The Angry Inch is a song from the off-Broadway musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...

and its subsequent film adaptation

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film based on the stage musical of the same title about a fictional rock band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The film was adapted and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, who also portrayed the title role...

. It was composed by Stephen Trask

Stephen Trask

Stephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...

 and performed by John Cameron Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...

. The song details the botched sex-change operation

Sex reassignment surgery

Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...

 that Hedwig got in order to marry an American soldier and move to the United States. The eponymous "angry inch" is what remains of Hedwig's penis - "six inches forward and five inches back".

The song was covered by Type O Negative

Type O Negative

Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...

 on the album Life is Killing Me

Life Is Killing Me

Life Is Killing Me is the sixth album by Type O Negative. The title was originally going to be The Dream Is Dead, but was supposedly changed because it suggested that the band may finally be ending their union.-Overview:...

. Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney was an alternative rock band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1994. Originally formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They were a...

 and Fred Schneider

Fred Schneider

Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...

 also covered the song for Wig in a Box

Wig in a Box

Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch...

, a benefit album for the Hetrick-Martin Institute

Hetrick-Martin Institute

The Hetrick-Martin Institute is a New York City based non-profit organization devoted to serving the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth. The institute was founded in 1979 as the "Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth" by Dr. Emery Hetrick, a...

. Production of the album was documented in the 2006 film Follow My Voice: With the Music of Hedwig.

In the film, the song was performed at the fictional Bilgewater's and the song started a fight.