Every Thanksgiving - Ben Quick and Jon Quick (or Ben and whoever he can find) write, record and release a new song.  For 21 years they've kept this tradition alive - here's to many more!

2025: No More Problems
2024: (no song, depression)
2023: Sports
2022: Lies
2021: New Truck
2020: Glaciers
2019: Crosswalks
2018: Places
2017: Save Us
2016: Robots Robots
2015: Running
2014: Lazy
2013: Look It Up
2012: Old People
2011: Shiny Objects
2010: My Favorite Things
2009: Losing Hair
2008: Public Transit
2007: On The Ocean, Kittens
2006: Snapple Rapple
2005: Flowers, I'm Hungry

All songs not found here can be found at https://myspace.com/thanksgivingdinner/music/songs

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 17th year in a row - a song every Thanksgiving with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day.  This year (2021) brings us a country rock song about buying a truck.

Featuring:
Ben Quick (Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Production)
Jon Quick (Vocals)
Kyle Hewitt (Electric Guitar)
Austin Graham (Bass)


Music written by Ben Quick
Lyrics by Ben Quick and Jon Quick

Produced and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics

(VO)
Sometimes
Life’s gotcha down
And you don’t know what to do
Well let me tell you a little story
About how I went from rock bottom
To sittin’ on top of the world
And you can do it too

(Verse)
There was once a time that I got no respect
No girl no job my life was a wreck
All that changed and it wasn’t luck
It was driven’ off the lot in a brand new truck 
This pickup here has changed my life for the better
It made me a man, a real go-getter
If you’re strugglin, or feeling’ blue
Then go on out and get yourself one too 

Buying the truck has brought my dog back to life
It made my Dad proud, it found me a wife
Key in the ignition, put it in drive
Never in your life will you feel more alive

(Hook)
So go and buy a truck
You gotta buy a truck
Yeah you gotta get a truck
A big ‘ol truck

(Bridge)
This truck fixed my life like I never could
Cuz all I gotta do is pop the hood
Rev the engine, hear it roar
And all my problems are no more

(VO)
What’s that?  Your family doesn’t respect you?
I bet they’d respect you if you had a truck
They probably think you’re a wimp
Well, would a wimp have a Hemi?
Yeah, that’ll show’um
And if they don’t like that, you can go and get yourself a new family
Just you and your truck
Together forever
Look who’s respected now
It’s you
Thanks to that truck
So big and powerful
Show me that horsepower baby
Take me for a ride
Burn that diesel
I wanna feel alive
(truck sounds)

(Hook)
So go and buy a truck
(pow pow)
You gotta buy a truck
Yeah
Gotta buy a truck
Yeah you gotta get a truck
A big ‘ol truck
You gotta buy a truck
It’s the only way to feel respected
You gotta buy a truck

New Truck

Thanksgiving Dinner's 2013 release "Look It Up!"  
Featuring Ben Quick with guitar, rapping and producing, Jon Quick Singing, Dawson Baker with additional Production, a voiceover from Xannie Baker, and lyrics written by all four of us, first time since 2008 we've had the original TGD members together on the song!

Look It Up!

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 18th year in a row - a song every Thanksgiving with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day. This year (2022) brings us a song about Lies.


*sorry we're late - people get sick around the holidays

Featuring:
Ben Quick (Singing, Voiceovers, Production)
Dennis Casey (Rapping, Voiceovers)

Music and lyrics written by Ben Quick and Dennis Casey

Produced and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics:

(Chorus)
Don't you know that this world's full of lies
Wake up, it's time to open your eyes
Don't you know that this world's full of lies
It's about time you open your eyes
And see the truth

(Verse)
They're lying to you, cuz nothing is real
The truth can hurt, I know how you feel
But the secrets out, gossip has leaked
Let the truth be told, if it's truth you seek
They're lying to you, they think you're weak
The truth can burn, lets crank the heat
Your school your church they keep ya blind
Once the truth is told it'll blow your mind (woah) 

