Sheena Is a Parasite

Last updated
"Sheena Is a Parasite"
Sheena is a parasite.jpg
Single by the Horrors
from the album Strange House
B-side "Jack the Ripper"
Released10 April 2006
Genre Garage punk
Length1:40
Label Loog
Songwriter(s) Faris Badwan, Tom Cowan, Joshua Hayward, Joseph Spurgeon, Rhys Webb
The Horrors singles chronology
"Sheena Is a Parasite"
(2006)
"Count in Fives"
(2006)

"Sheena Is a Parasite" is the debut single by English rock band the Horrors, released in April 2006 by Loog Records.

Contents

Content

The title and content are adapted from the Ramones single "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" as well as the Cramps' "Sheena's in a Goth Gang", and the song chronicles the demise of punk music and its cultural influence.

The B-side is a cover of the Screaming Lord Sutch song "Jack the Ripper".

Music video

The Chris Cunningham-directed video starred Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton as the song's manic, transmogrifying subject who whipped around like a banshee and spewed her intestines at the camera. Sharply edited and shot on a low budget, the video was instantly banned from MTV UK purely on the basis of the use of strobe lights, not because of the gory subject matter (as was erroneously reported by NME ). [1] [2] The video did air on MTV2 in America, as a part of their Subterranean program. [3]

Billboard included the video at No. 14 in its list of "The 15 Scariest Music Videos Ever". [4]

Legacy

In October 2011, NME placed "Sheena Is a Parasite" at No. 96 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". [5]

Track listing

  1. "Sheena Is a Parasite"
  2. "Jack the Ripper"

Related Research Articles

<i>Rocket to Russia</i> 1977 studio album by the Ramones

Rocket to Russia is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, and was released on November 4, 1977, through Sire Records. It is the band's last album to feature original drummer Tommy Ramone, who left the band in 1978 to focus on production. The album's origins date back to the summer of 1977, when "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" was released as a single. That summer was known as the peak of the punk rock genre since many punk bands were offered recording contracts. The album's recording began in August 1977, and the band had a considerably larger budget with Sire allowing them between $25,000 and $30,000; much of this money went toward the album's production rather than recording.

<i>Homework</i> (Daft Punk album) 1997 studio album by Daft Punk

Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. It was released in the US on 25 March 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song 2</span> 1997 single by Blur

"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No One Knows</span> 2002 single by Queens of the Stone Age

"No One Knows" is a song by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age written by band members Josh Homme and Mark Lanegan. It was the first single and second track from their third album, Songs for the Deaf, and was released on November 26, 2002. "No One Knows" was a chart success, becoming the band's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and their only single to top the US Alternative charts. The song was also critically acclaimed, receiving a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reptilia (song)</span> 2004 single by the Strokes

"Reptilia" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Room on Fire (2003) on February 9, 2004. The song was written by Julian Casablancas and produced by Gordon Raphael. In the US, it peaked at number 19 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It fared better in the UK, where it reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The single cover depicts an alien from the video game Centipede.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger</span> 2001 song by Daft Punk

"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is a song by French duo Daft Punk, released on 13 October 2001 as the fourth single from their second studio album Discovery. A live version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" was released as a single from the album Alive 2007 on 15 October 2007. This version won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2009. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 132 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard to Explain</span> 2001 single by The Strokes

"Hard to Explain" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, Is This It (2001), June 25, 2001. It peaked at number 7 in Canada, number 10 in Ireland, and number 16 in the United Kingdom. In a 2023 interview, producer Gordon Raphael explained that the song was originally written by frontman Julian Casablancas with his drum machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Around the World (Daft Punk song)</span> 1997 single by Daft Punk

"Around the World" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It was written by the duo and released in April 1997 by Virgin as the second single from their debut studio album, Homework (1997). The song became a major club hit globally and reached number one on the dance charts in Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also peaked at number one in Iceland and Italy. The song's lyrics solely consist of the words "around the world", repeated on loop for a total of 144 times. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry and choreographed by Blanca Li. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 21 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Armed Scissor</span> 2000 single by At the Drive-In

