Gone Daddy Gone

This article is about Violent Femmes song. For the Gnarls Barkley single which includes a cover version of the song, see Who Cares? (Gnarls Barkley song).

"Gone Daddy Gone" is a song written by Gordon Gano and originally recorded by his group Violent Femmes as the first single for their first album, Violent Femmes.^[1]

"Gone Daddy Gone"
Single by Violent Femmes
from the album Violent Femmes
B-side	"Good Feeling"
Released	1983
Recorded	July 1982
Studio	Castle Recording Studios, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Genre	folk punk
Length	3:03
Label	Slash
Songwriter(s)	Gordon Gano, Willie Dixon
Producer(s)	Mark Van Hecke
Violent Femmes singles chronology
"Gone Daddy Gone" (1983) "Ugly" (1983)
Music video
"Gone Daddy Gone" on YouTube

Lyrics

The lyrics use a complete verse from Willie Dixon's 1954 song "I Just Want to Make Love to You", originally recorded by Muddy Waters. For this reason, the song is occasionally referred to as "Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want to Make Love to You", as on Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes.^[2] It has two xylophone solos.

Music video

The band produced a black and white music video in 1983, produced by Steve Martin and Douglass Brian Martin of Martin Industries.^[3]

Reception

Eric Weisbard in Spin Alternative Record Guide said the "febrile vibes and springy guitar on 'Gone Daddy Gone' — make the record an early document in the coalescing of a new wave of generational angst in the 1980s".^[4] Dan Hintz of the Krishmatics said, "The song is a real gem due to the sociopath vocal delivery, the skittering and shuffling drums, the brilliant melody line on the xylophone, the buzzing guitar and bass interplay, the love-is-false lyrics."^[5] Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall wrote about the song in his book Ghosted (2010).^[6]

Track listing

US 7" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Gone Daddy Gone"	3:03
2.	"Good Feeling"	3:49

UK 7" single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Gone Daddy Gone"	3:03
2.	"Add It Up"	4:35

Personnel

• Gordon Gano – guitar, lead vocals
• Brian Ritchie – xylophone, electric bass guitar
• Victor DeLorenzo – snare drum and tranceaphone, Scotch marching bass drum, backing vocals

Gnarls Barkley version

Further information: Who Cares? (Gnarls Barkley song)

A cover version of the song was the third single released in the United States by the American soul duo Gnarls Barkley, and is taken from their first album St. Elsewhere (2006).^[7] In the United Kingdom, it was released as a double A-side with "Who Cares?" and reached No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart. An animated music video was also made. The cover version was used in a 2008 commercial for the film Igor, in the TV series Entourage and Chuck, in the 2006 game Tony Hawk's Project 8 and in the 2007 game Forza Motorsport 2.