Synopsis

The clip alternates Claw Hammer performing with rough, deliberately unruly scenes built around drinking and implied aggression. Its visual world is less a literal retelling than a compressed blast of barroom menace and punk absurdity, matching the song's abrasive, manic attack. The band is presented without polish, while the narrative material pushes the track's dark humor toward provocation. The result is a confrontational early-1990s alternative-rock video whose content was considered too questionable for MTV.

Factoids & Trivia

• "William Tell" was Claw Hammer's first music video.

• Epitaph Records reportedly spent $5,000 on the production.

• MTV rejected the video because of its drinking scenes and implied violence.

• The song appeared on the band's 1993 album Pablum, released by Epitaph Records.

• "William Tell" was written by vocalist and guitarist Jon Wahl.

• The track was later singled out by AllMusic as one of Pablum's standout songs, with Wahl's manic harmonica playing noted as a defining feature.

• The video was part of a period when Epitaph was expanding beyond its established punk audience and promoting more unconventional alternative-rock acts.