They're lying to you, cuz nothing is true
These lies are old, these lies are new
But the secret's out, can't run I've tried
Let the truth be told, you got nowhere to hide
They're lying to you, I'm sorry to tell
The time has come let me spell it out
There's a lot to learn and this won't end well
Your parents don't love you and you're going to hell

(VO)
You are a cosmic accident that was never supposed to be born
Your consciousness is an illusion
You exist only as an idea of yourself
And that idea is wrong

(Chorus)

(Verse)
It's a web full of lies so raise the alarm
That's not real cheese, not from a farm
Everything you were taught?  Yeah it's all B.S.
Don't believe everything that your Father says
Trust the process, in the plan
I'm just kidding there's no such thing
The truth can hurt like cuts and bruises
By the way, your friends hate your music (aw)
I know it sucks, go ahead and sigh
But don't hate me, I only try
To shake you free from this delusion 
Everything is fake and there's no solution
The choice is yours, I brought the news
To act or not that's up to you
But why even bother to waste your time
Nothing is real and your life's a lie

 (VO)
Broccoli isn't real
Humans invented broccoli 1500 years ago
You've been lied to
Just give up

(Chorus)
Don't you know that this world's full of lies
Give up, there's no reason to try
Don't you know that this world's full of lies
It's about time you open your eyes
And see the truth

Lies

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 19th year in a row - a song every year with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day. This year (2023) brings us a song about Sports

Featuring:
Ben Quick (Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar)
Jon Quick (Vocals)

Music by Ben Quick
Lyrics by Ben Quick and Jon Quick

Produced and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics:

(Hook)
I love sports
I love rootin'
Sometimes I get upset when my team's losin'

(Verse)
Man I love sports I'd die for my team
Every time they play I'm always glued to the screen
If my team wins I'll applaud their greatness
But if they lose I'll just go drink in my basement
Last week my favorite team lost by a goal
So I went to drive my car into a telephone pole
My wife tried to stop me said "think of our kids"
But I was too mad 'bout what those grown men did

(Hook)

(Bridge)
My dad gets upset when his sports team loses
The wall is full of holes and his knuckles got bruises
Oh no, we gotta go to the ER
But Dad's too drunk to drive his car

Now Mom says he's gotta sleep on the couch
But that won't be a problem cuz he's about to pass out

(Bridge cont)
I live and I die with every game winning drive
Lord keep my family safe from me tonight

(Hook)

(Outro)
My Dad needs a new TV again
He broke the screen when they lost by 10

Sports

Thanksgiving Dinner's 2014 release!  Our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF WRITING, RECORDING, AND RELEASING A NEW SONG EVERY THANKSGIVING!  This year's song topic: Laziness, because the song would have been a lot better, except we were being really really lazy.

Ben Quick: Guitar, Production, Vocals
Jon Quick: Vocals
Xannie/Dawson Baker: Consultation!

Lazy

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for another year, our 21 year anniversary - a song every year with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day.  We skipped last year (depression or something) but this year (2025) brings us a song about having solved all the problems in the world, and the unexpected consequences that come with it.


Featuring:
Ben Quick (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass/Drum Programming)
Brad Moeller (Vocals, Mellotron)
Dennis Casey (Vocals)

Lyrics by Ben Quick, Brad Moeller and Dennis Casey

Produced, Arranged and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics:

[Hook]
Everything’s fine
Everything’s fine
There are no more problems in the world
It took us some time
But we used our minds
And solved every last problem in the world

We did it
Yeah!!

[Verse]
The wars all ended
Our wounds have mended
You can say what you want and no one’s offended
The patriarchy has been smashed
There’s no more criminals and no more trash
Our pants don’t rip, no one is crippled
Yeah the water is safe, I think it’s safe
I love my kids and I love my wife
Even more now that there’s no genocide

[Bridge]
What should we do now that all the problems are solved?
Do we make more problems or do I just stare at this wall?
The problems all are solved
(They’ve all been solved)

