"The Hearts Filthy Lesson" is a song by David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, from his 1995 album Outside, and issued as a single ahead of the album. It showcased Bowie's new, industrial

Industrial music

Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...

-influenced sound. The lack of an apostrophe in the title is deliberate. Lyrically, the single connects with the rest of the album, with Bowie offering a lament to "tyrannical futurist

Futurism

Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...

" Ramona A. Stone, a theme continued in subsequent songs. The song is also meant to confront Bowie's own perceptions about the ritual creation and degradation of art

Art

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....

.

Critical reception to the song was generally tepid, though it would be re-evaluated by many critics when heard in the context of the Outside soon afterwards. Considering its defiantly noncommercial sound, the song did well to reach UK #35, also breaking Bowie's US chart drought (which stretched back to "Never Let Me Down

Never Let Me Down (song)

"Never Let Me Down" is the title track on David Bowie's album Never Let Me Down. It was issued as the third single from the album in August 1987 – it would be Bowie's last solo single until 1992's "Real Cool World", barring a remix of "Fame"....

" in 1987) by briefly peaking at US #92.

An immediate favourite at Bowie's live concerts, "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" had its cult status sealed when it was featured over the closing titles of David Fincher

David Fincher

David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...

's 1995 film Seven

Seven (film)

Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...

, a film which mirrored the video's grimy visuals.

Video

The video featured a montage of art-style mutilations and gory objets d'art and was subsequently edited when shown on MTV. The clip was directed by Samuel Bayer

Samuel Bayer

Samuel David Bayer is an American commercial, music video and film director, and cinematographer.-Early life:Bayer was born in Syracuse, New York...

, the man behind 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...

's classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smells Like Teen Spirit

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...

" video. In interviews, Bowie commented on the "ritual art" aspects of Outside:

Track listing

• All songs credited to Bowie/Eno/Gabrels/Kizilcay/Campbell. Except "Nothing to be Desired" credited to Bowie/Eno.

CD version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Radio Edit)"–3:32
2. "I Am With Name"–4:06
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Bowie Mix)"–4:56
4. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19

US CD version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Album version)"–4:57
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Simenon Mix)"–5:01
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
4. "Nothing to Be Desired"–2:15

US promo CD version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Radio Edit)"–3:32
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Simenon Mix)"–5:01
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
4. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Album version)"–4:57

European Shaped CD version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Bowie Mix)"–4:56

UK 12" version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Bowie Mix)"–4:56
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Rubber Mix)"–7:41
4. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Simple Text Mix)"–6:38
5. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Filthy Mix)"–5:51

UK 12" 3 track promo version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Rubber Mix)"–7:41
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Simple Text Mix)"–6:38
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Filthy Mix)"–5:51

UK 12" picture disc version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Bowie Mix)"–4:57
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Rubber Mix)"–7:41
4. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Simple Text Mix)"–6:38
5. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Filthy Mix)"–5:51

US 12" promo version

1. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Good Karma Mix)"–5:01
2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Alt. Mix)"–5:19
3. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Bowie Mix)"–4:57
4. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Rubber Mix)"–7:41
5. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson (Filthy Mix)"–5:51

Production credits

• Producers:
  • David Bowie
    David Bowie
    David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
    
    
  • Brian Eno
    Brian Eno
    Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
    
    
  • David Richards
    David Richards (record producer)
    David Richards is an English-born Swiss-based record producer, engineer and musician. In the Mountain Studios in Montreux, owned by the rock band Queen, and in Attalens he engineered and co-produced many albums by Queen, David Bowie and other artists. Richards also played keyboards on some records...
    
    

• Musicians:
  • David Bowie: Vocals, Keyboards
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
    
    , Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
    
    , Saxophone
    Saxophone
    The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
    
    
  • Brian Eno: Synthesizers
  • Reeves Gabrels
    Reeves Gabrels
    Reeves Gabrels is an American guitarist, known for virtuosity, versatility, and originality. His compositions and improvisations defy genre and "explore sonic extremes with a great, adaptive intuition for what each song needs most."...
    
    : Guitar
  • Erdal Kizilcay
    Erdal Kizilcay
    Erdal Kizilcay is a multi-instrumental musician of Turkish birth who has worked with, among others, David Bowie. He lives in Aegerten, Switzerland.-With David Bowie:*Never Let Me Down...
    
    : Bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
    
    , Keyboards
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
    
    
  • Mike Garson
    Mike Garson
    Mike Garson is an American pianist, most notable for his work with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan, Free Flight, and The Smashing Pumpkins.- Early career :...
    
    : Piano
    Piano
    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
    
    
  • Sterling Campbell
    Sterling Campbell
    Sterling Campbell in New York City, New York, is an American rock drummer who has worked with numerous high-profile acts. He rose to attention in 1986, touring with Cyndi Lauper on her her True Colors World Tour, in 1986, and in 1987, joined Duran Duran...
    
    : Drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
    
    

Live versions

• A version recorded in 1997 at the Phoenix Festival in England was released on the live album LiveAndWell.com
  LiveAndWell.com
  Liveandwell.com is a 1999 limited edition live album by David Bowie. It is not available commercially and could only be acquired by being subscribed to BowieNet at the time....
  
  in 2000.

Other releases

• It was released on the European release of the single "Hallo Spaceboy
  Hallo Spaceboy
  "Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by David Bowie from his 1995 album Outside, and was issued as a single in 1996. Bowie and Brian Eno co-wrote the song...
  
  ".
• The "Rubber Mix" was released on the Japanese version of the single "Hallo Spaceboy", the Japanese release of Outside - Version 2 and on the bonus disc of the 2004 limited 2CD edition of Outside.
• The "Good Karma mix" was released on a limited UK version of the single "Dead Man Walking
  Dead Man Walking (song)
  "Dead Man Walking" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels and released as single from the 1997 album Earthling. It was a number 32 hit in the UK....
  
  " in April 1997.
• Several of the remixes was released on the 2004 limited 2CD edition of Outside.
• The song was also featured in the 1997 television movie House of Frankenstein.
• In 1995, the song was featured during the closing credit sequence in the movie "Se7en
  Se7en
  Seven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...
  
  "