Sheela-Na-Gig (song)
Encyclopedia
"Sheela-Na-Gig" is a song by English
alternative rock
singer-songwriter PJ Harvey
, written solely by Harvey. The song was released as the second single from her debut studio album, Dry
, in February 1992. The single was the second, and final, single from Dry and only single from the album to enter the charts in both the United Kingdom
and United States
. An accompanying music video, directed by Maria Mochnacz, was released alongside the single.
statues; figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva found throughout the Britain
and Ireland
. The album version of the song, as featured on Dry, was recorded at Yeovil's Icehouse Studio; a local studio also used by Automatic Dlamini, a band she was previously in with John Parish
; as part of the album's recording sessions. This version was produced and engineered by drummer Rob Ellis. A version, recorded for John Peel
and produced and engineered by Mike Robinson and James Birwistle, was included on the compilation album The Peel Sessions 1991-2004, released in 2006.
novel Carrie
, in which Mrs. White uses the term to describe breasts. The repeated lyric "gonna wash that man right out of my hair" is a line from the 1942 film, South Pacific
.
Musically, the song was composed in standard tuning. A capo
is present on the first fret of Harvey's guitar in all versions of the song. The opening consists of four notes alternately played. The verse and the chorus feature the same two chords (E5-G5) throughout, simplfying the structure. The change in structure is during the bridge ("put money in your idle hole") when the chords change (A5-F#5-A5-B5). The use of power chords is consistent with the alternative rock
scene of the 1990s when other bands, such as Nirvana
, were known for their use of power chords.
, 7" vinyl, and 12" vinyl
with the CD and 12" vinyl singles featuring two Dry songs, "Hair" and "Joe", as b-sides. The 7" vinyl version omitted "Hair" and only 400 copies of it were pressed. The single was extremely successful in the United States
, where it entered and peaked Billboard
's Alternative Songs at number 9, however, was less successful in the United Kingdom
, where it managed to enter the UK Singles Chart
at number 69, leaving the charts the following week.
, a review said that the song "redeems [Harvey's] disturbing subject matter with cathartic vocals and her own caustic guitar." Allmusic has praised the song highly, describing the dynamics of the song-writing as "outstanding, veering from a tensely whispered verse to a full-throttle chorus topped by a middle eight that explodes (twice) in righteous fury." The lyrical content of the song was also praised, describing them as "still startling; in the guise of a Celtic fertility symbol, Harvey recounts presenting her nude self to a potential lover only to be rebuffed in a brutally cruel manner" and referred to the final verse "as if a careless razor cut ended the song prematurely", summarizing that "Sheela-Na-Gig" is "a stunning three minutes, probably still her finest performance." In the September 1999 issue of Spin
, it was listed at number two on The Top 20 Singles of the 1990s list.
and women's shoes revolving in an orange-glowing picture frame. These images are repeated twice throughout the video; once during the middle, and again towards the end. The following scene uses religious imagery with a statue of Jesus Christ being shown alongside polaroid
prints. Abstract-shot footage of Harvey and her band performing the song live also incorporate large segments of the video, one video is shot in colour, the other in black and white. The live footage, at times, is overlayed with vivid images of lights and more polaroids. Various other footage of close-up faces and sheela-na-gig's vulva are also shown.
unless otherwise noted.
CD single and 12" vinyl
7" vinyl
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
singer-songwriter PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, written solely by Harvey. The song was released as the second single from her debut studio album, Dry
Dry (album)
Dry is the debut album by PJ Harvey. It was recorded at the Icehouse, Yeovil, UK, and released in the UK on Too Pure , and subsequently on Indigo Records in the US...
, in February 1992. The single was the second, and final, single from Dry and only single from the album to enter the charts in both the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An accompanying music video, directed by Maria Mochnacz, was released alongside the single.
Origin and recording
"Sheela-Na-Gig" was written before Harvey's career began, when she was just seventeen years old in 1986. The song's title is a reference to the eponymous Sheela na gigSheela Na Gig
Sheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County...
statues; figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva found throughout the Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The album version of the song, as featured on Dry, was recorded at Yeovil's Icehouse Studio; a local studio also used by Automatic Dlamini, a band she was previously in with John Parish
John Parish
John Parish is a British musician and producer best known for his work with singer and songwriter PJ Harvey,. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.-Partial discography:Solo*Rosie *How Animals Move...