[Verse]
What am I supposed to do
Starin’ for a week or two
At first it was kinda fun
Sniffin’ glue and chewing gum
Never even caught a buzz
Haven’t moved at all this month
Maybe I should call my Mom
And say what cuz nothing’s wrong
Been so long since I have felt
Anything, like at all
Back and forth I walk around
Back to staring at the wall
Looking at the window now
Wonder what it’s like to fall
Might as well, what’s the harm
I got no problems, none at all

[Hook]
Everything’s fine
Everything’s fine
There are no more problems in the world
It took us some time
But we used our minds
And solved every last problem in the world


[Outro]
I got no problems in my life
Nothin to to do but take this knife
Pull it out expose these wrists
Lets find out how sharp it is
Whoops 
It’s very sharp
I’m bleeding now
Oh well
Just blood innit 
It’ll be fine
There’s no problems




No More Problems

Thanksgiving Dinner's 2010 song.  Featuring the very talented Ben Weirich on Guitar.   Once again, we spend our Thanksgiving trying to make the most genre clashing song we can write.

Lyrics (Screaming in parenthesis)


These are my favorite things
I love all of the joy they bring
Whenever I'm feelin' down
Thinkin' 'bout them turns me around

(BQueezy)
I like some things and I hate some things
It depends what they are, they feelings they bring
Like cereal, which depends on the type
Cuz cheerios are good but wheaties are overhyped
I like outerspace and astronauts 
Maybe I'll be on someday but probably not
Cuz ya need good dental records from what I'm told
and one time I broke my tooth trying to eat gold
I like buried treasure but I hate falling from cliffs
I also hate freedom and I hate giving gifts
I hate holidays because I don't have a heart
That's why I love guns and I really hate art
Mostly I just sleep, I'm a big fan of naps
I like to dream that my job is designing maps
I hate all cars unless you drive a ford Taurus
None of this makes sense so lets just get to the chorus

These are my favorite things
I love all of the joy they bring
Whenever I'm feelin' down
Thinkin' 'bout them turns me around


(These are my favorite things)
(I hate freedom)

(J-Dubs)
I love tylenol
and I love hydrocodone  (I love pills)
I take the whole bottle
So I feel less alone
I love the ladies
and what they got
I love the ghetto (the ghetto)
minus getting shot
I love long walks (long walks)
playin' in traffic (in traffic)
I love Papa Smurf
He's fantastic (fantastic)
I love thanksgiving
I love apple pie
I love Steve Erwin
…Oh wait he died (but he died)

(Chorus)

(These are my favorite things)

Magnets
(Nitrice Oxide)
Pictionary
(Acorns)
Hair
(Gummy Bears)
Kittens
(Peanut butter)
Flowers
(Winter Scarfs)
Slavery
(Cheese)
Karate
(Ladybugs)
Baseball
(Bridges)
Grass
(Swimming)
(Chairs)
Washboards
(Rainbows)

National Security

Tom Cruise

My Favorite Things

THANKSGIVING DINNER'S NEW SONG FOR 2015!  OUR 11TH YEAR IN A ROW WRITING, RECORDING, AND RELEASING A NEW TRACK ON THANKSGIVING DAY!  THIS YEAR IT'S All ABOUT RUNNING.

Credits:
Ben Quick: Guitar, Production, Rapping
Jon Quick: Singing, Trumpet
Anna Petersen: Writing, Editing

Running

Thanksgiving Dinner's 2011 Song.  We went a little techno. Jon Quick makes his rap debut.

Shiny Objects

https://soundcloud.com/benjamin_quick/robots-robots

Robots Robots

A message from Earth to the Cosmos

Lyrics:

(Spoken)
They’re out there
Somewhere deep in space
Some say aliens have been here before and if that’s true we need them here again
I don’t know if you seen what’s going on Earth but things are pretty messed up and we need their help, we need them to save us, whenever they are

(Verse)
I stare into the heavens every day and every night
Gazing into the sky thinking ‘bout intelligent life
Wondering what they’re like, if they’re just like us
Or if they’re super advanced with lots of cool stuff
But wherever they are, we need them here soon
Cuz there’s something that we desperately need them to do
We need them to recognize this planet for what it is
Set their phasers to stun and blow the Earth into bits


