Debaser Explained

"Debaser" is a song by American alternative rock band Pixies, released in April 1989 as the opening track on their album Doolittle and later as a promotional single following the dissolution of the band.^[1]

Releases

The band's 1991 "Head On" single includes a live version of "Debaser" recorded in Chicago on August 9, 1989. The album version of the song was later released as a single in 1997 to promote the Death to the Pixies compilation. A live recording from December 16, 2004, in New York City appears on "Hey" – Live Pixies 2004–2005.

A version of this song was also used in the game DJ Hero 2, remixed with The Prodigy's song "Invaders Must Die"; this mix is available as downloadable content for the game.

Lyrics and meaning

The lyrics of "Debaser" are based on Un Chien Andalou, a 1929 short film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. The film includes a scene in which a woman's eye is apparently cut open by a razor, which is referenced in the lyric "slicin' up eyeballs." According to frontman and songwriter Black Francis:

I wish Buñuel were still alive. He made this film about nothing in particular. The title itself is a nonsense. With my stupid, pseudo-scholar, naive, enthusiast, avant-garde-ish, amateurish way to watch Un chien andalou (twice), I thought: 'Yeah, I will make a song about it.' [He sings:] "Un chien andalou"... It sounds too French, so I will sing "un chien andalusia", it sounds good, no?^[2]

The title "Debaser" references the fact that Un Chien Andalou "debases" contemporary morality and standards of art: "I guess it means: one who debases. A debaser. It was an attempt to introduce a new word into the lexicon, but I don’t think it’s been successful, else I would have heard about it."^[3]

In the earliest version of the song, the line "un chien andalusia" was originally "Shed, Apollonia!", a reference to a scene from Purple Rain.^[4]

Track listing

Debaser – Demo

1. "Debaser" (Demo) – 2:59
2. "No. 13 Baby" (Demo) – 3:10

Debaser – Live

1. "Debaser" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:44
2. "Holiday Song" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:10
3. "Cactus" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 2:27
4. "Nimrod's Son" (Live in Chicago, August 10, 1989) – 3:08

Debaser – Studio

1. "Debaser" – 2:52
2. "Bone Machine" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:03
3. "Gigantic" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 3:24
4. "Isla de Encanta" (Live in Netherlands, 1990) – 1:44

Notes and References

1. Web site: Franks . Alison . January 30, 2010 . Dusting 'Em Off: Pixies – Doolittle . https://web.archive.org/web/20220921205147/https://consequence.net/2010/01/dusting-em-off-pixies-doolittle/ . September 21, 2022 . Consequence.
2. Web site: About Debaser. December 13, 2014. – Black Francis, translated from a Spanish interview
3. Web site: Pelley . Rich . February 3, 2022 . Pixies frontman Black Francis: 'Kim Deal? We're always friends – but nothing is for ever' . February 3, 2022 . The Guardian.
4. Book: Sisario, Ben. Ben Sisario. Doolittle. Continuum. New York. 0-8264-1774-4. 33⅓. 2006. 80.