; as part of the album's recording sessions. This version was produced and engineered by drummer Rob Ellis. A version, recorded for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
and produced and engineered by Mike Robinson and James Birwistle, was included on the compilation album The Peel Sessions 1991-2004, released in 2006.
Composition
As stated previously, the song's title is a reference to the eponymous sheela na gig statues. The lyrics to "Sheela-Na-Gig" make several allusions to the statues in lyrics such as "look at these, my child-bearing hips," "you exhibitionist," and "put money in your idle hole." However, the lyrics narrate "imperious male demands and female self-loathing" and "a leather jacket-wearing rocker, black-humouring the boys with her twangy moan." The male character conveyed in the lyrics is uninterested in the female due to her exhibitionism and him not wanting to be "unclean." The lyric "dirty pillows" is a reference to the Stephen KingStephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
novel Carrie
Carrie (novel)
Carrie is American author Stephen King's first published novel, released in 1974. It revolves around the eponymous Carrie, a shy high-school girl, who uses her newly discovered telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who tease her...
, in which Mrs. White uses the term to describe breasts. The repeated lyric "gonna wash that man right out of my hair" is a line from the 1942 film, South Pacific
South Pacific (film)
South Pacific is a 1958 musical romance film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, and based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific...
.
Musically, the song was composed in standard tuning. A capo
Capo
A capo is a device used on the neck of a stringed instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch. It is frequently used on guitars, mandolins, and banjos. G.B...
is present on the first fret of Harvey's guitar in all versions of the song. The opening consists of four notes alternately played. The verse and the chorus feature the same two chords (E5-G5) throughout, simplfying the structure. The change in structure is during the bridge ("put money in your idle hole") when the chords change (A5-F#5-A5-B5). The use of power chords is consistent with the 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...
scene of the 1990s when other bands, such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, were known for their use of power chords.
Release
Three versions of the "Sheela-Na-Gig" single were released. The single was released in February 1992, four months prior to the release of its parent album, Dry, on Too Pure Records. The single was pressed on CDCD 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...
, 7" vinyl, and 12" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
with the CD and 12" vinyl singles featuring two Dry songs, "Hair" and "Joe", as b-sides. The 7" vinyl version omitted "Hair" and only 400 copies of it were pressed. The single was extremely successful in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it entered and peaked Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Alternative Songs at number 9, however, was less successful in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it managed to enter the 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 ...
at number 69, leaving the charts the following week.
Critical reception
The song, like the Dry, generated an overwhelmingly strong critical response. Z Magazine referred to the song as "most electrifying" and "constructs a sarcastic, aggressive sexual advance." In Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, a review said that the song "redeems [Harvey's] disturbing subject matter with cathartic vocals and her own caustic guitar." Allmusic has praised the song highly, describing the dynamics of the song-writing as "outstanding, veering from a tensely whispered verse to a full-throttle chorus topped by a middle eight that explodes (twice) in righteous fury." The lyrical content of the song was also praised, describing them as "still startling; in the guise of a Celtic fertility symbol, Harvey recounts presenting her nude self to a potential lover only to be rebuffed in a brutally cruel manner" and referred to the final verse "as if a careless razor cut ended the song prematurely", summarizing that "Sheela-Na-Gig" is "a stunning three minutes, probably still her finest performance." In the September 1999 issue of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, it was listed at number two on The Top 20 Singles of the 1990s list.
Music video
The music video for "Sheela-Na-Gig" was directed by Maria Mochnacz and T. Farthling in early 1992. The video opens with images of a handbagHandbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
and women's shoes revolving in an orange-glowing picture frame. These images are repeated twice throughout the video; once during the middle, and again towards the end. The following scene uses religious imagery with a statue of Jesus Christ being shown alongside polaroid
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
prints. Abstract-shot footage of Harvey and her band performing the song live also incorporate large segments of the video, one video is shot in colour, the other in black and white. The live footage, at times, is overlayed with vivid images of lights and more polaroids. Various other footage of close-up faces and sheela-na-gig's vulva are also shown.
Track listing
All songs written by PJ HarveyPJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
unless otherwise noted.
CD single and 12" vinyl
- "Sheela-Na-Gig" - 3:13
- "Hair" - 3:38
- "Joe" (Harvey, Rob Ellis) - 3:19
7" vinyl
- "Sheela-Na-Gig" - 3:13
- "Joe" (Harvey, Ellis) - 3:19
Chart positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Alternative Songs | 9 |
| 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 ... |
69 |