Primus, known for their eccentric sound and Les Claypool’s distinctive basslines, delivered a truly unique track in 1995 with “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver.” This song, with its bizarre lyrics and unforgettable music video, became a cult classic and remains one of their most recognizable tunes. For those drawn to the unconventional and musically masterful, “wynona’s big brown beaver song” is a fascinating dive into the wonderfully weird world of Primus.
Initially catching attention through its music video before radio airplay for many, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” immediately captivated viewers with its surreal and quirky visuals. Reminiscent of Devo’s visual style, the video is an integral part of the song’s identity, enhancing its oddball charm. While the song itself is engaging on its own, the video elevates the experience to another level, making it almost inseparable from the track’s overall appeal.
Rumors swirled around the song’s meaning upon its release, with speculation suggesting it was about actress Winona Ryder. However, Les Claypool himself has debunked these claims. He pointed out the difference in spelling between “Wynona” in the song title and the actress’s name, firmly stating that the song had no connection to her. Despite Claypool’s denial, the rumor mill persisted, even sparking a humorous feud with Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner, Ryder’s boyfriend at the time. Pirner reportedly retaliated by jokingly renaming a song in concert to “Les Claypool’s A Big F–king Asshole,” highlighting the nerve “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” had touched.
Written by the Primus trio – Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde, and Tim Alexander – “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” showcased the band’s musical prowess. Although Primus never achieved a Hot 100 hit, this song stands out as one of their most successful in terms of alternative and rock charts. It reached #12 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and #23 on the Mainstream Rock chart, demonstrating its popularity within those genres.
The music video is truly a must-see experience. The production team deserves significant praise for the creation of the iconic foam rubber suits worn by the band members, transforming them into cartoonish cowboy figures.
Les Claypool has shared the amusingly mundane origin story of the song’s title. While fly fishing, an encounter with a large beaver in its natural habitat sparked the initial idea. As Claypool recounted: “I was fly fishing with a friend of mine up in Lassen County (California), and the sun was going down and we were heading back to the car,” he said. “He was off in one direction, and I went off in another direction. I come around this corner and I step into the creek. And just as I spied this thing, it spied me. It was this big, furry mass coming my way. It flipped and popped its tail and scared the s–t out of me, and I scared the s–t out of it. It was this giant beaver. I mean, it was huge.”
This real-life beaver encounter intertwined with a pre-existing bassline Claypool had developed, characterized by triplets. “It just happened that I had this bass part with all these triplets in it and it kind of fit real well with those lyrics,” Claypool explained. “So when we did Punchbowl, we put the two together and that became the ‘Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver’ that everybody came to know.” This anecdote, sourced from Songfacts, reveals the surprisingly simple and organic genesis of such a bizarre song.
The phrase “big brown beaver” itself carries a strong double entendre, something Claypool readily acknowledges was inspired by a line from the movie The Naked Gun. The exchange “Nice beaver.” “Thank you. I just had it stuffed.” from the movie, as Claypool explained, “So it kind of got in my head. This big brown beaver, big brown beaver. Okay. Well, how can I make a song out of that? And then it became, ‘Wynona’s got herself a big brown beaver.’ And from there it just built into this little mythological character that obviously had a little double entendre to it.”
Interestingly, Primus initially viewed the song as a lighter, filler track, a humorous interlude within their album Punchbowl. However, the music video production was anything but low-key. At a time when music video budgets were substantial, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” benefited from significant investment. To achieve the cartoonish, sped-up effect of the video, it was filmed at 18 frames-per-second, slower than the standard 24 frames-per-second. This required the band to mime to the song played at a slower speed during filming, creating the jerky, animated aesthetic when played back at normal speed.
Despite its creative video, MTV initially hesitated to embrace “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver,” relegating it to nighttime play. Claypool recounted meeting with an MTV executive who raised questions about the song’s content, highlighting the network’s initial uncertainty about its reception.
For Claypool, the song became a double-edged sword. While it brought wider recognition, it also led to some misinterpretations of Primus as solely a novelty act. As he stated, it became “the bane of my existence for a while” because it made those who weren’t au fait with Primus assume they were a joke band. However, Claypool eventually came to terms with this perception, realizing that some listeners simply wouldn’t grasp the band’s broader musicality and embracing the song’s success on its own terms.
The enduring appeal of “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” is further evidenced by Duo de Twang, Les Claypool’s side project, recording a stripped-down version of the song on their 2014 album Four Foot Shack. This version offered a glimpse into the song’s more basic origins, before the elaborate production and video solidified its iconic status.
In conclusion, “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” is more than just a quirky song with a memorable title. It’s a testament to Primus’s unique musical vision, Les Claypool’s songwriting ingenuity, and the power of a truly bizarre music video. From its humorous origins to its chart success and lasting legacy, “wynona’s big brown beaver song” remains a standout track for those who appreciate music that dares to be different.
Primus band members Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde, and Tim Alexander wearing cartoonish beaver suits as featured in the "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" music video, a promotional image highlighting the song's quirky and visual nature.