PixiesDebaser (3:07)

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About This Track

“Debaser” is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, and is the first song on their 1989 album Doolittle. The song was written and sung by frontman Black Francis and was produced by Gil Norton during Doolittle’s recording sessions.

“Debaser” was later released as a single in 1997 to promote the Death to the Pixies compilation. The single appeared in three forms: live, studio and demo.

The lyrics are based on a French surrealist film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí called Un chien andalou. The film notoriously opens with a scene in which a woman’s eye is slit by a razor, which is referenced in the song lyric “Slicin’ up eyeballs/I want you to know.” According to Black Francis:

I wish Buñuel was still alive. He made this film about nothing in particular. The title itself is a nonsense. With my stupid, pseudo-scholar, naive, enthusiast, avant-garde-ish, amateurish way to watch Un chien andalou (twice), I thought: ‘Yeah, I will make a song about it.’ “Un chien andalou”… It sounds too French, so I will sing “un chien andalusia”, it sounds good, no?’

The title “Debaser” references the fact that Un chien andalou debases morality and standards of art, according to Black Francis. In the earliest version of the song, the line “un chien andalusia” was originally “Shed, Appolonia!”—a reference to the co-star in the Prince film Purple Rain.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Doolittle
    Pixies Play
    Buy
  • Death to the Pixies
    Pixies Play
    Buy
  • Wave Of Mutilation: Best Of Pixies
    Pixies Play
    Buy
  • Subbacultcha
    Pixies Play
    Buy
See all 57 albums

Shouts

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  • camelfilters-

    Love it so much.

    10 days ago
  • FuryofEnziguri

    My ears orgasmed its not even funny. [5]

    18 days ago
  • dumufu123

    good

    26 days ago
  • coleheideman

    best

    last month
  • PartySanCTG

    I know the chorus is "I am un chien andalusia", but it's so easy to hear it as "I am un chien and a loser".

    March 2012
  • ravenpryde

    ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

    March 2012
  • koziatek

    my favorite pixies album. i dug the breeders tho

    March 2012
  • god_of_monkeys

    This song helped me sound smart in my film class last week.

    February 2012
  • Colton56

    My ears orgasmed its not even funny. [4]

    February 2012
  • morganics722

    Haha, I always thought he was saying "Are ya loose, yeah!"

    January 2012
  • Labyrinthian-xo

    My ears orgasmed its not even funny. [3]

    January 2012
  • salehzin

    My truly wish for this year is to see them once in my life....

    January 2012
  • pablo323

    HAPPPY NEW YeART

    January 2012
  • AM_Poet

    Girl, you're so groovy!

    December 2011
  • AdamSebParker

    This was the one that got me hooked on this lot.

    December 2011
  • crawlpalmetto

    My ears orgasmed its not even funny. [2]

    December 2011
  • senorpayne

    one of the best album openers ever.

    December 2011
  • captainyodel

    this song kicks bunz

    December 2011
  • JerryZola25

    brilliant

    November 2011
  • RigoBarrera

    My ears orgasmed its not even funny.

    November 2011
See all 312 shouts

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