“Cannonball" by The Breeders was originally titled "Grunggae," a combination of "grunge" and "reggae." The name came from Kim Deal thinking the accented riff resembled the accent in reggae.
Released as the lead single from their second album, Last Splash, it became their biggest commercial success. When asked if she had any idea this song would be a hit, Kim Deal replied: "Did we record a song that opened with me saying, 'Check 1-2,' and then loads of vocal feedback from my brother's harmonica mike, and think, 'This is destined for radio?' That was the sort of thing that didn't get you played on the radio then. We thought no one would play it."
The music video for "Cannonball" was directed by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Spike Jonze.
