"Pissing in a River" is a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

song written by

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

and

Ivan Král Ivan Kral (12 May 1948 – 2 February 2020) was a Czech Americans, Czech-born American composer, filmmaker, guitarist, record producer, bassist, and singer-songwriter. He worked across genres including pop music, punk rock, garage rock, rock, ja ...

, and released as a lead single from the Patti Smith Group's 1976 album ''

Radio Ethiopia ''Radio Ethiopia,'' the second studio album by the Patti Smith Group, was released in October 1976 through Arista Records. Background ''Radio Ethiopia'' was the follow-up record to Smith's widely acclaimed debut ''Horses''. In interviews surround ...

''. It was featured in both the 1980 movie ''

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

'' and the 1997 independent film '' All Over Me''.

Nick Hornby Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir ''Fever Pitch'' and novels '' High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work f ...

describes "Pissing in a River" as one of

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- ...

that have provided a soundtrack to his life. It is featured in Episode 3 of Series 2 of the British TV series ''

Clique A clique ( AusE, CanE, or ), in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar interests. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or popular ...

'' and in the pilot episode of the 2022 Apple+ TV series ''

Shining Girls ''Shining Girls'' is an American thriller streaming television series based on the 2013 novel ''The Shining Girls'' by Lauren Beukes. The series stars Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura and Jamie Bell. It premiered on Apple TV+ on April 29, 2022. A ...

''. It also appears on Smith's compilations ''

Land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...

'' and '' iTunes Originals''. The opening piano chord sequence forms the basis for

DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996. Biography Early years (1989–1995) DJ Sha ...

's song "Blood on the Motorway".

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

references the song in the track "Space Dog" included in her second studio album

Under the Pink ''Under the Pink'' is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Upon its release in January 1994, the album debuted atop the UK Albums Chart on the back of the hit single "Cornflake Girl", and peaked at number 12 in the US. The alb ...

Notes

External links

* {{Patti Smith 1976 singles Patti Smith songs Songs written by Patti Smith Songs written by Ivan Kral Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Rock ballads