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Debaser
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Debaser
| cover = Debaser (Pixies single - cover art).jpg
| alt =
| border = yes
| caption = Cover of the 'Debaser: Studio' single.
| type = single
| artist = Pixies
| album = Doolittle
| A-side = Debaser
| B-side = "Bone Machine", "Gigantic", "Isla de Encanta"
| released =
| recorded = November 1988 at Downtown Recorders, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Alternative rock
| length =
| label = Elektra
| writer = Black Francis
| producer = Gil Norton
| prev_title = Head On
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Bam Thwok
| next_year = 2004
| misc =
}}
"'Debaser'" is a song by American alternative rock band Pixies, and is the first song on their 1989 album 'Doolittle'. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis and was produced by Gil Norton during 'Doolittle'
Releases
The "Head On" single includes a live version of the song recorded in Chicago on August 9, 1989, and a recording from Debaser December 16, 2004, in New York City appears on '"Hey" Live Pixies 20042005'. "Debaser" was later released as a single in 1997 to promote the 'Death to the Pixies' compilation. The single appeared in three forms: live, studio and demo.
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
The lyrics are based on a surrealist film by Luis Buuel and Salvador Dal called 'Un Chien Andalou'. The film includes a scene in which a woman's eye is slit by a razor, which is referenced in the song lyric "Slicin' up eyeballs/I want you to know." According to Black Francis:
:I wish Buuel 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? Black Francis, translated from a Spanish interview
The title "Debaser" references the fact that 'Un Chien Andalou' debases morality and standards of art, according to Black Francis. In the earliest version of the song, the line "'un chien andalusia'" was originally "Shed, Apollonia!"a reference to a scene in the Prince film 'Purple Rain'.
In 2022, Black Francis elaborated on the song's meaning: "I guess it means: one who debases. A debaser. It was an attempt to introduce a new word into the lexicon, but I dont think its been successful, else I would have heard about it."
Critic Tom Ewing of 'Freaky Trigger', although noting it wasn't a single until 1997, described it as "the best single of the 1980s."
Track listing
'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
References
Category:1997 singles
Category:Pixies (band) songs
Category:Songs written by Black Francis
Category:Elektra Records singles
Category:1989 songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Gil Norton
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