school in Shoreline, Washington, one of two high schools in the Shoreline School District. Shorecrest was founded in 1961. Its mascot is Otis the Fighting Scot and students refer to themselves as "Scots," or the "Highlanders," a reference to the Clan Gordon...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The song received limited airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
and never charted and thus was deemed not to warrant a video. It is the band's least successful single thus far.
In 2004, the band released their first DVD Video Capture Device
Video Capture Device
Video Capture Device is a DVD released by rock band Weezer. It contains footage from various live gigs in the band's history, from the early stages of their musical career up until 2002. The DVD also contains all of the Weezer music videos from The Blue Album until Maladroit...
, which features a video of the Shorecrest performance as well as a video cut by Weezer.com webmaster and longtime friend of the band Karl Koch that features footage shot by Jennifer Wilson, wife of Weezer drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson (musician)
Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
.
Track listing
Radio Station Promo CD- "Pink Triangle" (Remix) - 4:02
- "Pink Triangle" (Live Acoustic) - 4:18
Live acoustic track is the same as on "The Good Life" OZ EP
Personnel
- Rivers CuomoRivers CuomoRivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Patrick WilsonPatrick Wilson (musician)Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Brian BellBrian Bell (musician)Brian Bell is an American guitarist and songwriter. Active since 1989, he is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American alternative rock band Weezer. Bell joined Weezer in 1993 following the departure of founding member Jason Cropper...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Matt SharpMatt SharpMatthew Kelly Sharp is a founding member and former bassist for the band Weezer. In 1994, he started a band called The Rentals and released their debut album shortly after Weezer's first release, their second album in 1999, and an EP in 2007...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals