Mother (Danzig song)
Encyclopedia
"Mother" is a song by Danzig
that first appeared on their 1988 debut album, Danzig
.
Thematically, the song is a rhetorical challenge to parents, primarily inspired by Tipper Gore
who, along with the Parents Music Resource Center
, introduced the Parental Advisory
warning placed on albums that contain explicit content.
The original 1988 music video was rejected by MTV
for its ending sequence, which contains imagery of a chicken being sacrificed and an inverted cross being drawn in its blood (although Glenn Danzig
noted that the chicken was not actually killed or harmed).
In 1993–1994, almost six years after its original release, the song became a hit on radio and earned Buzz Bin
rotation on MTV after a music video incorporating live footage was created to promote the band's new EP, Thrall: Demonsweatlive
. The concert footage was taken from the band's Halloween 1992 performance at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in California, with additional footage shot in the UK. This version of the song was retitled "Mother '93" and included an overdubbed "live" concert audience atop the original track, extra reverb
, and a minor modification to the guitar solo.
Following the success of "Mother", Glenn Danzig recalled writing the song: “I remember calling Rick Rubin
in the middle of the night and telling him that I wrote an incredible song - probably the best song I'd ever written. It was the song I always wanted to write. The first time we played it, people went crazy. But I never wrote that song to make it a hit - I never wrote that way, and I still don't. I write songs so that they say something and do something, and if people like them, great - and if they don't, they don't.”
"Mother" remains Danzig's highest charting single. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and 43 on the Hot 100. In the UK, the song peaked at number 62 on the singles chart
.
and True Crime: New York City
, and appears during the end credits of F.E.A.R. 3
. A cover version to which a final solo was added appears in the 2006 music video game Guitar Hero 2, whereas the master track appears in 2009s Guitar Hero Smash Hits.
It is the entrance song for the MMA
fighter Gabriel Gonzaga
.
Both the original "Mother" music video and the live footage version appeared on Beavis and Butt-head
, in the episodes "Couch Fishing" and "Crisis Line".
, Anberlin
, and, as part of The Onion
A.V. Club's 2011 Undercover Series, Wye Oak
.
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
that first appeared on their 1988 debut album, Danzig
Danzig (album)
Danzig is the 1988 debut album of the American heavy metal band Danzig, led by Glenn Danzig who was formerly the songwriter and vocalist of the Misfits and Samhain....
.
Thematically, the song is a rhetorical challenge to parents, primarily inspired by Tipper Gore
Tipper Gore
Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore , née Aitcheson, is an author, photographer, former second lady of the United States, and the estranged wife of Al Gore...
who, along with the Parents Music Resource Center
Parents Music Resource Center
The Parents Music Resource Center was an American committee formed in 1985 with the goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use or be sexual.The committee was founded by four women: Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice...
, introduced the Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
warning placed on albums that contain explicit content.
The original 1988 music video was rejected by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
for its ending sequence, which contains imagery of a chicken being sacrificed and an inverted cross being drawn in its blood (although Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
noted that the chicken was not actually killed or harmed).
In 1993–1994, almost six years after its original release, the song became a hit on radio and earned Buzz Bin
Buzz Bin
MTV's Buzz Bin was a select group of music videos by up and coming artists and bands that the network deemed "buzz worthy", "cutting edge", or "the next big thing"...
rotation on MTV after a music video incorporating live footage was created to promote the band's new EP, Thrall: Demonsweatlive
Thrall: Demonsweatlive
Thrall - Demonsweatlive is an EP by Danzig. It was released in 1993 on Def American Recordings.-Music and recording:The EP is split into two sections. The first section, Thrall, consists of three new studio recordings that were tracked live and completed by the band in a single day...
. The concert footage was taken from the band's Halloween 1992 performance at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in California, with additional footage shot in the UK. This version of the song was retitled "Mother '93" and included an overdubbed "live" concert audience atop the original track, extra reverb
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
, and a minor modification to the guitar solo.
Following the success of "Mother", Glenn Danzig recalled writing the song: “I remember calling Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
in the middle of the night and telling him that I wrote an incredible song - probably the best song I'd ever written. It was the song I always wanted to write. The first time we played it, people went crazy. But I never wrote that song to make it a hit - I never wrote that way, and I still don't. I write songs so that they say something and do something, and if people like them, great - and if they don't, they don't.”
"Mother" remains Danzig's highest charting single. It peaked at number 17 on the 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...
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and 43 on the Hot 100. In the UK, the song peaked at number 62 on the 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 ...
.
Appearances
"Mother" is featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
and True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City is an urban sandbox-style action-adventure videogame published by Activision and developed by Luxoflux for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube consoles and Windows based computers. It is the second game of the True Crime series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA...
, and appears during the end credits of F.E.A.R. 3
F.E.A.R. 3
F.E.A.R. 3 is a psychological horror first-person shooter video game, developed by Day 1 Studios for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as a sequel to the game F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and the third installment of the F.E.A.R....
. A cover version to which a final solo was added appears in the 2006 music video game Guitar Hero 2, whereas the master track appears in 2009s Guitar Hero Smash Hits.
It is the entrance song for the MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter Gabriel Gonzaga
Gabriel Gonzaga
Gabriel Gonzaga , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a former member of Chute Boxe Academy and now fights out of Ludlow, Massachusetts as a part of Team Link...
.
Both the original "Mother" music video and the live footage version appeared on Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
, in the episodes "Couch Fishing" and "Crisis Line".
Covers
The song has been covered by bands Edge of SanityEdge of Sanity
Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band. Edge of Sanity are regarded alongside Opeth as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock.- History :...
, Anberlin
Anberlin
Anberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
, and, as part of The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
A.V. Club's 2011 Undercover Series, Wye Oak
Wye Oak (band)
Wye Oak are an indie folk rock duo from Baltimore, Maryland, USA, composed of Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner . Their sound has been described as "earnest folk-influenced indie rock with touches of noise and dream pop"...
.