Harvey Danger

Harvey Danger is a rock band from Seattle, Washington. The band has released three albums between their first in 1998 and their break-up in 2009. Their first and biggest hit was "Flagpole Sitta" from their first album, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? The song is perhaps best known as the theme to the U.K. comedy series Peep Show

The band is set apart from many other bands by the wit of the lead singer, Sean Nelson (who also performs often with Death Cab for Cutie) and their unique indie-pop sound.

Discography:

(With notable tracks)

• Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?
  • Flagpole Sitta
  • Private Helicopter
  • "Carlotta Valdez"
  • "Old Hat"
  • "Jack the Lion"
• King James Version
  • Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo
  • Meetings With Remarkable Men (Show Me A Hero)
• Little By Little...
  • Wine, Women, and Song
  • "Cream and Bastards Rise"
  • Little Round Mirrors
  • Moral Centralia
  • "Happiness Writes White"
  • War Buddies

Other notable recordings:

• "The Show Must Not Go On," their final song performed and recorded before breaking up.
• A cover of English Beat's "Save it for Later" from the soundtrack of 200 Cigarettes
• "Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas" from the eponymous EP (Which also featured a demo of "Wine, Women, and Song" and a live version of "Jack the Lion") which was not sold in stores

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Harvey Danger provides examples of the following tropes:

• A Date with Rosie Palms: From "Flagpole Sitta"

Fingertips have memories
Mine can't forget the curves of your body
So when I feel a bit naughty
I run it up the flagpole to see
Who salutes, but no one ever does!

• Album Title Drop: In Merrymakers the title question is asked in the final track, "Radio Silence"
• Anti-Christmas Song: "Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas"
• Breakaway Pop Hit: Arguably their cover of "Save it for Later" could count.
  • The original version was also used in a movie soundtrack -- Hot Tub Time Machine. This troper, who had heard the Harvey Danger version first, was pleasantly surprised.
• Digital Piracy Is Evil: Averted with a vengeance! They released Little By Little... onto their website for free download, along with a BitTorrent of -- the whole album!
• Double Entendre: Most of "War Buddies".
  • It has been referred to as "A song using war as a metaphor for sex as a metaphor for war".
• The End of the World as We Know It: "Plague of Locusts".
• Epic Rocking: "Little Round Mirrors".
  • Along with "War Buddies" from the same album. It's not as long as some other examples, but still goes through many different tempo and beat changes.
• "I Am" Song: "Flagpole Sitta"
• I Just Want to Be Special: "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo"
• Lonely Piano Piece: "Little Round Mirrors" starts off as one, but picks up as the singer continues to sympathize with the subject.

All alone
On the floor
Next to your twin-bed and box-spring mattress

• • It then turns into...
• Music for Courage
• New Sound Album: Little By Little...
• Non-Appearing Title: "Flagpole Sitta"
• Power Ballad: "Little Round Mirrors"
• Refrain From Assuming: The song title is not "I'm Not Sick, But I'm Not Well".
• Revival by Commercialization : "Cream and Bastards Rise" was used on Rock Band as DLC.
• Shout-Out: The title of "Cream and Bastards Rise" is a shout out to the movie Harper

The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise.

• • • Interestingly enough, a character in Harper asks, "Where have all the merrymakers gone?".
  • "Happiness Writes White" is a maxim from the French writer Henry de Montherlant, referring to how happiness cannot be represented on paper -- it's like using white ink on white paper.
    • What if you just used black paper?
  • "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo" has characters named Edith (as in Edith Frost -- Confirmed by Word of God) and Norman (Possibly a shout-out to Norman Rockwell)
    • It also refers to The Lusty Men and the Marlboro Man

Norman says you should take a Valium,
Or maybe something stronger...
Because he doesn't understand how you get so excited watching The Lusty Men
"Y'know, the Marlboro Man died of cancer..."
"... Aaaaaand he wasn't a rocket scientist when he was healthy, haha!"

• • • Also on King James was "Meetings With Remarkable Men," which had a shout-out to Kip Winger.
    • This list just isn't complete without mentioning Carlotta Valdez which is nothing but a 3-minute-long tribute to Vertigo.
• Signature Song: I'll give you one guess...
  • "Private Helicopter?"
    • ... No
• Stealth Parody: "Flagpole Sitta" is a stealth parody of teen angst.
• Subdued Section: The beginning of "Little Round Mirrors"
  • Arguably the whole song when compared to the rest of the album.
• Surprisingly Gentle Song: All of Little By Little... to anyone who only knew "Flagpole Sitta" before that.
  • With the exception of "Cream and Bastards"
• Title Drop: Many songs. Notably averted in "Flagpole Sitta" though
• Triumphant Reprise: The ending of "Little Round Mirrors" is the start of the first verse, only more triumphant.
• Video Full of Film Clips: "Save It For Later", although the clips from 200 Cigarettes are edited so the cast of the movie and the band frequently appear to interact.