Monster Hospital

Last updated
"Monster Hospital"
3Metric.png
Single by Metric
from the album Live It Out
ReleasedAugust 7, 2006 [1]
Genre Indie rock, new wave
Length3:34
Label Drowned In Sound
Songwriter(s) Metric
Metric singles chronology
"Combat Baby"
(2004)
"Monster Hospital"
(2006)
"Poster of a Girl"
(2006)

"Monster Hospital" is a song by Canadian rock band Metric from their second album, Live It Out . It is the album's first single, followed by "Poster of a Girl".

Contents

The song makes reference to Bobby Fuller and the chorus tributes his hit song I Fought the Law replacing "Law" with "War". It also contains a reference to Daddy Warbucks from Annie . [2] They performed the song live at the MuchMusic Video Awards in 2006, which ended with a "stage jump" by lead singer Emily Haines where she jumped into the crowd on Queen Street in Toronto. [3]

During the announcement of the Sony PlayStation 4, the MSTRKRFT remix of the song was played in the opening video.

The song appears to refer to the political stance taken by the band in their earlier years, clearly stated by use of anti-war imagery in their music videos, during a time of rising military action. In recent years [ when? ] Emily has stated the song is about post traumatic stress disorder. [ citation needed ]

"Monster Hospital" was selected as NME Track of the Week [4] and also featured at number 12 on NME Tracks of 2006. [4]

Music video

The video starts with Emily Haines walking into her living room and inserting Metric's Live It Out record into her record player. As soon as the song starts, the screen turns black and white and hands pull Emily through her carpet. During the first verse, the video interlopes with Emily singing on the floor in the living room and on a bed. When the first chorus begins, we see Jimmy Shaw playing the guitar covered in blood, while Emily sings. Hands are reaching through the roof and walls, trying to grab her (a reference to the 1965 Roman Polanski film Repulsion ). During the second verse, Emily is walking down a hallway, looking around in fear as she continues to sing. We go back to Jimmy Shaw during the second chorus. During the bridge and final chorus, blood begins to leak from a lightbulb, a power socket, a television set, and other appliances (probably a reference to Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead). When the song ends, the screen becomes coloured again, and Emily sighs in relief, apparently just dreaming.

Track listing

  1. "Monster Hospital"
  2. "Dead Disco (Kylie Kills Mix)"
  3. "Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)"

Related Research Articles

Metric (band) Canadian indie rock band

Metric is a Canadian rock band founded in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Emily Haines, James Shaw, Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key. The band started in 1998 as a duo formed by Haines and Shaw with the name "Mainstream". After releasing an EP titled Mainstream EP, they changed the band's name to Metric.

Someone to Call My Lover 2001 single by Janet Jackson

"Someone to Call My Lover" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson from her seventh studio album, All for You (2001). Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song was released as the album's second single on June 12, 2001, by Virgin Records. Using a guitar riff from America's "Ventura Highway" and the melody from Erik Satie's "Gymnopedié No. 1", "Someone to Call My Lover" talks about being determined to find a perfect match.

Emily Haines Canadian singer and songwriter

Emily Savitri Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the rock band Metric and a member of the musical collective Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she has performed under her own name and as Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. Haines possesses the vocal range of a mezzo-soprano.

<i>Live It Out</i> 2005 studio album by Metric

Live It Out is the second album released by the Canadian indie rock band Metric. It was released on September 27, 2005, on Last Gang Records. The album has sold 45,000 copies in the US, and went platinum in Canada selling 100,000 units.

Mstrkrft Canadian electronic music duo

Mstrkrft is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort. Al-P was also the producer for Death from Above 1979's album You're a Woman, I'm a Machine as well as several of Black Cat #13's records. The duo have been close friends, as well as work partners, for a long time. Mstrkrft also produced Die Mannequin's first EP, How to Kill, and Magneta Lane's second LP, Dancing With Daggers.

Unappreciated (song) 2006 single by Cherish

"Unappreciated" is a R&B song by the girl group Cherish. It is the second single to be released off their debut album, Unappreciated. The single was released in 2006. It was produced by Jazze Pha. The single charted on various countdowns. It peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. It charted more successfully on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts at number 14. It charted on one video countdown, BET's 106 & Park, where it debuted at number 10 on October 12, 2006. On November 7, 2006, the single jumped from number 10 to number 5 and was named a "Monster move" on the channel. It peaked at number 2 on the countdown.

James Shaw (musician) Musical artist

James Shaw is a founder and lead guitarist of Canadian indie rock band Metric. He is also a member of the band Broken Social Scene and an award-winning producer.

Lazer Beam 2005 single by Super Furry Animals

"Lazer Beam" is a single by Super Furry Animals. It was the only single to be released from the Love Kraft album and reached #28 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is "about making your own reality" and tells the story of aliens coming down to earth to shoot humans with laser beams which "make them intelligent rather than being jerks". Some of singer Gruff Rhys's lyrics were lifted from a speech made by Tony Blair at the Labour Party Conference in 2004.

Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) 2007 single by Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia

"Sweetest Girl " is the lead single from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's sixth studio album, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. The R&B and hip hop song features vocals from Niia and Akon, as well as rapper Lil Wayne. Verizon Wireless released the song on their V CAST service on August 7, 2007. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.

Work (The Saturdays song) 2009 single by The Saturdays

"Work" is a song by British-Irish girl group The Saturdays from their debut studio album, Chasing Lights (2008). The song was written by Ina Wroldsen, Harry Sommerdahl and Kalle Engström. It was released on 29 June 2009 as the album's fifth and final single.

Help Im Alive 2008 single by Metric

"Help I'm Alive" is the lead single from Canadian rock band Metric's fourth studio album Fantasies. The song was released digitally on December 23, 2008.

XXXO 2010 single by M.I.A.

"XXXO" is a song by English recording artist M.I.A., released as the lead single from her third studio album, Maya (2010). The song was written by M.I.A., Charles "Blaqstarr" Smith and Cherry Byron-Withers, and produced by Blaqstarr and Rusko. "XXXO" was first released as a digital download following its world premiere on radio on 10 May 2010, and released in physical format in the United Kingdom on 28 June 2010. Two XXXO remix EPs were released alongside the single, featuring Jay-Z, SBTRKT, KickRaux amongst others on official remixes. The song's release followed the digital release of "Born Free", also from Maya.

Gold Guns Girls 2009 single by Metric

"Gold Guns Girls" is the fourth single from Canadian rock group Metric's fourth studio album Fantasies. The lyrics were inspired by the 1983 movie, Scarface. The song was released in the UK and US for radio airplay in December 2009 and as a download single in the UK on April 25, 2010. Metric also released an acoustic version of the song on their EP Plug In Plug Out.

Ass on the Floor 2011 single by Diddy — Dirty Money

"Ass on the Floor" is a song performed by Diddy and the duo Dirty Money, lifted from their debut album, Last Train to Paris. The song features guest vocals and production from record producer Swizz Beatz. It was released as the third UK single taken from the album on 18 April 2011. "Ass on the Floor" was co-written by the lead performers, as well as Leroy Watson. Incorporating pounding drums and shimmering synthesizers, "Ass on the Floor" was praised by critics as one of the best songs on Last Train to Paris.

Todor Kobakov Musical artist

Todor Kobakov is a Bulgarian-Canadian composer, producer, arranger and pianist based in Toronto, Ontario. He is best known for his solo piano album Pop Music, his commercial and film scores and for his collaborations within Toronto's indie music scene.

Wonderful World!! (Kanjani Eight song) 2010 single by Kanjani8

"Wonderful World!!" is a single release by the Japanese boyband Kanjani8. The song was written and composed by ROADIE with music arranged by Yasutaka Kume. It is accompanied by the B-side titled, " Ukiyo Odoribito " which was written and composed by TAKESHI. This single release was the band's first release for 2010 and their 14th single release overall. The single was released by Imperial Records as the second single release for their fourth album, 8 Uppers. The single also served as the introduction to the 8 Uppers story, the movie that also came with the album's release.

Blood for Poppies 2012 single by Garbage

"Blood for Poppies" is the 2012 lead single from alternative rock band Garbage's fifth studio album Not Your Kind of People, released to radio worldwide and as the band's Record Store Day single in the United States.

<i>Synthetica</i> 2012 studio album by Metric

Synthetica is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Metric, released on 12 June 2012. The first single, "Youth Without Youth", was released on 1 May 2012. "Speed the Collapse" was released as a sneak preview on 23 May 2012.

"No Man's Land" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Kumi Koda, taken from her tenth studio album, Japonesque (2012). It was written by Koda, Mr. Blistah, Pete Kirtley, Jorge Mhondera, Samiya Berrabah, with production being done by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song premiered on January 18, 2012 as the album's fifth promotional digital single, which was served through online retailers Dwanga, Mora, Mu-Mo, music.jp and Recochoku. It was re-released as a promotional radio airplay single on January 25, the same release date as Japonesque. The single artwork uses the CD and double DVD cover of Japonesque, which was used exclusively through Recochoku stores.

Lust for Life (Lana Del Rey song) 2017 single by Lana Del Rey featuring the Weeknd

"Lust for Life" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey with a guest appearance by Canadian singer the Weeknd. The song was written and produced by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, with additional writing from the Weeknd and Max Martin and additional production from Dean Reid and Kieron Menzies. It was released on April 19, 2017, through Polydor Records and Interscope Records, as the second single from her fifth studio album of the same name (2017). A dream pop song, "Lust for Life" is reminiscent of 1960s music, especially from girl groups like the Shangri-Las and the Angels; the latter's 1963 song "My Boyfriend's Back" is referenced in the lyrics. It also quotes the poem "Invictus" by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903).

References

  1. "Monster Hospital - Metric | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  2. McGee, Alan (31 January 2008). "2008 will be Metric's year". The Guardian.
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_HutckZchY
  4. 1 2 "Rocklist.net...NME End Of Year Lists 2006..." Retrieved 22 April 2013.