Oingo Boingo Secret Appreciation Society

Oingo Boingo Secret Appreciation Society

We dive deep into Oingo Boingo to reveal its glistening heart. We explore recurring themes and connections in Oingo Boingo’s song catalogue, look at the history and future of the band and their wild fan base, feature lyric and song analyses, and much more!

Episodes

June 21, 2026 32 mins

Adam tells tales of discovering Oingo Boingo in 1980, the joys of slam dancing, and the thrill of the hunt for all things Boingo back in the pre-internet era.

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law...

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Tanya tells the story of nearly missing her first Oingo Boingo concert - and how an unlikely source came to her rescue!

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purp...

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May 16, 2026 23 mins

Jo fell deep down the Oingo Boingo rabbit hole and discovered that there's life underground!

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment,...

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April 22, 2026 115 mins

Come turn the water into wine with us as we reveal the hidden mysteries of Oingo Boingo's "Glory Be"! We explore the religious imagery, themes of rebirth and resurrection, and the ins and outs of the donk-donks, the chugga-chuggas, and the honk-honks. 

Song Clips:

  • "Glory Be," Oingo Boingo, Dark at the End of the Tunnel  (1990)
  • "Fill the Void," Oingo Boingo, Good For Your Soul  (1983)

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a ...

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March 14, 2026 14 mins

Find out how Terri went from Oingo Boingo skeptic to devotee!

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, parody, and education.

...

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March 7, 2026 15 mins

We talk with Clay about how he got infected with the Boingo virus and his adventures in the desert tooling around in a Baja Bug!

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips...

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February 21, 2026 53 mins

Meet Jose Maldonado, the vocalist for Oingo Boingo Former Members! Jose, who is known as "the Mexican Morrisey," talks about his deep connections to the SoCal music scene, his personal history with Oingo Boingo, his experiences as the lead singer for the Sweet and Tender Hooligans, and why he was beyond stoked to get that call from Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez. 

Listen to him DJ every weekday morning from 9 am to 12 pm Pacific at T...

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February 4, 2026 11 mins

The new OBSAS series kicks off with Adam from North Dakota, who shares their love of "Private Life," Nightmare Before Christmas, and what got them hooked on Oingo Boingo!

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright ...

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January 28, 2026 44 secs

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond directly to texts, but we read them all!)

Please note: The music and film clips included in this podcast (listed above) fall under the "Fair Use Doctrine" as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, parody, and education.

WEBSITE
Oingo Boingo Secret Appreciation Society

SU...

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January 14, 2026 64 mins

Brian Swartz, trumpeter extraordinaire, shares insights and inside-baseball stories with us. You'll learn what it means to play in the pocket, what a "Boingo short" note is, and much more, as jazz expert Brian takes us on a fascinating journey through the ins and outs of playing with Oingo Boingo Former Members. 

Be sure to check out his website for upcoming shows!

Song Clips:

  • "To Be With You," - The Brian Swartz Quartet, To ...
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December 16, 2025 76 mins

Take the whole day off with us as we unpack the strange influences of this surreal fairy-tale tune. Plus you'll get to meet our shiny new panelist, Matt McG!

Song Clips:

  • "Whole Day Off" - Oingo Boingo, Nothing to Fear  (1982)
  • "Whole Day Off" - Oingo Boingo, Farewell (1996)

Fan Supplied Content:

  • "Whole Day Off" - Oingo Boingo, Live in Phoenix (1983)

Thoughts? Send OBSAS a Text Message! (Please note, we can't respond...

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October 10, 2024 65 mins

Relax with the Secret Appreciation Society on a tropical island, because nothing bad ever happens to us - and don’t worry about the mushroom cloud in the distance. We break down this synth-driven tune from the 1983 album Good For Your Soul

Song Clips:

  • "Nothing Bad Ever Happens" - Oingo Boingo, Good For Your Soul (1983)

Fan-Supplied Content:

  • "Goodbye-Goodbye" - The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, bootleg de...
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August 20, 2024 62 mins

Who's going down with the Elevator Man? For that matter, who is the Elevator Man? Join the OBSAS crew as we navigate the ups and downs in this bouncy tune from the 1987 album Boi-Ngo.

Song Clips:

  • “The Passion of Wisdom” - Danny Elfman, Wisdom (1986)
  • “Elevator Man” - Oingo Boingo, Boi-Ngo (1987)
  • “Elevator Man” - Oingo Boingo, Boingo Alive (1988)
  • “Face Like A Frog” - Danny Elfman, Music ...
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July 22, 2024 51 mins

How many times in a row can lightning strike? Three times? (Or is it four?) Come help us count the holes! Listen for the layered meanings and the Devil's tritone embedded in this classic tune from the 1984 Danny Elfman album So-Lo.

Song Clips:

  • “Lightning” - Danny Elfman, So-Lo (1984)

Fan-Supplied Content:

  • “Goodbye-Goodbye” - The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, bootleg dem...
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June 17, 2024 62 mins

Charlie! Turn on the lights, Charlie!

If you’ve ever watched an Oingo Boingo concert, purchased an Oingo Boingo t-shirt, or coveted a copy of the Demo EP, you have Charlie Unkeless to thank. Charlie has been with Oingo Boingo going all the way back to the Mystic Knights days, and has seen and heard it all. In this episode, we get to hear a few of his stories.

Trust us. You are not going to want to miss this epis...

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May 20, 2024 49 mins

We are back!!!  And we kick off our return with the title track to Oingo Boingo’s 1983 album, Good For Your Soul.  Join us as we examine Good For Your Soul's universally relatable themes, pick apart the various layers of synthesized goodness, and analyze the song’s progression over the years.
Trust us just once or twice.  This episode will be Good For Your Soul.
Song Clips:

  • “Good For Your S...
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January 14, 2024 96 mins

We’ve got you covered!

We ring in the new year by covering ten songs that Oingo Boingo covered over the years: Minnie The Moocher, Violent Love, California Girls, You Really Got Me, Monster Mash, Rawhide, Heard It Through The Grapevine, Sunshine of Your Love, I Am The Walrus, and Open Eyes.

That should cover it!

Song Clips:

  • “Minnie The Moocher” - Cab Calloway, Minnie The Moocher (1931)
  • “Violent Love” - ...
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November 20, 2023 50 mins

Let’s have a party! There’s a full moon in the sky!

Join us as we sing the praises of one of Oingo Boingo’s gleefully macabre songs from 1985, No One Lives Forever. We explore the moral philosophy of mortality, examine genre influences, and discover a new OBSAS drinking game.

Let’s drink to bones that turn to dust!

Song Clips:

  • “No One Lives Forever” - Oingo Boingo, Dead Ma...
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October 16, 2023 70 mins

It’s all in the name of science… Weird Science.

Join us as we examine the magic and technology of Oingo Boingo’s hit song from 1985, Weird Science. We review the John Hughes film, explore the bits and pieces that make up the song, and navigate the diagrams and charts of the music video.

Let’s shoot from the hip and discover just what is behind those bolted doors!
 
Song Clips:

  • &l...
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September 18, 2023 63 mins

We’ve been Waiting For You!
Join us as we dig deep into Oingo Boingo’s archives with two unreleased songs from 1983's Good For Your Soul recording sessions: Waiting For You and Into The Fire (previously known as All The Pieces).
We explore the themes of toxic behavior, debate a polarizing misheard lyric (is it oven or other?!?), and look at the differences among the different versions.
Let’s jump Into The...

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