Dave Grohl Reveals the Foo Fighters Lyric He Finds ‘So F–king Stupid’ and Recalls David Bowie Telling Him to ‘F–k Off’

The Foo Fighters recently brought their signature intensity to Hot Ones Versus, turning up the heat with spicy wings and even spicier confessions. In an episode released Tuesday (May 19), Dave Grohl and his bandmates—Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, and Ilan Rubin—faced off in the competitive spinoff of the viral web series.

While the group managed to survive the gauntlet of fiery wings without too much physical distress, Grohl’s trademark transparency proved to be his ultimate defense, allowing him to dodge the dreaded “death wing” during the game.

When pressed to identify the most cringe-worthy lyrics from the band’s extensive catalog, Grohl didn’t hold back. “Take your pick. I swear there’s so many I hate,” he admitted, drawing laughs from his bandmates. He specifically pointed to the 2005 track “DOA.” Reflecting on the writing process, he candidly remarked, “’It’s a shame we have to die, my dear/ No one’s getting out of here alive.’ That’s so f–king stupid. I wrote that because you guys were pushing me to just sing something, anything.” Despite his personal distaste, the song remains a fan favorite and a staple of the band’s chart history.

The episode also saw the band—whose latest album, Your Favorite Toy, has already made a significant impact on the Billboard 200—engaging in a series of lighthearted challenges, from ranking their past musical projects to playing high-stakes games of musical chairs.

In a particularly memorable moment, Grohl shared a blunt email interaction with the legendary David Bowie. After Grohl reached out with a collaboration proposal for a movie soundtrack, Bowie offered a swift, iconic dismissal. “He said, ‘That’s not really my genre or thing. I’d love to do something, but I don’t think this is it,’” Grohl recalled. After Grohl replied with a polite sign-off, he received an immediate response from Bowie that read: “Well, that’s settled then. Now f–k off.”

You can catch the full Foo Fighters episode of Hot Ones Versus below.