Hey (Review)

Hey, taken from the Pixies 1989 album Doolittle, stirs up religious controversy, with lyrics such as "The sound that the Mother makes when the baby breaks."

Hey features a lead vocal that sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom, with alley cat guitars that pluck away to an intermittent funk groove. The song occasionally breaks free of its shackles, with bursts of lazy lead guitar lines that screech atop the repeating lyric "We're chained."

As a central theme, Dolittle toys with religious imagery. Black Francis seemingly takes great delight in boldly delivering the word "Whore" a total of four times throughout the song. In fact, the working title of Dolittle was "Whore," but was changed at the last minute out of fear that it would be an indication that Francis was reportedly anti-Catholic.

Just like other Pixies songs such as Where Is My Mind?, Hey is delivered with a strong dash of irony. However, there is something about this track that hints at a genuine disdain for organized religion, and calls into question the overall premise of morality. Kim Deal contributes to Hey vocally, with monosyllabic utterances in support of Francis' protests.

The song is defiantly simple, restless and is there to irritate as much as to be enjoyed. Hey wants your attention, and it wants it now. Like when dealing with a defiant child, however, the listener is left wondering whether the attention is well deserved. Hey, it's the Pixies...it probably is.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

— MK

The Pixies are one of those bands that manage to appeal to an extremely diverse cross section of society. As time passes, they claim an even greater entitlement to their reputation as one of the coolest American indie/alternative bands in history. Referenced openly by contemporary acts such as Placebo and Nirvana, and featured in the soundtracks to groundbreaking films such as Fight Club, this Boston band formed in Massachusetts in 1986. Members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering succumbed to a spiraling demise of post 80s excess in 1993. The group disbanded for a time, before reuniting in 2004.

Hey (Lyrics)

Hey 
Been trying to meet you 
Nnnnh 
Hey 
Must be a devil between us 
Or whores in my head 
Whores, door 
Whores in my bed 
But hey 
Where 
Have you 
Been 
If you go, I will surely die

We're chained 
We're chained 
We're chained 
Chained

Uhh, said the man to the lady 
Uhh, said the lady to the man she adored 
And the whores like a choir 
Uhh uhh, all, night 
And Mary ain't you tired of this 
Uhh 
Is 
The 
Sound 
That the mother makes, when the baby breaks

We're chained 
We're chained 
We're chained 
We're chained 
We're chained

Contact Information:

The Pixies 
pixiesmusic.com 
facebook.com/pixiesofficial

Hey (Viral Parody)