| Travolta (Quote Unquote) | |
| Cover: | TravoltaQuoteUnquote.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Mr. Bungle |
| Album: | Mr. Bungle |
| Released: | 1991 |
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| Length: |
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| Label: | Warner Bros. |
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| Next Title: | "Platypus" (promotional release) |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Travolta" (later retitled "Quote Unquote") is a song by American experimental rock band Mr. Bungle, released in 1991 as the opening track and lead single from their self-titled debut album.[3]
Although the song was originally titled "Travolta", it was quickly changed to "Quote Unquote" due to legal threats.[4] The song's music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, was banned from MTV due to its images of the band members hanging from meat hooks.[5]
Allmusic believes the song to be a tribute to John Travolta and fellow actor Patrick Swayze, although it also contains references to Adolf Hitler.[4] A biography of Travolta by Bob McCabe was titled Quote, Unquote after the song.[6] The main theme from the 1978 film Grease, in which Travolta starred, is interpolated twice in the song.[7]
Mr. Bungle guitarist and "Travolta" co-writer Trey Spruance elaborated on the song's meaning in a 2016 interview: