I just heard the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” and was thinking, wow, that is one creepy song:
Another nominee is Joe Tex’s “I Gotcha,” which appears to be about a girl who promised a guy she’d date him when she broke up with her boyfriend. Now that she’s single, she’s not interested, but he’s not going to let her off that easy:
Then there’s Van Morrison’s “Cyprus Avenue,” wherein he declares undying love to a 14 year old girl with ribbons in her hair.
What are your picks for creepiest rock song? I’m sure there are plenty I’m not thinking of right now.
Does it have to be sexually creepy? I mean the first thing that jumped into my head was Metallica’s Enter Sandman. The music is wicked, and it’s about nightmares and stuff. As someone who has vivid nightmares, it’s pretty damn creepy.
Sitting on a park bench
eyeing little girls with bad intent.
Snot running down his nose
greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.
Drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run.
There are tons - and a number of threads about this.
My first-thought nominees besides ones already mentioned:
The Toadies, Possum Kingdom - named after a park in their hometown, it’s a guy telling a girl how she be beautiful forever - because he is trying to lure her behind the boathouse to kill her, so she’ll be young in everyone’s memory…Do you want to die? Do you want to die? And I promise you, I will treat you well, my sweet angel - so help me Jesus…squicks me out every time…
Peter Gabriel, The Intruder - best drumbeat ever, with the creepiest sounds mixed in. I know, something about opening windows and doors…I know, something about creeping 'cross creaky wooden floors…but with Gabriel singing it, you know it is an act, so it makes it bit more creepy-but-fun scary not just squick-out scary…
Run Away Little Girl beats it by a mile…especially since I can’t think of what would make Girl creepy. The narrator’s pathetic, and the girl’s a bitch…but there’s nothing particularly creepy about it. Just kind of…sad.
But I have multiple songs about necrophilia in my collection; many, many songs about murder, or suicide; stalking all over the place… So my perception of ‘creepy’ may be a touch skewed.
I was going to say “Every breath you take”, but **pseudotriton **beat me to it. So my vote goes to “My Sharona”. Always get it up for the touch of the younger kind, uh ?
For some reason, Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matter” has always creeped me out too. And I’m also with olivesmarch : Enter Sandman’s prayer gives me chills. So does Nirvana’s “Polly”, but that’s the whole point of the song, so…
Can you envision it sung by a person of the opposite sex? I don’t think it’s so creepy if it works both ways.
James Taylor’s “Whenever I see your smiling face”–now, that’s creepy. And sexist. And condescending.
Okay, maybe JT is not that creepy. But there are creepier songs than “Under My thumb,” which has always seemed to me as triumph after having turned a scornful lover into a devoted one.
Can you envision it sung by a person of the opposite sex? I don’t think it’s so creepy if it works both ways.
James Taylor’s “Whenever I see your smiling face”–now, that’s creepy. And sexist. And condescending.
Okay, maybe JT is not that creepy. But there are creepier songs than “Under My thumb,” which has always seemed to me as triumph after having turned a scornful lover into a devoted one.
PS I have always thought that “The way you look tonight” was very creepy, if you thought about it. I may not be the best judge.
Yes, I’d think it was creepy if it were a woman telling a man he was now her pet, and would only speak when spoke to. The way he talks about her sounds cruel and degrading, and he sounds as if he’s enjoying grinding her down. Why would my interpretation be different if the genders were reversed? I don’t get it.
It’s not about turning a scornful lover into a devoted one. It’s taking a woman who had a mind of her own and turning her into a completely subjugated person. That’s not love.
Tori Amos’ “Me and a Gun” is a description of her real-life rape, sung a cappella. Pretty damn creepy.
I don’t get what’s creepy about this song. I looked up the lyrics and it looks like it’s about a guy who has a crush on a girl or it’s about a relationship in it’s earliest stages and he’s imagining their future. Typical teenage sappiness to me.
pravnik’sDon’t Fear the Reaper song however… I’ve heard that the song is about how true love love makes you impervious to the fear of death or something, but the lyrics just come across as creepy and almost in favor of suicide.
Wow, of all the BOC songs, you pick that one as creepy? I guess if all you’ve heard are the radio hits. But listen to the lyrics, it’s really just about accepting that you’re going to die. You should try their “She’s as Beautiful as a Foot” sometime. Featured lyric: “Don’t put your tongue on the bloody tooth mark place . . . It tasted just like, a fallen arch.”
BOC’s “I Love the Night” is probably the creepiest; being stalked by a vampire. And the music itself, the mood, is just, well, creepy.
But my nomination for the creepiest song ever, hands down, always goes to “Timothy” by The Buoys. You just can’t top cannibalism for creepiness.