Song of the Day 12/12: The Tubes, “What Do You Want From Life?”

The Tubes were — actually, still are — a comic theater-rock troupe that formed in San Francisco in the early ’70s. They never sold all that many records, but their live shows were legendarily loopy, and they created some catchy tunes while they were at it. Their biggest hit came in the MTV era with “She’s a Beauty,” but this song comes from their 1975 debut LP, produced by Al Kooper (yes, he is the Kevin Bacon of 20th century rock). This number opened their show for years, often with frontman Fee Waybill giving away actual (usually cheezy) prizes during the closing segment. He does not, however, give away a baby’s arm holding an apple.