Israel's Son

Last updated

"Israel's Son"
Israelsson large.jpg
Single by Silverchair
from the album Frogstomp
Released12 April 1995 (Australia)
Recorded1994
Genre
Length5:20
Label Murmur
Songwriter(s) Daniel Johns
Producer(s) Kevin "Caveman" Shirley
Silverchair singles chronology
"Pure Massacre"
(1995)
"Israel's Son"
(1995)
"Shade"
(1995)

"Israel's Son" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair, released on 12 April 1995 as the third single from their debut album, Frogstomp (1995). It was included on Silverchair's The Best Of: Volume 1 compilation album, released on 13 November 2000. A live video recording of "Israel's Son" at the Sydney Royal Easter Show was included on the bonus DVD with the Frogstomp: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition remaster, released on 27 March 2015.

Contents

In April 2022, The Guardian ranked "Israel's Son" at #8 on their "The 25 best Silverchair songs - sorted" list. [3]

Origin

Vocalist and guitarist Daniel Johns said about the song in an interview with Request Magazine in November 1995:

That [song] was about an execution I saw on tele. I got this video of an execution, and I just saw it, and I was watching it one night, and I had a dream about it, and I woke up and thought, 'Oh yeah, that's pretty cool', and I wrote a song about it. [4]

Music video

A music video, directed by Nigel Dick, was made for the song, with filming taking place at Rancho Maria in Canyon Country, California on 19 December 1995. [5]

1995 concert bottling incident

On 17 September 1995, Johns was hit with a bottle of alcohol while Silverchair performed "Israel's Son" at Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California during a U.S. tour; the injury required six stitches around his left eyebrow. [6]

1996 murder trial

In a January 1996 murder case, the defendant counsel for Brian Bassett, 16, and Nicholaus McDonald, 18, of McCleary, Washington, claimed that the pair listened to "Israel's Son", from Frogstomp, which contributed to the murders of Bassett's parents and a younger brother on August 10, 1995. [7] [8] McDonald's lawyer cited the lyrics "'Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead'" which were "almost a script. They're relevant to everything that happened". [9]

The band's manager, John Watson, was quoted as stating on behalf of Silverchair:

"Silverchair do not, have not, and never would condone violence of any sort. The band is appalled by this horrific crime and they hope that justice will prevail in prosecuting whoever is responsible for it. The band extends its sincere sympathies to the families and friends of the victims in this case. Silverchair absolutely rejects any allegation that their song is in any way responsible for the actions of the alleged murders. It is a matter of public record that the song in question, Israel's Son, was inspired by a television documentary about wartime atrocities. Israel's Son was never intended to provoke violence and cannot be interpreted by any reasonable person as doing so. In fact, the song seeks to criticise violence and war by portraying them in all their horror."

Prosecutors rejected the defence case and convinced the jury that the murder was committed to "steal money and belongings and run off to California." [7]

Track listing

Israel's Son CD/MC EP (Australian version) (MATTCD012)/(MATTC012)

  1. "Israel's Son"
  2. "Blind (Live)"
  3. "Leave Me Out (Live)"
  4. "Undecided (Live)"

Charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [10] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [11] 12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard) [12] 39

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [13] Gold35,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

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Silverchair are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, with Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, Ben Gillies on drums, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo competition conducted by SBS TV show Nomad and ABC radio station Triple J. The band was signed by Murmur and were successful in Australia and internationally. Silverchair has sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

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