British cult comedy classic Peep Show made a comeback last year when a selection of its Channel 4 stars appeared on “The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off” – a spin-off special of “The Great British Bake Off.” And the ordeal’s got us looking back over the times Peep Show has collided with other worlds, most notably, the time Kelly Clarkson covered its absolutely iconic theme tune for a Kelly Clarkson Show segment titled, Kellyoke!
Music Man readers can catch Kelly’s mind-blowing cover of Peep Show’s alt-rock theme song, “Flagpole Sitta” (originally by Harvey Danger) in the viral live performance below.
Tuning the cover up a few tones to match Kelly’s most comfortable range, the star dives headfirst into the song, her flawless voice sliding slightly more towards a clean pop cover, rather than the indie/grunge hit we’re all used to hearing. But it’s a spotless rendition, nonetheless, her bright vocals the ultimate match for the track’s upbeat energy as she taps into the sound of pure 90s/00s nostalgia.
Peep Show fans might be expecting this cover to start with the iconic lines, “Paranoia, paranoia…,” but Kelly serves the song in its original form, from start to finish, making us unacquainted listeners realize that the Peep Show theme lifts a snippet from the middle section of the song. Don’t miss your chance to hear this extended version with its additional, original verses – it’ll likely change your view of the theme tune forever!
Not had the chance to hear the original, full-length hit before? Check out Harvey Danger’s classic, 1998 single, “Flagpole Sitta” in the video above!
First released on their debut album, “Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?”, Harvey Danger’s original marked the band’s debut single, scoring at #38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts, and a mere #57 on the UK Singles charts.
But, whilst beloved by those in the indie/grunge/alternative rock niche, it’s the Peep Show theme which made this track a timeless hit to us here in the UK. Harvey Danger’s frontman, Sean Nelson, even had a few words to say about its inclusion in the show. Speaking in an interview with GlobeCat, the singer revealed, “The best thing about ‘Flagpole Sitta’ so far is that it is the theme song to a really smart and funny British sitcom called Peep Show. It’s the only pop culture item the song has been associated with that feels like a kindred spirit to the original attitude of the lyric anyway. It helps one remember that it did start out as just a fun little thing we did in our practice space.”
He added, in an interview with AV Club, “It’s a joy to be affiliated with something that’s so smart and so funny and so kind of rude and weird.”
This isn’t the only viral cover of the Peep Show hit circling the internet, though. In December 2014, rock band The All-American Rejects (best known for their 2008 hit, “Gives You Hell”) put their spin on the track too, which you can find over on YouTube with over 862,000 views!
Kelly’s sunlit take on “Flagpole Sitta” is a delightful trip through ’90s/’00s nostalgia — and a reminder that Peep Show’s cult charm translates across genres. Want to dive deeper? Useful links to the full performance, Peep Show clips and related features are listed below this paragraph.