The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

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The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead is a song by XTC from their 1992 album Nonsuch. It was released as a single with the B-side War Dance. Written by Andy Partridge and produced by Gus Dudgeon, the track blends alternative rock with folk influences and runs about five minutes.

The song tells the story of Peter Pumpkinhead, a kind man who helps the poor and earns wide public support. The government comes to resent him and tries to smear his reputation. He is killed, with his death broadcast on live television. Partridge was inspired by a Halloween jack-o’-lantern he carved and watched decay, which led him to imagine a near-perfect person facing powerful enemies.

Two music videos exist for the song. Both feature Kennedy assassination–style imagery, with one version heavily edited for US television. The clips also include other provocative visuals, such as a pig with a map of Cuba and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike; the uncensored version touches on Jesus imagery. The lyrics reference crucifixion.

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead was XTC’s second number-one hit on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, and it reached number 71 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1994, Canadian band Crash Test Dummies covered the song for the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack. It was their first single with Ellen Reid on lead vocals. The video was shot in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto and features Jeff Daniels as Harry Dunne. In the clip, Harry wears a pumpkin on his head, foils a bank robbery, is wrongly accused, and is celebrated as a martyr, culminating in a humorous parody of religious worship.