You Suck (song)

Last updated

"You Suck"
You Suck Murmurs Australia.jpg
Australian CD single artwork
Single by the Murmurs
from the album Murmurs
B-side
  • "Mission"
  • "You Suck" (F*** version)
  • "Game Player"
Released1994 (1994)
Studio Sear Sound, Looking Glass (New York City)
Genre Acoustic punk [1]
Length3:15
Label MCA
Composer(s) The Murmurs
Lyricist(s) Leisha Hailey
Producer(s)
The Murmurs singles chronology
"All I Need to Know"
(1994)
"You Suck"
(1994)
"White Rabbit"
(1995)
Music video
"You Suck" on YouTube

"You Suck" is a song by American alternative pop duo the Murmurs, released as the second single from their second studio album, Murmurs (1994). The song is about a New Yorker who ripped off band members Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody sometime during the 1990s. Composed by the Murmurs, the track is an acoustic punk song with lyrics about betrayal written by Hailey.

Contents

"You Suck" was released in 1994 via MCA Records and charted at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also found success in Australia and Norway; in the latter country, it reached number one for a week in mid-1995. A more explicit version of the song featuring the phrase "you fuck" appears on the Australian single release.

Background

According to Murmurs members Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody, the song found its inspiration some time after the duo left New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The two women met a New York man who ripped them off both financially and mentally, and Hailey decided to write a song about this experience. [1] Speaking to Billboard magazine about the track, the Murmurs clarified that the song is not a track about hating men, explaining, "It's about overcoming and making it through, getting through the roughness of a situation and going on." [2] However, following the song's exposure from radio airplay, Hailey and Grody witnessed other women dedicating the song to their husbands or other people that had upset them. The two did not mind the song's feminist interpretation, saying that it helped bring attention to their music. [2]

Release and reception

MCA Records released "You Suck" in the United States in 1994. The song debuted and peaked at number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that December, staying at the position for two weeks. [3] The song also appeared on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, reaching number 23 the same month. [4] In February 1995, the song charted in Australia, peaking at number 25 the following month and staying in the ARIA Singles Chart top 50 for 10 weeks. [5] Listeners of Australian radio station Triple J ranked the song at 52 on the Hottest 100 of 1995 poll. [6]

In Europe, Music & Media magazine referred to the song as a "snake in the grass" and called it "peculiar but cool" in May 1995. [7] Later that month, on Norway's 21st chart week of 1995, "You Suck" debuted at number 19 on the country's VG-lista ranking. Two weeks later, the song entered the top 10, eventually reaching the top three on chart week 26, where it lingered for four more weeks. On chart week 31, the song rose to number one, where it stayed for that week only. It spent a total of 21 weeks in the Norwegian top 20 and was certified platinum by IFPI Norway. [8] [9]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the singles' liner notes. [10] [11] [12]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [5] 25
Norway (VG-lista) [8] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 [3] 89
US Modern Rock Tracks ( Billboard ) [4] 23

Certifications

Region Certification
Norway (IFPI Norway) [9] Platinum

Related Research Articles

<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">Mamma Mia (ABBA song)</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"Mamma Mia" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It is the opening track on the group's third album, the self-titled ABBA (1975). The song was released in September 1975 as its sixth single. The song's name is derived from Italian, where it is an interjection used in situations of surprise, anguish, or excitement. It corresponds to the English interjection "my, my!" The song was ABBA's first number one in the UK since "Waterloo" in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You (The Rembrandts song)</span> 1995 single by The Rembrandts, theme song of the television sitcom "Friends"

"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American pop rock duo the Rembrandts. The song was written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, and Allee Willis as the main theme song to the NBC sitcom Friends, which was broadcast from 1994 to 2004. American rock band R.E.M. was originally asked to allow their song "Shiny Happy People" to be used for the Friends theme, but they turned the opportunity down. "I'll Be There for You" was subsequently written and Warner Bros. Television selected the only available band on Warner Bros. Records to record it: the Rembrandts. In 1995, after a Nashville radio station brought the song to mainstream popularity, Rembrandts members Danny Wilde and Phil Sōlem expanded the theme song with two new verses and included this version on their third studio album, L.P. (1995).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What's Up? (4 Non Blondes song)</span> 1993 single by 4 Non Blondes

"What's Up?" is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes, released in March 1993 as the second single from their debut album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992). It has gained popularity in the United States and in several European countries, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The accompanying music video was directed by American film director Morgan Lawley and was also nominated in the category for Best Alternative Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return to Innocence</span> 1993 single by Enigma

"Return to Innocence" is a song by German musical group Enigma, released on 4 January 1994 by Virgin as the lead single from the group's second album, The Cross of Changes (1993). It reached number one in over 10 countries, peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, and entered the top five in several other countries. "Return to Innocence" was the project's biggest hit in the United States, reaching number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Julien Temple directed its accompanying music video, which received heavy rotation on European music channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel (Shaggy song)</span> 2001 song by Shaggy

"Angel" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Shaggy featuring additional vocals from Barbadian singer Rayvon. Sampling the 1973 song "The Joker" by American rock band Steve Miller Band and interpolating the 1967 song "Angel of the Morning" written by Chip Taylor, it was released to radio on 9 January 2001 as the follow-up to Shaggy's international number-one hit, "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" also proved to be successful, reaching number one in 12 countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Wasn't Me</span> 2000 single by Shaggy

"It Wasn't Me" is the first single from Jamaican-American reggae musician Shaggy's fifth studio album, Hot Shot (2000). The song features vocals from RikRok. The lyrics of the song depict one man asking his friend what to do after his girlfriend caught him cheating on her with "the girl next door". His friend/Shaggy's character's advice is to deny everything, despite clear evidence to the contrary, with the phrase "It wasn't me."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Murmurs</span> American pop duo

