Photos: THE BACON BROTHERS Reissue UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY With Updated Lyrics
Kevin and Michael Bacon revisit the track with newly remastered audio via Forty Below Records.
The Bacon Brothers are marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with a reissue of 'Unhappy Birthday,' featuring updated lyrics and a newly remixed and remastered recording.
When Kevin Bacon wrote 'Unhappy Birthday,' the goal was simple but deeply personal: to process and remember the events of September 11, 2001.
Written for the first anniversary of 9/11, the song reflected a tragedy that was still painfully immediate. It gave the band a way to respond to the weight of that moment and offered listeners another way to remember.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, The Bacon Brothers have revisited 'Unhappy Birthday,' remixing and remastering the song while updating its lyrics to reflect the passage of time. Rather than preserving it as a snapshot of one moment in history, they have given the song a new perspective that honors its original emotion while speaking to where things are today.
'The world has changed a lot in the past 25 years, so we wanted to update the lyrics to reflect the passage of time,' Michael said. Kevin echoed the sentiment.
The new version is rooted in the memories and emotions that shaped the original, but a quarter-century brings a different understanding. The people, circumstances, and world surrounding the song have all changed, making this return both meaningful and necessary.
The recording features Kevin Bacon on vocals, guitar, and percussion; Michael Bacon on vocals, guitar, and cello; Paul Guzzone on vocals and bass; Ira Siegal on guitar and vocals; Charlie Giordano on keyboards and accordion; Frank Vilardi on drums; and Marshal Rosenberg on percussion. Together, they breathe new life into the song while honoring its original emotional core.
The new version isn't meant to replace what came before, but to acknowledge everything that's happened since. 'Unhappy Birthday' remains a document of memory—and a reminder that memory itself evolves with time.
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