Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. Hailed in the early stages of his career for both his own material and for his production of other artists, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, his career has produced a diverse and eclectic range of recordings often both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. Rundgren has often been at the forefront as a promoter of cutting edge recording technologies.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Rundgren engineered and/or produced many notable albums for other acts, including the Band's Stage Fright (1970), Badfinger's Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls's New York Dolls (1973), Hall & Oates's War Babies (1974), Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC's Skylarking (1986). In the 1980s and 1990s, his interest in video and computers led to his "Time Heals" (1981) being the eighth video played on MTV, and "Change Myself" (1991) was animated by Rundgren on commercially available Amiga computers.
"Bang the Drum All Day" is a 1983 song by Todd Rundgren. The lyrics describe, in the first person, the singer's drive to "bang on the drum all day" to the exclusion of everything else. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren. The song has become popular as an anti-work anthem or anthem of celebration.
Rundgren would re-record the song live for subscribers to his Patronet service. The new version was retitled "Bang the Ukulele Daily," referring to Rundgren's decision to perform it in a Hawaiian style, accompanied only by a ukulele. "Bang the Ukulele Daily" was included on his album One Long Year.
The song is played in Lambeau Field after the Green Bay Packers score a touchdown. It was similarly used by the Indianapolis Colts until being replaced by The Black Keys' "Gold on the Ceiling".
The song is used by conservative talk radio host Jim Quinn as his union heads-up theme. Boston conservative talk host Howie Carr also plays a snippet to poke fun at the Occupy Wall Street movement.
So few and far between,
Here's a mood I've never seen you in.
I should have known not to ask you why
And set myself up for one big, long cry.
Once burned and twice removed
Thought I made it now but nothing's proved.
Set in my mind not to push too hard,
And now I wind up back in your backyard.
No one cares about the loser,
No one gets a second chance,
Even you, even me, if it's through.
Don't you see that it's one thing if I should lose again,