Debaser

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I wish Buñuel were still alive. He made this film about nothing in particular. The title itself is a nonsense. With my stupid, pseudo-scholar, naive, enthusiast, avant-garde-ish, amateurish way to watch Un chien andalou (twice), I thought: "Yeah, I will make a song about it." [He sings:] "Un chien andalou"... It sounds too French, so I will sing "un chien andalusia", it sounds good, no?

The title "Debaser" references the fact that Un Chien Andalou "debases" contemporary morality and standards of art: "I guess it means: one who debases. A debaser. It was an attempt to introduce a new word into the lexicon, but I don’t think it’s been successful, else I would have heard about it." [3]

In the earliest version of the song, the line "un chien andalusia" was originally "Shed, Apollonia!", a reference to a scene from Purple Rain . [4]

Track listing

Debaser – Demo

  1. "Debaser" (Demo) – 2:59
  2. "No. 13 Baby" (Demo) – 3:10

Debaser – Live

  1. "Debaser" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:44
  2. "Holiday Song" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:10
  3. "Cactus" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:27
  4. "Nimrod's Son" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 3:08

Debaser – Studio

  1. "Debaser" – 2:52
  2. "Bone Machine" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:03
  3. "Gigantic" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:24
  4. "Isla de Encanta" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 1:44

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Doolittle . [5]

Charts

"Debaser"
Debaser (Pixies single - cover art).jpg
Cover of the Debaser: Studio single.
Single by Pixies
from the album Doolittle
A-side "Debaser"
B-side "Bone Machine", "Gigantic", "Isla de Encanta"
ReleasedJuly 21, 1997 (1997-07-21)
Studio Downtown Recorders (Boston, Massachusetts)
Genre Alternative rock
Length2:52
Label Elektra
Songwriter Black Francis
Producer Gil Norton
Pixies singles chronology
"Head On"
(1991)		"Debaser"
(1997)		"Bam Thwok"
(2004)
Audio sample
Chart (1997)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [6] 23

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [7] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 Franks, Alison (January 30, 2010). "Dusting 'Em Off: Pixies – Doolittle". Consequence . Archived from the original on September 21, 2022.
  2. ↑ "About Debaser" . Retrieved December 13, 2014. – Black Francis, translated from a Spanish interview
  3. ↑ Pelley, Rich (February 3, 2022). "Pixies frontman Black Francis: 'Kim Deal? We're always friends – but nothing is for ever'". The Guardian . Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ Sisario, Ben (2006). Doolittle. 33⅓. New York: Continuum. p. 80. ISBN   0-8264-1774-4.
  5. ↑ Pixies (1989). Doolittle (liner notes). 4AD.
  6. ↑ "Pixies: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ "British single certifications – Pixies – Debaser". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
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