Chris DeLine

Originally titled “The Rainbow” when released on South Park‘s Chef Aid compilation in 1998, the song was later rechristened “The Homo Rainbow” as it became a staple in Ween‘s live set. As is true of many of their other songs, the Live Music Archive is ripe with bootleg versions of the track, but none that I listened to offered any noteworthy variation; these 2001 performances from Charleston and San Francisco are rather clear and enjoyable, though, for what it’s worth. The song also appeared on Ween’s 2003 Live at Stubb’s release and anyone with the most beginner level Google skills can likely scrounge up a few more concert takes, though none might be as blog-worthy as the group’s ’99 performance of the track in Atlanta with Queens of the Stone Age. All said however, it’s hard to match the bizarre beauty of the original.

From the track’s casual and simplistic, yet no less clever, lyrics to its place on a Rick Rubin-produced novelty album alongside the likes of Master P, Joe Strummer, Primus & Elton John, “The Rainbow” is about as much of an oddity as any from Ween’s career. Considering that it features the late Isaac Hayes, who was an outspoken Scientologist, cast alongside overdubbed remarks about living under God’s watchful eye, while spouting humorously inaccurate geographical rhymes encouraging all to feel welcomed to be themselves… well, it’s simply a thing of beauty.

[This post was first published by Culture Bully.]