Suicidal Tendencies’ punk anthem “Institutionalized,” a now-classic rant against parental control and institutional oppression, became known from the Repo Man soundtrack and for its chorus of “all I wanted was a Pepsi.”
“It’s not every day you write a song that stands the test of time, some people say epic, and when I wrote the music I wouldn’t imagine that 35 years later people would still be singing it and of course when I play the first three notes fans already know what’s next,” says former Suicidal Tendencies bassist Louiche Mayorga, who wrote the song with Mike Muir in 1982.
With his current band, Luicidal, Mayorga has recorded a Spanish-language version of the song titled”Institucionalizado,” premiering exclusively on Billboard today (Sept. 20). This time, Ceci Bastida is doing the ranting (and she’s asking fo a “coca” instead of a Pepsi.)
“When the idea of covering an ST song came up, the first singer I thought of was Ceci, and of course ‘Institutionalized’ was a sure thing,” says Mayorga, who first saw Bastida perform with the Mexican punk band Tijuana No!
“I wanted to keep the same spirit of the song but with the point of view from a young Hispanic female and in Spanish,” Mayorga explains. “She killed it.”
Luicidal was formed in 2012 by Mayorga and ST drummer R.J. Herrera. The current lineup features Marty Ramirez on guitar, drummer Vince Sollecito and vocalist Mike Avilez.
“I’ve lived on the West Side of Los Angeles my whole life,” Mayorga adds. “Venice is where we started Suicidal Tendencies and when our album exploded. We always had a huge Latino fan base…the Latino punk rock scene has so much talent and if we can do our part in helping it grow, we will.”
“Institucionalizado” will be included on the band’s new album, Born in Venice, to be released Oct. 12 on Cleopatra Records.
Watch the video for Luicidal’s “Institucionalizado” with Ceci Bastida below.