"4st 7lb" | |
---|---|
Song by Manic Street Preachers | |
from the album The Holy Bible | |
Released | 29 August 1994 |
Studio | Sound Space Studios, Cardiff, Wales |
Genre | |
Length | 5:05 |
Label | Epic |
Composer(s) | James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore |
Lyricist(s) | Richey Edwards |
Producer(s) | Manic Street Preachers |
"4st 7lb" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band, Manic Street Preachers, from the band's third album, The Holy Bible . [3]
Musically, the song features art rock riffs and the extensive addition of guitar reverb. [4] [1] The verse riff in the first half of the song revolves around an arpeggiated diminished seventh chord, and has been compared to that of "Eton Rifles" by The Jam. [5] Then, the song slows down and becomes a more atmospheric, minimalist base. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Lyrically, the song describes advanced-stage anorexia; [10] [11] [12] [13] it is about a teenage girl who wants "to be so skinny, that she rots from view". [14] [15] [16] [17] It has been widely interpreted as a reflection of the band's guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards's own personal struggle with the disease, [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] which was confirmed by the band's bass guitarist and co-lyricist Nicky Wire. [23] The spoken intro was sampled from the documentary Caraline's Story, which chronicles the final months of Caraline Neville-Lister, who died of anorexia in 1994 at age 29.
The song was named after 4 stones 7 pounds, or 63 pounds (29 kg), the weight below which death is said to be medically unavoidable for an anorexia sufferer. [6] [24]
The song received acclaim from music critics. Nick Butler of Sputnikmusic praised the song, referring it as "quite simply, genius". He also commented that the song "contains one of the best lyrics even written by anyone, replete with the awesome chorus", while describing the song's musical structure in detail. [6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "the diary of anorexia '4st 7lb' is one of the most chilling songs in rock & roll". [10] Tim O'Neil of PopMatters described the song as "the most specifically evocative track on the album". [15] Mark Edwards of Stylus Magazine stated that the song, along with two other tracks, "Mausoleum" and "Faster", "takes your breath away", while commenting that the song is deeply disturbing. He also inferred that "it comes as close to glamourising anorexia as you can get". [14]
Manic Street Preachers
Technical
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore, plus Nicky Wire. They form a key part of the 1990s Welsh Cool Cymru cultural movement.
Generation Terrorists is the debut studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 10 February 1992 through record label Columbia.
Gold Against the Soul is the second studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 21 June 1993 by record label Columbia. The album reached No.8 on the UK Singles Chart.
Everything Must Go is the fourth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 20 May 1996, through Epic Records, and was the first record released by the band following the disappearance of lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards.
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 14 September 1998 by record label Epic.
Forever Delayed is a greatest hits album and DVD by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released in 2002 by record label Epic. The album included three singles which had never appeared on earlier albums, as well as two new songs, the single "There by the Grace of God" and "Door to the River".
Richard James Edwards, also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his dark, politicised and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status. He has been cited as a leading lyricist of his generation, leading the Cool Cymru movement.
"Kevin Carter" is a song by Manic Street Preachers, released as the third single from their album Everything Must Go in 1996. The song peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
"She Is Suffering" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in October 1994 by record label Epic as the third and final single from the band's third studio album, The Holy Bible. It was their last single to feature Richey Edwards before his disappearance on 1 February 1995. The single reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 October 1994.
"Revol" is a song by the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in August 1994 by the Epic record label as the second single from their third studio album, The Holy Bible, which was released later in the month. The song reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart on 13 August 1994.
"La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in July 1993 by record label Columbia as the second single from their second studio album Gold Against the Soul. It reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Love's Sweet Exile" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 28 October 1991 by record label Columbia as the second single from their debut album, Generation Terrorists (1992). The B-side, "Repeat (UK)", appears on the same album.
Life Becoming a Landslide E.P. is an extended play (EP) by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. The title track is taken from their second album, Gold Against the Soul. It was released through Epic on 31 January 1994 and reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Faster" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in 1994 by record label Epic as the first single from the band's third studio album, The Holy Bible.
"Motown Junk" is the second single by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 21 January 1991.
Everything Live is an edited recording of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers performing at the Manchester NYNEX on 24 May 1997. Accompanying the album Everything Must Go, it captures the band's comeback following the disappearance of their lyricist Richey Edwards and their transition to a major band. On the tenth anniversary edition of Everything Must Go, bassist Nicky Wire cites the concert as the moment he knew that the band had "made it".
Journal for Plague Lovers is the ninth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 18 May 2009 by record label Columbia. Recorded between October 2008 and February 2009 and produced by Steve Albini and Dave Eringa, it features exclusively posthumously published lyrics by Richey Edwards, who disappeared on 1 February 1995 and was presumed deceased in 2008. It is the only Manic Street Preachers album in which the lyrics for every song were written solely by Edwards.
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 30 August 1994 by record label Epic. While the album was being written and recorded, lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards was struggling with severe depression, alcohol abuse, self-harm and anorexia nervosa, and its contents are considered by many sources to reflect his mental state. The songs focus on themes relating to politics and human suffering. The Holy Bible was the band's last album released before Edwards' disappearance on 1 February 1995.
Richard: A Novel is a book by English author and journalist Ben Myers about musician Richey Edwards. Edwards, who suffered from depression, alcoholism, anorexia and self-harm, disappeared on 1 February 1995 at the age of 27 and was declared officially presumed dead on 23 November 2008. Richard was published by Picador and was released on 1 October 2010.
"Peeled Apples" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It is the opening track of the band's ninth studio album, Journal for Plague Lovers. Produced by Steve Albini, the song, along with the other tracks of the album, features posthumous lyrics by Richey Edwards, who disappeared on 1 February 1995, and was declared legally dead in 2008.
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