"One Armed Scissor" is the debut single by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released in 2000 from their album Relationship of Command. It was the first At the Drive-In song to be played regularly on a number of radio stations, and is considered to be one of the first emo songs to have achieved mainstream success. The song reached No. 26 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and No. 64 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also the encore song of their 2016 reunion tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hounds of Love (song)</span> 1986 single by Kate Bush

"Hounds of Love" is a song written, produced and performed by English singer Kate Bush. It is the title track and the third single released from her No. 1 studio album Hounds of Love. The single was released in the UK on 1 March 1986 and reached No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebrity Skin (song)</span> 1998 single by Hole

"Celebrity Skin" is a song by American alternative rock band Hole, released on August 31, 1998 as the first single from their third studio album of the same name. It is their most commercially successful single, being the only one to reach the top place on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. In October 2011, NME ranked it the 126th best track of the past 15 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Da Funk</span> 1995 single by Daft Punk

"Da Funk" is an instrumental track by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, initially released as a 12-inch single in May 1995 by Soma and Virgin and later included on their debut album, Homework (1997). Prior to its inclusion on the album, "Da Funk" received little attention and was limited to 2,000 copies. The song and its accompanying music video directed by Spike Jonze are considered classics of 1990s house music. It went on to sell 30,000 copies in 1997. A reversed clip of "Da Funk" was also released on Homework as "Funk Ad", which is the final track on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheena Is a Punk Rocker</span> 1977 song by Ramones

"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by American punk rock band Ramones, released in 1977 through Sire Records. Written by front man and lead vocalist Joey Ramone it appears on the band's third studio album Rocket to Russia (1977). The song is well known for its early 1960s influence of surf rock and bubblegum pop that influenced Joey; it has since remained one of the band's most popular songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs song)</span> 2003 single by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

"Maps" is a song by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their debut full-length album, Fever to Tell (2003). The song is about the relationship between Liars frontman Angus Andrew and Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O. Released in September 2003, the song reached number nine on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 26 in the United Kingdom. The band performed the song at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, and the music video received extensive play on MTV.

<i>Strange House</i> 2007 studio album by The Horrors

Strange House is the debut studio album by English rock band the Horrors, released on 5 March 2007 by Loog Records.

<i>The Horrors</i> (EP) 2006 EP by The Horrors

The Horrors is the debut EP by English rock band the Horrors, released on 24 October 2006 by record label Stolen Transmission. It consists of the A- and B-sides to the two singles previously released by the band: "Death at the Chapel" and "Sheena Is a Parasite".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-Punk</span> 2008 single by Vampire Weekend

"A-Punk" is a song by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008, as the second single from their 2008 self-titled debut album. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on the Late Show with David Letterman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rat (song)</span> 2004 single by The Walkmen

"The Rat" is a song by American indie rock band the Walkmen. It was released as the first single from their second studio album, Bows + Arrows (2004), on April 19, 2004. The song peaked at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under Cover of Darkness</span> 2011 single by The Strokes

"Under Cover of Darkness" is a song by American rock band The Strokes. The single served as the lead single for their fourth studio album, Angles, and was released online on February 9, 2011 as a free download for 48 hours exclusively. It was the first single release from the band in five years, following the release of "You Only Live Once" in 2006. "Under Cover of Darkness" received positive reviews, managing to reach BBC Radio 1's A Playlist; before going on to debut at number 47 on the respective chart. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 133 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Jealous Lovers</span> 2002 single by The Rapture

"House of Jealous Lovers" is a song by American indie rock band the Rapture. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Echoes, in March 2002, through DFA Records in the US and Output Recordings in the UK. It was eventually re-released in 2003.

References

  1. "10 Amazing Music Videos of the 21st Century". Whatculture.com. 27 March 2014.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2016-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Subterranean: 2006". 120minutes.org. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  4. Comer, M. Tye; Lipshutz, Jason; Mapes, Jillian (October 31, 2013). "The 15 Scariest Music Videos Ever". Billboard . Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.com. Retrieved 2011-10-15.