(Hook)
I’ve been watching people argue on twitter for the past 47 days
And it’s clear to me that it’s time to exterminate the human race
So this is a cry to all the other galaxies
Have mercy on our souls and blow this place to smithereens


(Verse)
I think I figured out the source of my anxiety
It’s the fact that I can’t deal with society
I’m looking for the extra terrestrial
Cuz life on Earth is extra-super-terrible
They can study me, play with me
I’ll be their subject
Whatever they put into me
I will not object
Take me away, inhabiting my body
Cuz up in space we can get astronaughty
Get me off this Earth, get me off this planet
I’ve had enough I just can’t stand it

(Spoken)
Take me on your spaceship
I am ready
I am willing
I am prepared for contact

(Hook)
I’ve been looking through my Facebook Feed for the past five hours
Now I’m praying for an alien induced meteor shower
So this is a cry to all the other galaxies
We need you to eradicate the human disease

(Outro)
I’m begging’ the visitors to come and end this
Cuz I can’t keep deletin’ people off my friends list
                                            (Take me with you)
Take me where-ever you need to go
                                            (Take me in you)
Just leave the planet in a trail of smoke
                                            (Take my body)
You can test me you can pry you can probe
                                            (Do whatever you want with it)
As long as I won’t see another Facebook post
                                            (It’s for science)
If you need to do testing I’ve got numerous holes
                                            (Cuz you gotta do your research)
Just let me watch as the planet explodes


Written and recorded by Ben Quick and Jon Quick, produced by Ben Quick

As part of "Thanksgiving Dinner" - A 13-year long tradition of writing and recording a song together every Thanksgiving - for past years' songs check out this playlist:

https://soundcloud.com/benjamin_quick/sets/thanksgiving-dinner

Or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thanksgiving-Dinner-135333946522123/

TGD 2017

Save Us

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 14th year in a row - a song every Thanksgiving with whatever friends can contribute.

This year(2018), Pepper Brooks joins the fold with "Places (Canada)".  A song about places - kind of.

Written by Ben Quick and Pepper Brooks, Produced by Ben Quick

Lyrics

(Whispered)
Places
So Many Places

(Hook)
There are many different places
Its a big reason why we have maps
The world is full of lots of places
I don’t care if you’re upset by that fact  

(Verse)
I remember being three
Had a grownup sit me down to explain things to me
He said there’s something you don’t know about life
Now listen up kid - cuz I won’t say this twice
If you have to go somewhere that location must have a name
Otherwise all of everything would just sorta be the same
So to tell things a part we break them up into places
Like for example Canada is a place - - - - - -  but overalls are not
(But you can wear overalls to go places)

(Hook)
There are so many different places that all exist
It is way too many places for me to make a list
I started to try to but then I ran out of time
So I had to enlist the help of a friend of mine

(Pepper Brooks)
Yo
Pepper Brooks in the Hizzy
It's time to get busy
Here we go - 1 -2, 3 - 4

(Entire verse is just a list of Cheeses)

(Spoken)
Pepper: Wait did you say places or cheeses?
Ben: It was places
Pepper : Oh
Ben: I mean, we can do cheeses I guess

(Whispered)
Cheeses
So many cheeses

(Hook)
There are so many places where you can get cheese
You can get it at the deli or find it on the street
If you find it on the street sometimes it has dirt
But all you gotta do  is wipe it off on your shirt


Street Cheese (repeat)
Its cheese you find on the ground

Places (Canada)

Thanksgiving Dinner's 2012 song.  Featuring the singing of Jon Quick, rapping/screaming/additional singing by Ben Quick and a V/O of Carol Quick.

As always, made in 6 hours, so excuse the crappy production.

Old People

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 15th year in a row - a song every Thanksgiving with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day.

