"Debaser" is a song by American alternative rock band Pixies, released in April 1989 as the opening track on their album Doolittle and later as a promotional single following the dissolution of the band.[1]
| "Debaser" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Cover of the Debaser: Studio single. | ||||
| Single by Pixies | ||||
| from the album Doolittle | ||||
| A-side | "Debaser" | |||
| B-side | "Bone Machine", "Gigantic", "Isla de Encanta" | |||
| Released | July 21, 1997 | |||
| Studio | Downtown Recorders (Boston, Massachusetts) | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Black Francis | |||
| Producer(s) | Gil Norton | |||
| Pixies singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Debaser" on YouTube | ||||
Releases edit
The band's 1991 "Head On" single includes a live version of "Debaser" recorded in Chicago on August 9, 1989. The album version of the song was later released as a single in 1997 to promote the Death to the Pixies compilation.[1] A live recording from December 16, 2004, in New York City appears on "Hey" – Live Pixies 2004–2005.
A version of this song was also used in the game DJ Hero 2, remixed with The Prodigy's song "Invaders Must Die"; this mix is available as downloadable content for the game.
Lyrics and meaning edit
The lyrics of "Debaser" are based on Un Chien Andalou, a 1929 short film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. The film includes a scene in which a woman's eye is apparently cut open by a razor, which is referenced in the lyric "slicin' up eyeballs." According to frontman and songwriter Black Francis:
- I wish Buñuel were still alive. He made this film about nothing in particular. The title itself is a nonsense. With my stupid, pseudo-scholar, naive, enthusiast, avant-garde-ish, amateurish way to watch Un chien andalou (twice), I thought: 'Yeah, I will make a song about it.' [He sings:] "Un chien andalou"... It sounds too French, so I will sing "un chien andalusia", it sounds good, no?[2]
The title "Debaser" references the fact that Un Chien Andalou "debases" contemporary morality and standards of art: "I guess it means: one who debases. A debaser. It was an attempt to introduce a new word into the lexicon, but I don’t think it’s been successful, else I would have heard about it."[3]
In the earliest version of the song, the line "un chien andalusia" was originally "Shed, Apollonia!", a reference to a scene from Purple Rain.[4]
Track listing edit
Debaser – Demo
- "Debaser" (Demo) – 2:59
- "No. 13 Baby" (Demo) – 3:10
Debaser – Live
- "Debaser" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:44
- "Holiday Song" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:10
- "Cactus" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:27
- "Nimrod's Son" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 3:08
Debaser – Studio
- "Debaser" – 2:52
- "Bone Machine" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:03
- "Gigantic" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:24
- "Isla de Encanta" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 1:44
Charts edit
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 23 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[6] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b Franks, Alison (January 30, 2010). "Dusting 'Em Off: Pixies – Doolittle". Consequence. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022.
- ^ "About Debaser". Retrieved December 13, 2014. – Black Francis, translated from a Spanish interview
- ^ Pelley, Rich (February 3, 2022). "Pixies frontman Black Francis: 'Kim Deal? We're always friends – but nothing is for ever'". The Guardian. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (2006). Doolittle. 33⅓. New York: Continuum. p. 80. ISBN 0-8264-1774-4.
- ^ "Pixies: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "British single certifications – Pixies – Debaser". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 29, 2023.