Porno for Pyros have shared a special new holiday tune, “Pete’s Dad,” about (as the title suggests) guitarist Peter DiStefano’s father, who just beat cancer.
While the song’s pitter-patter drums and uncanny acoustic guitars occasionally veer into strange sonic spaces, “Pete’s Dad” is obviously big-hearted, tender, and even a little funny. The first verse finds frontman Perry Farrell, who is Jewish, singing about being welcomed into the DiStefano’s family for Christmas, even crooning at one point, “Jews and Italians, they’re very much alike/I like Italian food.”
Later, he sings on the chorus, “Pete’s dad don’t have cancer anymore/The doctor called and told him so/Just before/We sat down for Christmas supper/When he found out we all cried a little/It was one of those miracles/It was one of those miracles at Christmas!”
In a statement, DiStefano said, “Best friends are people of action, when Porno for Pyros created this song ‘Pete’s Dad,’ that’s when I knew these band of men were my best friends.”
“Pete’s Dad” arrives on the heels of “Agua,” which was released back in November and marked Porno for Pyros’ first new song in 26 years. The track, described as “an ode to the sea and all its beautiful creatures,” was inspired by encounters the group had with dolphins while surfing in the Nineties. Before “Agua,” Porno for Pyros hadn’t released a song since “Hard Charger,” which appeared on the 1979 soundtrack to Howard Stern’s movie Private Parts.
Back in July, Porno for Pyros announced their first tour in 25 years, only to postpone the trek a few months later, saying they were working on new music. When the band announced the rescheduled dates in November, though, they revealed that their reunion tour would now be a “farewell tour.” The run is set to kick off next February in Santa Ana, California, and wrap March 10 in Montclair, New Jersey.