Pretend We're Dead

Last updated

"Pretend We're Dead"
L7pretendweredead.jpg
Single by L7
from the album Bricks Are Heavy
B-side "Shitlist"
ReleasedApril 1992
Studio Smart Studios (Madison, WI), Sound City Studios (Van Nuys, CA)
Genre Grunge [1]
Length3:55
Label Slash
Songwriter(s) Donita Sparks
Producer(s) L7, Butch Vig
L7 singles chronology
"Shove"
(1990)		"Pretend We're Dead"
(1992)		"Everglade"
(1992)
Music video
"Pretend We're Dead" on YouTube

"Pretend We're Dead" is a 1992 song by American all-female rock band L7, from the album Bricks Are Heavy . [2] It was written by Donita Sparks. It was the first single from Bricks Are Heavy and achieved moderate international success. It spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, [3] peaking at #8. It also reached #21 on the UK Singles Chart and charted in Belgium and Australia.

Contents

It has been featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Rock Band 2 , as well as numerous TV programs and films. [4]

A documentary about L7 directed by Sarah Price and titled L7:Pretend We're Dead was released in 2016. [5] [6] The film covers the band discussing challenges associated with producing the video for "Pretend We're Dead" including a crane failure that injured Suzi Gardner and heavy handed video producers that stifled the creative vision of Sparks.

Conception

Donita Sparks was in her apartment in Echo Park trying to write lyrics to a cassette she had made. She was heartbroken at the time due to a recent breakup, and she says the first thing that came to her was, "I just pretend that you're dead." She did not mean it as wanting her former paramour to be dead but felt that the only way she could get through the breakup was to pretend he was dead. Then, immediately, in her mind, she thought "I'm not writing that. It's just not gonna happen. What about, "pretend we're dead"?" She liked that because playing dead was a children's game, and it also served as a kind of commentary on Reagan/Bush–era apathy. [3]

Sparks stated that there was an unspoken sentiment in the band that love songs were to be avoided. In an interview regarding the early formation of "Pretend We're Dead" Sparks stated "We chose fierceness and humor over vulnerability because we were, you know, navigating challenging waters — women in hard rock. You had to be tough." [3]

Track listing

  1. "Pretend We're Dead" (Sparks)
  2. "Shitlist" (Sparks)
  3. "Lopsided Head"
  4. "Mr. Integrity" (Sparks)

Charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [7] 50
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] 21
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [9] 8
UK Singles (OCC) [10] 21

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L7 (band)</span> American punk rock band

L7 is an American all-female rock band founded in Los Angeles, California, first active from 1985 to 2001 and re-formed in 2014. Their longest standing lineup consists of Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks, Jennifer Finch, and Dee Plakas. L7 has released seven studio albums and has toured widely in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, and South America. "Pretend We're Dead" was heavily played on US alternative radio and entered the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Speak</span> 1996 single by No Doubt

"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was released as the third single from Tragic Kingdom in the United States on April 15, 1996, by Interscope Records. Lead singer Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric Stefani, former No Doubt member, wrote the song originally as a love song. The song went through several rewrites and new versions. Gwen modified it into a breakup song about her bandmate and ex-boyfriend Tony Kanal, shortly after he ended their seven-year relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zombie (The Cranberries song)</span> 1994 song by the Cranberries

"Zombie" is a protest song by Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, written by the band's lead singer Dolores O'Riordan about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. It was released on 19 September 1994 as the lead single from their second studio album, No Need to Argue (1994), two weeks ahead of the album's release. Music critics have long recognized "Zombie" as "a masterpiece of alternative rock", as well as a grunge number uncharacteristic of the band's other work.

<i>Bricks Are Heavy</i> 1992 studio album by L7

Bricks Are Heavy is the third studio album by American rock band L7, released on April 14, 1992, by Slash Records. The album peaked at number 160 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Heatseekers Albums chart. As of June 2000, Bricks Are Heavy has sold 327,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life of Agony</span> American metal band

Life of Agony is an American alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1989 by singer Mina Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. The band has released six studio albums to date, most notably their 1993 debut River Runs Red, named by Rolling Stone as one of the Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Finch</span> American musician, designer, and photographer

Jennifer Finch is an American musician, designer, and photographer most notable for being the primary bass player of the punk rock band L7. Active in L7 from 1986 to 1996, Finch also wrote music and performed with her bands OtherStarPeople and The Shocker in the interim before joining the reunited L7 in 2014.

