Song of the Day 2/21: The Presidents of the United States of America, “Lump”

The second-biggest hit for the only band fit to play on Presidents Day, a No. 1 hit on the Modern Rock chart in 1995. They got the record’s sound by playing two guitars with a total of five strings between them, instruments frontman/composer/bassist Chris Ballew and guitarist Dave Dederer called them a “basitar” (two strings) and a “guitbass” (three strings), respectively.

Ballew said he was trying to write a Buzzcocks song, and you can hear it. The “lump” is a reference to the benign brain tumor he was diagnosed with.

Because this was the post-MTV era, the band made an alternative video that was “too dark” for airplay; like the official version, it was directed by Roman Coppola.

The song achieved one of the greatest honors in late-stage rock — use in a Weird Al Yankovich parody, “Gump.”

The Presidents, PUSA to fans, are ex-presidents now. Ballew announced in 2016 that they would reunite no more. “We are no longer functioning as a band,” he announced. “We have quietly retired from the PUSA business since we are OLD PEOPLE NOW!”