It’s one of my favorite Saturday Night Live skits.
Setting the backdrop of a fictional filming of the 1976 recording session of the Blue Öyster Cult hit “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” cult legend Christopher Walken plays a producer that delivers the famous line, “I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.”
kAm$66:?8 E92E E96 =:?6 92D 364@>6 2 3:E @G6CA=2J65 D:?46 :E 5C@AA65 :? a___[ x E9@F89E :E 4@F=5 FD6 2 3:E @7 C6AFCA@D:?8]k^Am
kAmp?5 H:E9 E96 7:CDE H66< @7 AC6A 7@@E32== AC24E:46D 4@>:?8 E@ 2 4=@D6[ x E9@F89E :E H2D @?=J 7:EE:?8 E@ 492?86 E96 =:?6 E@i x’G6 8@E 2 76G6C[ 2?5 E96 @?=J AC6D4C:AE:@? :D >@C6 7@@E32==]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J 7@C >6 2?5 72?D :? E96 s6>@4C2E’D 4@G6C286 2C62[ E96 A=@E =:?6D @? E96 8C:5:C@? 2C6 23F?52?E H:E9 uC:52J ?:89E F?56C E96 =:89ED D6E E@ <:4< @77 :? =6DD E92? EH@ H66<D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96C6 2C6 5@K6?D @7 E@A:4D E@ 36 5:D4FDD65[ x’G6 ?2CC@H65 E96 7:6=5 5@H? E@ 7:G6 E9:?8D E@ H2E49]k^Am
kAm$\r 492D:?8 2 (6DE r6?EC2= E:E=6k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C’D c\e %:86CD 7:?:D965 E96 =628F6 D4965F=6 H:E9 a\b C64@C5[ 3FE 2 AC@>:D:?8 D:8? :? 2 5@H? J62C H2D E92E EH@ @7 E9@D6 =@DD6D 42>6 @? E96 C@25 3J D4@C6D @7 c_\bc GD] $E] !:FD ) ca\bd GD] ~’w2C2]k^Am
kAm%9:D D62D@?[ 6G6? H:E9 E96 E2D< @7 7:==:?8 E96 G@:5 =67E 3J `d D6?:@CD[ E96 %:86CD 92G6 E96:C D:89ED @? C682:?:?8 E96 DH2886C E92E 42AEFC65 E96> =628F6 E:E=6D :? a__g 2?5 a__h]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 368:??:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? H:E9 82>6D 282:?DE }:I2[ w6=:2D[ w:4<>2? 2?5 vC2:? '2==6J[ E96 %:86CD 9:E E96 4@?76C6?46 D4965F=6 CF??:?8 H:E9 2 >2E49FA 2E C:G2= (2CC6?D3FC8[ H9:49 H:== ?@ 5@F3E 36 ECJ:?8 E@ 2G6?86 =2DE J62C’D b_\af =@DD :? $652=:2] %96? :E’D 5676?5:?8 492>A:@? ~’w2C2[ =2DE J62C’D CF??6C\FA r=:?E@? 2?5 E96? r6?E6C 2?5 $E] !:FD )]k^Am
kAmy@9? r@I’D >@G6k^Am
kAmE@ z?@3 }@DE6Ck^Am
kAmp7E6C =625:?8 r@?4@C5:2 E@ 2 `a\a 42>A2:8? 2?5 2 D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 EC:A E@ E96 r=2DD ` D6>:7:?2=D[ 9625 4@249 y@9? r@I D9@4<65 >2?J H96? 96 2446AE65 E96 D2>6 A@D:E:@? 2E r=2DD a z?@3 }@DE6C]k^Am
kAm#6A=24:?8 y@? {:?5BF:DE[ H9@ >@G65 E@ y6776CD@? r:EJ[ r@I =67E 369:?5 2 dd\`f C64@C5 @G6C D:I J62CD 2E r@?4@C5:2 E@ ;@:? 2 AC@8C2> E92E — :?4=F5:?8 =2DE J62C’D `\h 42>A2:8? — 92D 8@?6 `e\cd @G6C E92E D2>6 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAmx? 364@>:?8 E96 7@FCE9 z?@3 }@DE6C 4@249 :? 7@FC J62CD[ r@I H:== 36 E2D<65 H:E9 3F:=5:?8 E96 AC@8C2> 7C@> E96 8C@F?5 FA] qFE H:E9 9:D EC24< C64@C5[ E96 !2?E96CD 4@F=5?’E 36 :? >F49 36EE6C 92?5D]k^Am