The Murmurs were an American alternative pop music duo composed of singer-songwriters Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blur discography</span>

The discography of English rock band Blur consists of nine studio albums, five live albums, five compilation albums, one remix album, two video albums, four extended plays, 35 singles, 10 promotional singles and 37 music videos. Formed in London in 1988, the group consists of singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist/singer Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Three years later, their debut release, the Madchester and shoegazing-tinged Leisure (1991), peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart. Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993) inaugurated the Britpop phase of their career. Its multi-Platinum follow-ups Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helped the band achieve mainstream popularity in Britain; every Blur studio album from Parklife onwards has topped the British charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When You Say Nothing at All</span> 1988 single by Keith Whitley

"When You Say Nothing at All" is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was a hit song for four different performers: Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 1988; Alison Krauss & Union Station, whose version was their first solo top-10 country hit in 1995; Irish singer Frances Black, whose 1996 version became her third Irish top-10 single and brought the song to the attention of Irish pop singer Ronan Keating, whose 1999 version was his first solo single and a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.

<i>A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More</i> 1989 greatest hits album by Barbra Streisand

A Collection: Greatest Hits...and More is the fourth greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released on October 3, 1989 by Columbia Records. The compilation features ten songs from Streisand's career, dating from 1975 to 1988, plus two previously unreleased songs: "We're Not Makin' Love Anymore" was released as the album's lead single on September 14, 1989, and "Someone That I Used to Love" was distributed as the second and final one in 1989. Both singles charted on several record charts internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemon Tree (Fool's Garden song)</span> 1995 single by Fools Garden

"Lemon Tree" is a song by German band Fool's Garden from their third album, Dish of the Day (1995). The band's lead vocalist, Peter Freudenthaler, said that he wrote the song on a Sunday afternoon when he was waiting for his girlfriend who did not come.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think Twice (Celine Dion song)</span> 1994 single by Celine Dion

"Think Twice" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released as the third single from her third English-language album, The Colour of My Love (1993) in North America in July 1994, in the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan in October 1994, and in other European countries in 1995. It was written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, and produced by Christopher Neil and Aldo Nova. In this rock-influenced song with a guitar solo, the protagonist is telling her lover to "think twice" before leaving her. The song became one of Dion's most successful hits in Europe and Australia, topping multiple charts, including those of Flemish Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Remaining at the top of the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks, it eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1994 single by Bon Jovi

"Always" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi. The power ballad was released in September 1994 by Mercury as a single from the band's second greatest hits album, Cross Road (1994), and went on to become one of their best-selling singles, with a million copies sold in the US and more than three million worldwide. The song reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their 11th and last top 10 hit. It was an international hit, peaking at number one in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and Switzerland, number two in Australia and the United Kingdom, and number four in Germany. The music video for the song was directed by Marty Callner. "Always" was bass player Alec John Such's final single with the band before he left in late 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Happy (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1994 single by Mary J. Blige

"Be Happy" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Arlene DeValle, and Jean-Claude Olivier from duo Poke & Tone for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Olivier. "Be Happy" contains an instrumental sample of the song "You're So Good to Me" (1979) by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of the record "I Want You" (1976) by Marvin Gaye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Going Down (Rose Royce song)</span> 1976 single by Rose Royce

"I'm Going Down" is a song written and produced by Norman Whitfield, and performed by American soul and R&B group Rose Royce in 1976. It is from the film Car Wash and is featured on its soundtrack. In 1994, it was covered by American singer Mary J. Blige.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coolio discography</span>

This is the discography of Coolio, an American rapper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbie Girl</span> 1997 single by Aqua

"Barbie Girl" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua. It was released in April 1997 by Universal and MCA as the third single from the group's debut studio album, Aquarium (1997). The song was written by band members Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, and was produced by the former two alongside Johnny Jam and Delgado. It was written after Rasted saw an exhibit on kitsch culture in Denmark that featured Barbie dolls. The accompanying music video was directed by Danish directors Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk.

<i>Pristine Smut</i> 1997 studio album by The Murmurs

Pristine Smut is an album released by American alternative pop band the Murmurs; it was released on June 24, 1997, by MCA. The album was produced by Larry Klein and k.d. lang and all tracks on the album were written by The Murmurs members Heather Grody and Leisha Hailey. The track "Squeezebox Days" featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 film All Over Me.

<i>Blender</i> (The Murmurs album) 1998 studio album (reissue) by The Murmurs

Blender is the reissue of the second studio album by American alternative pop band The Murmurs, Pristine Smut (1997). It was released on August 4, 1998 on MCA. The album was produced by Larry Klein, k.d. lang and Matthew Wilder. Blender primarily consists of tracks from their second album Pristine Smut, originally released in June 1997. One of them, "I'm A Mess", was remixed; additionally, three new songs written around the time of Pristine Smut's release are included. All of the tracks were written by band members Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody. One, "Smash", was co-written with members of rock band The Go-Go's, Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey.

References

  1. 1 2 "New Music Scene" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1070. November 18, 1994. p. 21. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Boehlert, Eric (December 10, 1994). "The Modern Age" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 106, no. 50. p. 95. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. December 24, 1994. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Alternative Airplay" . Billboard. December 17, 1994. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "The Murmurs – You Suck". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  6. "Hottest 100 1995". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  7. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 20. May 20, 1995. p. 13. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "The Murmurs – You Suck". VG-lista. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  10. 1 2 You Suck (US cassette single sleeve). The Murmurs. MCA Records. 1994. MCACS-54979.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 You Suck (Australian CD single liner notes). The Murmurs. MCA Records. 1994. MCADS-54979.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. 1 2 You Suck (European CD single liner notes). The Murmurs America. MCA Records. 1994. MCD 32523.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)