Awful
Encyclopedia
"Awful" is the twelfth single, and also third EP
, by American alternative rock
band Hole
, from their third studio album Celebrity Skin
. Released in April 1999 by Geffen Records
as a CD single
, the song's lyrics explore how the media and modern pop culture corrupt young girls and how they should rebel against this. The line "swing low, sweet cherry" in the song is an allusion to the African American
spiritual
hymn, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
".
has proclaimed that this is one of the favorite songs she has written. Writing the lyrics offered her a backwards glimpse at the angry, determined youth she once was but with the sobering experience of her adult years. The words were written before the music and were initially more than two pages long. At the time, they included "we are always on the list, we have always wanted this, finally we're popular, finally we're pretty." Courtney condensed the tome into the finished format to give the song a more suitable length.
The opening riff, which carries throughout the song, and the rhythm were written by bassist Melissa Auf der Maur
and drummer Patty Schemel
, who were roommates at the time. Although credited for authorship, Schemel left during the recording sessions due to personal issues and does not drum on the track, something Love laments. While Love has revealed only that she wishes Schemel's great rhythm was still on the track, Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson
implied that Celebrity Skin producer Michael Beinhorn
drove Schemel to a nervous breakdown.
UK CD single #2 INTDE-97099
European CD single IND-97060
US promotional single
Japanese EP MVCF-14001
in March 1999 and backstage footage shot by Melissa Auf der Maur.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, by American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, from their third studio album Celebrity Skin
Celebrity Skin
Celebrity Skin is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Hole, released worldwide by Geffen Records on September 7, 1998 and one day later in the United States...
. Released in April 1999 by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
, the song's lyrics explore how the media and modern pop culture corrupt young girls and how they should rebel against this. The line "swing low, sweet cherry" in the song is an allusion to the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
hymn, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
".
Background and history
Described as "funny" but also "kind of sad" by the writer herself, vocalist and guitarist Courtney LoveCourtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
has proclaimed that this is one of the favorite songs she has written. Writing the lyrics offered her a backwards glimpse at the angry, determined youth she once was but with the sobering experience of her adult years. The words were written before the music and were initially more than two pages long. At the time, they included "we are always on the list, we have always wanted this, finally we're popular, finally we're pretty." Courtney condensed the tome into the finished format to give the song a more suitable length.
The opening riff, which carries throughout the song, and the rhythm were written by bassist Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur
Melissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
and drummer Patty Schemel
Patty Schemel
Patricia Theresa Schemel is an American drummer, most notably known as the drummer of the alternative rock band Hole from 1992 until 1998.-Early music career:Schemel learned to play drums after her father bought her a drum kit at age 11...
, who were roommates at the time. Although credited for authorship, Schemel left during the recording sessions due to personal issues and does not drum on the track, something Love laments. While Love has revealed only that she wishes Schemel's great rhythm was still on the track, Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson
Eric Erlandson is an American musician known as the co-founder, former songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole.-Early life and career:...
implied that Celebrity Skin producer Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn is an American musician and record producer.Beinhorn started his professional career as a musician, playing keyboards in Bill Laswell's Material during the 1980s...
drove Schemel to a nervous breakdown.
Single
UK CD single #1 INTDE-97098- Awful (Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Patty Schemel)
- Miss World (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson)
- This version also includes a CD-ROM enhanced version of the promotional video for "Celebrity Skin."
UK CD single #2 INTDE-97099
- Awful (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel)
- She Walks On Me (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson)
- This version also includes a CD-ROM enhanced version of the promotional video for "Malibu."
European CD single IND-97060
- Awful (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel)
- Violet (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson)
US promotional single
- Awful (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel)
- Violet (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson)
- The live tracks on all singles were recorded at MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival on January 26, 1999.
EP
Australian 'Tour Souvenir EP' INTDM-97058- Awful (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel) - 3:29
- Pretty On The Inside (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, Jill Emery, Caroline Rue) - 1:44
- Heaven Tonight (live) (E. Erlandson, C. Love) - 3:58
- Northern Star (live) (E. Erlandson, C. Love) - 5:52
- Awful (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel) - 3:24
- Malibu (Ted Ottaviano Club Mix) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, B. Corgan) - 7:32
- All live tracks recorded at MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival on January 26, 1999.
Japanese EP MVCF-14001
- Awful (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel) - 3:29
- Pretty On The Inside (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, Jill Emery, Caroline Rue) - 1:44
- Heaven Tonight (live) (E. Erlandson, C. Love) - 3:58
- Northern Star (live) (E. Erlandson, C. Love) - 5:52
- Awful (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, M. Auf der Maur, P. Schemel) - 3:24
- Celebrity Skin (live) (C. Love, E. Erlandson, B. Corgan) - 2:42
- All live tracks recorded at MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival on January 26, 1999 except "Celebrity Skin", recorded at SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival on January 23, 1999.
Music video
The music video for "Awful" was directed by Jeff Richter and features clips from various live shows during the band's 1999 tours. Most of the footage is from the band's performance at the Royal Australian Showgrounds on January 23, 1999 for the Big Day Out festival and features the album version synced over the live performance. Other clips include the band's performance at Cow PalaceCow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in March 1999 and backstage footage shot by Melissa Auf der Maur.
Charts positions
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
42 |