kAmr@=6 r2>A DE6AD 5@H?k^Am
kAmE@ r=2DD `k^Am
kAm~?46 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 r=2DD a[ r@=6 r2>A’D 564:D:@? E@ 6?5 :ED 4@@A6C2E:G6 A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 vC66? #:586 AFE E96> ;FDE F?56C E96 r=2DD ` 6?C@==>6?E 8F:56=:?6D[ H9:49 E@AD @FE 2E ac` DEF56?ED]k^Am
kAmqFE H:== E96 DH:E49 AC@G:56 E96 2>>@ 7@C E96 q=F63:C5D E@ >2<6 E96:C 7:CDE EC:A E@ E96 A=2J@77Dnk^Am
kAm#6EFC?:?8 `` D6?:@CD[ 6:89E DE2CE6CD @? @776?D6 2?5 ?:?6 @? 5676?D6 7C@> =2DE J62C’D d\d DBF25[ q=F63:C5D 4@249 z6G:? $962C6C’D 4C6H :D 46CE2:?=J :? 8@@5 D92A6 E@ 3C62< E96 5C@F89E 2D E96 q=F63:C5D 6?E6C E96:C D6G6?E9 G2CD:EJ J62C]k^Am
kAm“%96 4@C6 8C@FA 92D 366? H:E9 FD 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[” $962C6C D2:5] “{6256CD9:A D9@F=5?’E 36 :DDF6]”k^Am
kAm$w 3F:=5:?8 @? =2DE D62D@?k^Am
kAmx? :ED 7@FCE9 G2CD:EJ D62D@?[ $24C65 w62CE 925 2 8C@F?53C62<:?8 a_``]k^Am
kAm&?56C 7:CDE\J62C 9625 4@249 q6? {J=6D[ E96 vC6>=:?D 7:?:D965 23@G6 ]d__ 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 6G6C 2E e\c[ 6?;@J65 E96:C 7:CDE H:? DEC62< WD:IX[ H@? E96:C 7:CDE z2JD:?86C r@?76C6?46 2?5 5:DEC:4E 82>6D Wca\be @G6C (:?5D@CX 2?5 >256 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm}@H E96 BF6DE:@? :Di (92E H:== E96J 5@ 7@C 2? 6?4@C6nk^Am
kAm%96 vC6>=:?D =@DE D:I D6?:@CD[ 3FE E96J 925 `h A=2J6CD D9@H FA E@ E96 7:CDE 52J @7 AC24E:46[ :?4=F5:?8 BF2CE6C324< r92D6 {J=6D[ CF??:?8 324< |:4926= w@9?6 2?5 =:?6>2? s2G:5 {@C2?5:] $@ E96 E2=6?E 2?5 DA665 :D E96C6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ {J=6D[ H9@ :D 7@4FD65 @? AC@G:?8 =2DE D62D@? H2D ?@ 7=F<6]k^Am
kAm}@CE9H6DE 46=63C2E6D `_ D62D@?D @7 G2CD:EJ 7@@E32==k^Am
kAm%96 |FDE2?8D >2J 36 A=2J:?8 2 5:776C6?E 3C2?5 @7 7@@E32== :? wF896DG:==6[ 3FE E92E 5@6D?’E >2<6 :E 2?J =6DD 6I4:E:?8]k^Am
kAm#6EFC?:?8 E@ 6:89E\>2? 7@@E32== =2DE J62C 2?5 6I46==:?8 :? E96 72DE6C\A246 82>6 H:E9 2 d\d >2C< 2?5 2 EC:A E@ E96 A=2J@77D[ E96 |FDE2?8D >2C< E96:C `_\J62C 2??:G6CD2CJ 2D 2 G2CD:EJ AC@8C2> H:E9 2 E2=6?E65 C@DE6C E92E :?4=F56D 7:G6 D6?:@CD[ ;F?:@C BF2CE6C324< r@CE=6? pFDE:? 2?5 2 D=6H @7 J@F?8[ 9F?8CJ E2=6?E]k^Am
kAm}@CE9H6DE 9625 4@249 r2=63 rC@@<6C[ H9@ 92D 366? H:E9 E96 AC@8C2> D:?46 :ED :?2F8FC2= ;F?:@C G2CD:EJ 42>A2:8? :? a__`[ :D 6?4@FC2865 E92E E96 E62>’D DA665 2?5 E2=6?E 2E E96 DA64:2=:K65 A@D:E:@?D H:== 2==@H E96 E62> E@ 3F:=5 @? =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iDDEC:?86CoD652=:2QmDDEC:?86CoD652=:2k^2mk^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^56>@4C2E]4@>Qm56>@4C2E]4@>k^2mk^Am
