"Shame" is a song by American

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten a ...

band

Stabbing Westward Stabbing Westward is an American industrial rock band. Christopher Hall and Walter Flakus formed the band in 1985 in Macomb, Illinois. The band released an extended play in 1992, followed by four studio albums: ''Ungod'' (1994), ''Wither Bli ...

. The song was released as the second and final single from the band's 1996 album ''

Wither Blister Burn & Peel ''Wither Blister Burn + Peel'' is the second album by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward, released on Columbia Records. The album was recorded in New York in May 1995, and released in New York City and Los Angeles on January 4, 1 ...

''.

Background

In a 2020 interview with ''Songfacts'', lead singer Christopher Hall said:

Reception

In a retrospective overview of the band, Kyle Anderson of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

said the song "remains a pretty solid anthem." Anderson also praised the video, saying it "is more clever than it has any right to be."

Music video

The video begins with a woman (Julie) running around and dancing in her living room. Her phone rings and the caller is her ex-boyfriend (Nick), who just escaped from a mental institution. Going to Julie's, Nick runs into a cop who he promptly kills. As Julie tries to run away and take the elevator, the officer's body falls on her before she continues running. Nick chases her to the building's roof, where he jumps at her and misses, falling to his death. The video is inter-cut with shots of the band performing the song in a room, leaving one by one before Hall is the only one left. The other members leave to see the movie, which is the Nick and Julie story.

Actors

* Christopher Hall as himself * Walter Flakus as himself * Andy Kubiszewski as himself * Mark Eliopulos as himself * Jim Sellers as himself * Clint Curtis as Nick

Track listing

;US single ;Australian single ;Austrian single ;12" single

Charts

Personnel

* Christopher Hall – vocals, guitar * Mark Eliopulos – guitar * Jim Sellers – bass * Walter Flakus – keyboards, programming *

Andy Kubiszewski Andy Kubiszewski (born September 30, 1961) is an American musician, songwriter, remixer and producer. He has worked with bands Exotic Birds and Stabbing Westward, contributed to several other bands, and composed music for TV shows and films. W ...

– drums

References

{{Stabbing Westward 1996 singles 1996 songs Stabbing Westward songs Songs written by Andy Kubiszewski Songs written by Christopher Hall (musician) Columbia Records singles