You Suffer
Encyclopedia
"You Suffer" is a song by the British grindcore
band Napalm Death
, from their debut album, Scum. The song has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest recorded song ever. It is precisely 1.316 seconds long, or a second long.
The song was written by band members Nicholas Bullen
and Justin Broadrick
during the sessions for the From Enslavement to Obliteration
demo recording in March 1986, and is featured on the album Scum, released in 1987.
According to Broadrick:
Nic Bullen said that the brevity of the song was inspired by Wehrmacht
's 1985 song "E!"
Zak Smith
quotes the lyrics to the song, which he describes as the "shortest punk
song on the subject of suffering (or any subject)" at the conclusion of his memoir We Did Porn.
, also lasts approximately one second, making the disc the shortest single ever released. Each side features one groove at the outer edge of the disc containing the music (with the rest of the surface containing etched writing and cartoons).
in March 2007, a music video produced by Earache records was released for the song.
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, from their debut album, Scum. The song has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest recorded song ever. It is precisely 1.316 seconds long, or a second long.
The song was written by band members Nicholas Bullen
Nicholas Bullen
-Biography:He is one of the founding members - with Miles Ratledge - of Napalm Death, the band credited with creating the Grindcore genre.The duo had collaborated on fanzines and played together in a number of 'bedroom' bands from 1980 onwards and formed the first line-up of Napalm Death in May...
and Justin Broadrick
Justin Broadrick
Justin Karl Michael Broadrick is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and industrial music.-Biography:Broadrick was born in the council estates of inner...
during the sessions for the From Enslavement to Obliteration
From Enslavement to Obliteration
From Enslavement to Obliteration is the second album by grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1988.-Background:From Enslavement to Obliteration is the only Napalm Death album to feature Lee Dorrian as the sole vocalist, where he offers the low, grunting vocals and from time to time in songs, he...
demo recording in March 1986, and is featured on the album Scum, released in 1987.
According to Broadrick:
Nic Bullen said that the brevity of the song was inspired by Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht (band)
Wehrmacht is an American thrash metal/hardcore punk band, that was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1985. After releasing two albums on New Renaissance Records, the band split up. Later, both albums were re-issued on one CD....
's 1985 song "E!"
Zak Smith
Zak Smith
Zak Smith, also known as Zak Sabbath, is an American artist and alternative porn star. He was born in Syracuse, New York in 1976, and grew up in Washington, D.C. After receiving a BFA from Cooper Union in 1998, he studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and went on to receive an...
quotes the lyrics to the song, which he describes as the "shortest punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
song on the subject of suffering (or any subject)" at the conclusion of his memoir We Did Porn.
Single release
In 1989 the song appeared on one side of a 7" single given away free with copies of a compilation album entitled Grindcrusher. The song on the other side, "Mega-Armageddon Death Part 3" by the Electro HippiesElectro Hippies
Electro Hippies was a crust punk/thrashcore band formed in St Helens/Wigan, United Kingdom, in 1985.Though they were short-lived and underground through their career, their music influenced many future crust, hardcore punk, and grindcore bands. The band relied heavily on low bass end sounds to...
, also lasts approximately one second, making the disc the shortest single ever released. Each side features one groove at the outer edge of the disc containing the music (with the rest of the surface containing etched writing and cartoons).
Video
To coincide with the release of the Scum dualdiscDualDisc
DualDisc was a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group and later under the aegis of the Recording Industry Association of America...
in March 2007, a music video produced by Earache records was released for the song.