Sheena Is a Parasite
Encyclopedia
"Sheena is a Parasite" was the debut single by the UK band The Horrors
, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules.
The title and content was adapted from The Ramones single "Sheena is a Punk Rocker
" as well as The Cramps
' "Sheena's in a Goth Gang", and chronicles the demise of punk music and its cultural influence. The music video was directed by Chris Cunningham
. This ended a seven year music video hiatus for the much respected Cunningham who admitted to being "mildly obsessed" with the track, having come across it on MySpace
. Following several Aphex Twin
videos in Cunningham's filmography, the video was expected to be suitably twisted and quirky. The video stars Oscar nominee Samantha Morton
as the song's manic, transmogrifying subject who whips around like a banshee and spews her intestines at the viewer. Sharply edited and shot on a low budget, the video was instantly banned from MTV UK purely on the basis of the use of strobe lights, not because of the gory subject matter (as was erroneously reported by the NME). Chris Cunningham did not want to edit out the strobing as he felt it would compromise his work. The video has aired on MTV2
in America.
The B-side is a Screaming Lord Sutch
cover, although this version is more inspired by the previous cover by The Gruesomes
.
In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 96 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
The Horrors
The Horrors are an English band from Southend on Sea, formed in 2005. Their debut Strange House, was released in 2007 and reached number thirty-seven on the UK Albums Chart, their second album Primary Colours was released in 2009 and peaked at number 25 in the UK...
, released in April, 2006. It did not chart as it contained both stickers and inserts, therefore breaking chart rules.
The title and content was adapted from The Ramones single "Sheena is a Punk Rocker
Sheena is a Punk Rocker
"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by the punk rock group The Ramones. It first appeared on their third LP, Rocket to Russia, in 1977, and was also included on later pressings of the group's second album, Leave Home...
" as well as The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
' "Sheena's in a Goth Gang", and chronicles the demise of punk music and its cultural influence. The music video was directed by Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
. This ended a seven year music video hiatus for the much respected Cunningham who admitted to being "mildly obsessed" with the track, having come across it on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. Following several Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
videos in Cunningham's filmography, the video was expected to be suitably twisted and quirky. The video stars Oscar nominee Samantha Morton
Samantha Morton
Samantha Jane Morton is an English actress and film director. She began her performing career with guest roles in television shows such as Soldier Soldier and Boon before making her film debut in the 1997 drama film This Is the Sea, playing the character of Hazel Stokes...
as the song's manic, transmogrifying subject who whips around like a banshee and spews her intestines at the viewer. Sharply edited and shot on a low budget, the video was instantly banned from MTV UK purely on the basis of the use of strobe lights, not because of the gory subject matter (as was erroneously reported by the NME). Chris Cunningham did not want to edit out the strobing as he felt it would compromise his work. The video has aired on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
in America.
The B-side is a Screaming Lord Sutch
Screaming Lord Sutch
David Edward Sutch , also known as "Screaming Lord Sutch, 3rd Earl of Harrow", or simply "Screaming Lord Sutch", was a musician from the United Kingdom...
cover, although this version is more inspired by the previous cover by The Gruesomes
The Gruesomes
The Gruesomes are a Canadian Garage Punk band formed in 1985 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-History:Bobby Beaton , Gerry Alvarez , John Davis and his brother Eric Davis were all between the ages of 16 and 19 and had absolutely no previous musical experience...
.
In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 96 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".