Synopsis

The video opens with an overhead view of a wooded landscape before the Bosstones arrive by car. The band members emerge and perform "Royal Oil" among the trees, with the setting giving the performance a rugged, backwoods atmosphere. Intercut with the musicians are shots of a secluded cabin and increasingly destructive imagery. The performance ultimately builds toward a large explosion, turning the otherwise relaxed outdoor setting into a chaotic visual punchline.

Factoids & Trivia

• The cabin destruction was created with practical effects. Vision Crew built both a miniature replica and a live-action version of the location, with the explosion orchestrated separately and filmed by a dedicated effects crew.

• "Royal Oil" appeared on the Bosstones' fifth studio album, Let's Face It, released in 1997. It was one of the album's three singles and reached No. 22 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

• Guitarist Nate Albert wrote the music for "Royal Oil" entirely by himself. Dicky Barrett received co-writing credit for the lyrics.

• The video was part of 120 Minutes programming on MTV in late 1997, placing the Bosstones alongside alternative and punk acts during the height of the third-wave ska revival.