This year(2019) brings us a song about Crosswalks

Featuring
Ben Quick (Vocals, Guitar, Production)
Dennis Casey (Vocals, Keyboard)
Emily Tehan (Vocals)
Meg Connolly (Vocals)
D'Artagnan Wake (Voiceover)
Willie Moore (Voiceover)

All lyrics by Ben Quick and Dennis Casey

Music by Ben Quick, Dennis Casey and Emily Tehan

Produced and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics

(Hook)
Crosswalks

(Verse)
Tryna cross the road
But It’s just too far
4 lanes of speeding cars
I could walk, run, drop or roll
But id rather wait until im told
That its ok to walk across
Approach the curb and there I pause
And press the button on the pole
Wait until the light appears
(wait........)
A small white man without his ears
Who demonstrates the proper pose
A steady stroll without the fear 
Of getting caught beneath the wheels
Of a passing bus or a semi truck
I walked across but never looked 
From side to side but thats okay
Between the lines i'm always safe
(move you knucklehead)

(hook)
crosswalks
crosswalks

(VO)
My mom told me not to play in traffic
So ever since she said that - I haven't

(verse)
It's rough out in these streets unless you're in a cross walk
The cross walk is where I am safe
The only place where legally the cars stop
So I don’t get hit in the face

By a car or a truck
like what happened to my friend the other month
He was crossing the street but he wasn’t in a cross walk
so the upcoming cars didn’t stop
and now my friend is dead 
And at the funeral the only words that were said
was that he should have used a -

(hook)
crosswalk
a crosswalk

the only safe way to cross the street

Crosswalks

Thanksgiving Dinner returns for the 16th year in a row - a song every Thanksgiving with whatever friends can contribute - all in a single day.

This year(2020) brings us a song about Glaciers

Featuring
Ben Quick (Rapping, Vocals, Production)
Jon Quick (Rapping, Voiceover)

All lyrics by Ben Quick and Jon Quick

Music by Ben Quick and Jon Quick

Produced and Mixed by Ben Quick

Lyrics
(Hook)
I wanna be strong like a glacier
I wanna be hard like a glacier
I wanna be cool like a glacier
I wanna be a glacier 
(ooo yeah glaciers)

(verse)
I'm a glacier, and I don't need no introduction
A Tsunami would be jealous of my level of destruction
I move boulders, I make valleys
Try and melt me, watch me rally
I flow hard down the mountain, make the seas rise
I won't stop for nothin, I won't apologize
Flow is unstoppable, wreak havoc on my path
Glow is remarkable, for all to see my wrath
Leave my calling card, striations on the rock
Try to see me move, better watch the clock
See my shine from space cuz I'm always decked in ice
Try and stand before me and you know you'll pay the price
I got mountains to shape
I got valleys to flood
I got rivers to make
Give you a sip of my blood
And you love it
Can't get enough of what I do
So take cover with a view
Cuz when I'm ready to come thru
I bring destructive creations
A beautiful migration
Ice, rock, dirt and landscape imagination
Cuz I'm a glacier
I'm a glacier
(you're a dirty glacier)

(Hook)
(A big thicc glacier)

(Ben's verse is just free-styled nonsense about the Earth being flat so we have no transcript)

(Hook)
Thank God for glaciers
They hold the water in

(Big Strong Glaciers)
(So Big and Strong)
(Slick Wet Glaciers)
(Slide on into that Ocean)

Glaciers

I'm Ben, I'm a standup comedian and musician and I've long blended musical comedy into my live stand-up act.  

I lead two musical comedy projects, Garden Fresh Beats and Thanksgiving Dinner.  Both take a group approach to comedic songwriting, with the latter, Thanksgiving Dinner,  having become an annual tradition of over 20 years.   I juxtapose playful, silly themes and music with dark or absurd overtones.  Frequently irreverent, subtly satirical, and sometimes clever, the music is meant to be catchy, fun and a little subversive.  Think Bo Burnham, Jon Lajoie, Flight of The Concords, Lonely Island, etc.

This Soundcloud contains a mix of my various projects, as well as a few of my own personal songs and instrumentals, which are not always meant to be funny.  Welcome my canvas, I hope you enjoy.

Clips from my live act (and more) can be found at https://www.youtube.com/gardenfreshbeats