<i>Hungry for Stink</i> 1994 studio album by L7

Hungry for Stink is the fourth studio album by L7, released in July 1994 by Slash Records. The album peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as number 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donita Sparks</span> American singer and guitarist

Donita Sparks is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter most notable for being the co-founder of the band L7. Sparks also initiated, performed, and released original material with her solo project, the band Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)</span> 1983 single by Journey

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a song performed by Journey, recorded for their album Frontiers and released as a single on January 5, 1983. It peaked at number eight for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and spent four weeks at number one on the Top Tracks chart. The song is also well known for its use in the film Tron: Legacy and in season four of Stranger Things.

<i>The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum</i> 1997 studio album by L7

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum is the fifth studio album by American rock band L7, released on February 25, 1997, by Slash Records in collaboration with Reprise Records. It was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood and Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. The band recorded most of the album as a trio formed by founding members Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner, and longtime drummer Demetra Plakas, following the departure of bassist Jennifer Finch. The album marks a departure from the tough rock style of its predecessors to a slower and more adventurous style.

<i>Slap-Happy</i> 1999 studio album by L7

Slap-Happy is the sixth studio album by the American rock band L7. It was released on August 24, 1999, by Bong Load Records in collaboration with Wax Tadpole Records, an independent record label that the band formed after being dropped by Reprise Records in 1997. L7 recorded the album as a trio formed by founding members Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner, and longtime drummer Demetra Plakas, following the departure of bassist Gail Greenwood. It was made with a low budget and produced by the band and their friend Brian Haught.

Sarah Price is an American filmmaker, director and producer known for the feature documentary American Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demetra Plakas</span> American musician

Demetra Plakas is an American musician, best known for being the drummer in the rock band L7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzi Gardner</span> American musician and creative director (born 1960)

Suzanne Gardner is an American musician and creative director best known for being a guitarist, vocalist, and co-founder of the punk rock band L7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battlefield (song)</span> 2009 single by Jordin Sparks

"Battlefield" is a song by the American singer Jordin Sparks, taken from her sophomore studio album of the same name. It was written by Louis Biancaniello, Ryan Tedder, Sam Watters and Wayne Wilkins, while production of the song was helmed by Tedder and The Runaways. "Battlefield" was released digitally in the United States on May 8, 2009, as the album's lead single. "Battlefield" is a mid-tempo ballad which draws from the genres of pop, R&B, pop rock and soft rock. The song's lyrics revolve around "a tumultuous relationship where neither side wants to compromise." The song's lyrical theme received comparisons to Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" (1983), and its production was compared to Benatar's "We Belong" (1984).

This is the discography for the American rock band L7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andres (song)</span> 1994 single by L7

"Andres" is a song by the American all-female rock group L7. It was released as a single in support of their fourth album Hungry for Stink. The song is an apology to a friend of the band, Andres, who was hurt by someone they introduced him to.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster (L7 song)</span> 1992 single by L7

"Monster" is a song by the American all-female rock group L7. It was released as a single in support of their third album Bricks Are Heavy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everglade (song)</span> 1992 single by L7

"Everglade" is a song by the American all-female rock group L7. It was released as a single in support of their third album Bricks Are Heavy.

<i>Scatter the Rats</i> 2019 studio album by L7

Scatter the Rats is a studio album by American rock band L7, released on May 3, 2019 through Blackheart Records. It is the band's first album in almost 20 years, following the band's 2014 reunion. It has received positive reviews.

References

  1. ↑ Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste .
  2. ↑ Watts, Ted (September 7, 1995). "L7's Finch doesn't rock by the numbers". The Michigan Daily . Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Reilly, Phoebe (March 7, 2012). "An Oral History of L7's 'Pretend We're Dead'". Spin. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  4. ↑ Ling, Dave (August 2, 2016). "The Story Behind L7's Pretend We're Dead". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  5. ↑ "L7 Detail 'Pretend We're Dead' Documentary Release". Rolling Stone . August 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ Edwards, Briony (November 8, 2017). "6 things we learned from new documentary L7: Pretend We're Dead". loudersound. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  7. ↑ "L7 – Pretend We're Dead". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ "L7 – Pretend We're Dead" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  9. ↑ "L7 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  10. ↑ "L7: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.