"Frankie Teardrop" is a song by
Suicide from the band's
self-titled debut album, released in 1977.
Lyrics and content
The song tells a story of a young father and
poverty-stricken
factory worker whose destitution drives him to
insanity
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
. One day, Frankie comes home from work, murders his wife and child, and then commits
suicide. The narrative then continues to follow him into
hell. The musical backing on the song is sparse, featuring just a simple keyboard
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
,
drum machine, and the vocal line, creating a chilling atmosphere. Singer
Alan Vega's "dark, inhuman screams"
add to the claustrophobic nature of the piece.
Alternate versions
The ''
Alan Vega 70th Birthday Limited Edition EP Series
''Alan Vega 70th Birthday Limited Edition EP Series'' is a series of eight EPs with contributions from various artists paying tribute to Alan Vega and his band Suicide. The individual 10" vinyl EPs were pressed in limited quantities and released t ...
'' featured two versions of "Frankie Teardrop". The first was a cover by American poet and singer
Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Anne Koch; June 2, 1959)Martin Charles Strong. ''The Great Indie Discography''. 2003, page 85 is an American singer, poet, writer, actress and self-empowerment speaker. Her career began during the 1970s New York City no ...
, and the other was a previously unreleased 1976 demo of the song titled "Frankie Teardrop vs the Space Alien".
Critical reception
The track has received critical attention due to both its disturbing nature (
Nick Hornby in his book ''
31 Songs
''Songbook'' (published in the United Kingdom as ''31 Songs'') is a 2002 collection of 26 essays by English writer Nick Hornby about songs and (more often) the particular emotional resonance they carry for him. In the UK, Sony released a stand- ...
'' described it as something you would listen to "Only once"),
and for its political viewpoint, which
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
described as "more literally and poetically political than the work of bands who wore their radical philosophies on their sleeve".
Bruce Springsteen cited the song as an influence on his album ''
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
''. ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' cited it as "
he track thatgets most of the ink" in terms of critical acclaim, and jokingly as "
''Taxi Driver'': The Musical" when citing the album ''Suicide'' in its 100 Greatest ’70s Albums list.
Lou Reed once said that he wished that he had written the song.
In popular culture
The frightening nature of the song gave birth to a recurring segment on comedian
Tom Scharpling
Thomas John Giuliano II (born February 9, 1969), known professionally as Tom Scharpling, is an American comedian, television writer, producer, music video director, voice actor, and radio host. He is best known for hosting the weekly Internet r ...
's long-running weekly call-in radio program ''
The Best Show'', which is named "The Frankie Teardrop Challenge". Beginning in around 2013, Scharpling challenged fans of the show to listen to the song on headphones as loudly as possible, at nighttime and while alone, in the most creatively terrifying situations that they can think of. Callers regularly phone in to recount their experiences attempting the challenge, with very few listeners completing all 10 minutes and 26 seconds of the song.
[''Riverfront Times'' article]
13 More of the Creepiest Pieces of Music Ever Recorded, Ever
"[''Music Times'' article:]
" Scharpling also often works elements of "Frankie Teardrop" into experimental improvisational sound collages that he regularly creates on-air.
Personnel
Adapted from the ''Suicide'' liner notes.
;Suicide
*
Martin Rev
Martin Reverby, better known by his stage name Martin Rev, (born December 18, 1947) is an American musician and one half of the influential synth-punk band Suicide. Rev has also released several solo albums for a number of record labels, includi ...
–
keyboards
*
Alan Vega –
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
;Production and additional personnel
* Larry Alexander –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
*
Craig Leon
Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American-born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England.International Who’s Who in Classical Music 2005'', Routledge, 2005. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many ...
–
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
*
Marty Thau
Marty Thau (December 7, 1938 – February 13, 2014) was an American rock 'n' roll entrepreneur and music producer. He was best known as the founder of indie punk— new wave label Red Star Records in 1977, and for being the manager of the New Yo ...
– production
References
{{authority control
1977 songs
Existentialist works
Suicide (band) songs
Fictional murderers
Songs written by Alan Vega
Songs written by Martin Rev
Songs about mental health
Songs about suicide