In addition to being the sentimental trash in the pocket of George Bailey which reminds him that life is worth living after all, "Zuzu's petals" is also the name of (at least) two bands and a song or two.
(DO NOT CLICK ON THE LAST LINK IF YOU DO NOT DIG SMOOTH INSTRUMENTAL JAMS; LINK WAS PROVIDED SOLELY FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES. IF YOU DID CLICK ON THE LINK BEFORE READING THIS WARNING, DECOY HUNCHES EXPRESS REAL NON HYPOTHETICAL CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND OFFERS YOU THE PEACE OF KNOWING THAT THERE IS A MORE EGREGIOUS, nu-METALISH SONG OF THE SAME NAME TO WHICH NO LINK WAS PROVIDED.)
True to the small-town gestalt of It's a Wonderful Life, no band has used this name to make it "big" but the closest one was an all-girl group from Minneapolis, Minnesota which formed in 1988. Their sound was loud, poppy and overall more garage-y than most of the top 40 artists of the time (except The Breeders, who they sound somewhat similar to vocally although despite one top ten single, I wouldn't really call them top 40). Zuzu's Petals released two albums (on cassette & CD, now out of print) through the local label Twin/Tone. They are:
When No One's Looking (1992)
- Cinderella's Daydream
- God Cries
- Madrid
- Gypsies Cove
- Johanne
- Psycho Tavern
- Dork Magnet
- White Trash Love
- Happy Birthday
- How Long
- Rum'n Coke
- Sisters
- Sweat Pea
- Jackals
The Music of Your Life (1994)
- Do Not
- Come True
- Chatty Cathy
- The Girl He First Met
- Remembering Why
- Don't Bother
- Feel Like Going Home
- Johnny
- Love Bulet
- Happy
The group's guitarist, Laurie Lindeen, went on to marry Paul Westerberg of The Replacements (another Minneapolis band) and made a solo EP before deciding to stop recording. In 2007 Laurie published a book about her experiences with the band called Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story. Listen to Laurie Lindeen promote her book here.
The drummer for the group, Coleen Elwood, is the only one still recording. She's part of The Baseball Project, along with Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate.
You can contact Twin/Tone & have them burn you a copy of either of the band's two releases (or consult the friendly clerk at your local used record store or find the mp3s elsewhere and pay on your conscience.)
The band does not appear to be working on new material although they do seem to be doing the infrequent reunion show in the twin cities area.
The gospel band of the same name is less popular.
There also appears to be a Hungarian metal project called "Zuzu Petals" and something else called "Zuzu's Pedals" but that's another node.