Corona

"Corona" is a protest song by American punk rock band Minutemen. It was included as the seventh song on the second side of their third studio album Double Nickels on the Dime (1984). The song was composed by lead singer and guitarist D. Boon and produced by Ethan James. Its minimalist composition harbors elements of neo-norteño and polka. The song derives its title from a brand of Mexican beer of the same name. Lyrically, "Corona" is a Latino-inspired protest song with politically-charged lines. The song later became famous as the main theme song for the MTV reality stunt show Jackass. Background Named after the brand of Mexican beer, "Corona" is a protest song. The song was inspired by a day trip the band members (Boon, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley) had taken to Mexico on the Fourth of July, 1982. (The same trip also inspired Watt's composition "I Felt Like a Gringo" on Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat.) Moved by his witnessing of some of the more downtrodden elements of the area, Boon set about writing a song in sympathy with the Mexican people. Recording Towards the end of their career, Minutemen started to branch out musically with their songs. In contrast to atypical hardcore punk tempos, the band experiments with neo-norteña sounds built on polka rhythms for "Corona." Drawing from post-punk alongside more eclectic musical influences, their music is an interaction between Hurley's virtuosic drumming, Boon's trebly electric guitar, and Watt's busy bassline. Regarding their songwriting, Watt claimed, "We don't write songs, we write rivers."