Last year, for The Onion’s AV Club “Undercover” project, in which they invite bands to do (often unexpected covers), one of the stand-out performances was given by GWAR, who performed Kansas’ Carry On Wayward Son.
I have been a big fan of GWAR since I’d first heard of them, and my fanhood was cemented when I saw them live — along with my friend Rob Strickler, who may have been the most unlikely person there — at The Rialto in Montreal on New Year’s Eve 1991. They hit the stage by bursting through a fake brick wall at midnight, with frontcreature Oderus Urungus (played by Dave Brockie) yelling “HAPPY NEW YEAR, HUMAN SCUM!”, followed by an assault of heavy metal, some amusing performance art, and the front rows being sprayed with fake blood and semen. It was one of the better ways to start a new year.
With such a great performance last year, it only made sense to bring GWAR back to do another cover. Here they are, performing Billy Ocean’s 1988 hit, Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car. Better still, they mash in a classic rock staple near the end — you’ll have to watch to hear what it is.
There’s some swearing in this video, so it may not be appropriate for your workplace. You make the call.
For reference, here’s the Billy Ocean version:
And here’s the Kansas cover they did last year: