You Suffer Explained

You Suffer
Cover:You Suffer (1989).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Napalm Death
Album:Scum
A-Side:You Suffer
B-Side:
Released:1989
Recorded:August 1986
Studio:Rich Bitch Studio
Birmingham, England
Length:0:01
Label:Earache
Producer:Digby Pearson

"You Suffer" is a song by English grindcore band Napalm Death, released on the band's debut studio album, Scum (1987). The song is precisely 1.316 seconds long.[1] [2] The song was written by Nicholas Bullen, Justin Broadrick, and Mick Harris during the March 1986 demo sessions for From Enslavement to Obliteration.

The song holds the world record for shortest song,[3] but "The Half Second Song" by Bryant Oden may be shorter, lasting 521ms, if one is willing to count it as a "song". In March 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 72 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list.[4]

Background and influence

The official four-word lyrics to the song are: "You suffer, but why?". Justin Broadrick said about the song:

Nicholas Bullen, writer of the song's four-word lyrics, said that the brevity of "You Suffer" was inspired by Wehrmacht's 1985 song "E!".[5] The song has since been recognized by Guinness World Records as the shortest ever recorded.[6] "You Suffer" would become an influence on the "noisecore" micro-genre, inspiring many bands such as Sore Throat, 7 Minutes of Nausea, Deche-Charge, Anal Cunt, and others to release full-length recordings of exclusively "microsong" content.[7] Swedish metal band Opeth and Finnish gothic metal band HIM have both covered the song live.[8] [9]

Release

In 1989, "You Suffer" appeared on one side of a 7" single given away free with copies of a compilation album entitled Grindcrusher. The song on the other side, "Mega-Armageddon Death Part 3" by the Electro Hippies, also lasts approximately one second, making the disc the shortest single ever released. Each side features one groove at the outer edge of the disc containing the music, with the rest of the surface containing etched writing and cartoons.[10]

To coincide with the release of the Scum DualDisc in March 2007, a music video produced by Earache Records was released for the song.[11] The video shows a girl jumping up and down with fake blood/gunshot effects overlayed on the footage.

Track listing

Vinyl release

Side one
  • You Suffer – 0:01
    Side two
  • "Mega-Armageddon Death Part 3" (performed by Electro Hippies) 0:01

    Digital release

    1. "You Suffer" 0:01
    2. "Dead" 0:02

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Extreme Extremeness . McPheeters . Sam . 9 March 2006 . OCWeekly .
    2. Web site: Rosenberg. Axl. What Happens When You Slow Down Napalm Death's 'You Suffer'?. 7 June 2016 . MetalSucks. 8 May 2018.
    3. Web site: Harrell. Ryan. 2020-12-01. The 25 Shortest Songs Ever Released Commercially. 2022-02-07. MIDINation. en-US.
    4. 2023-03-13 . The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230313191405/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-heavy-metal-songs-1234688425/ . 2023-03-13 . 2023-03-13 . . en-US.
    5. Grow, p. 62.
    6. Web site: Kennelty. Greg. Napalm Death's 'You Suffer' Slowed Down Is An Exercise In Noisey Futility. Metal Injection. 8 June 2016 . 8 May 2018.
    7. Web site: Camp. Zoe. See Hilarious 'Silicon Valley' Scene Featuring Napalm Death's 'You Suffer'. Revolver. 9 April 2018 . 16 April 2019.
    8. Web site: Divita. Joe. Watch Opeth Cover Napalm Death's 'You Suffer' Twice in Germany. Loudwire. 8 May 2018.
    9. Web site: H.I.M. Covers NAPALM DEATH At London's GIVE IT A NAME FEST. Blabbermouth. 7 April 2024.
    10. https://www.discogs.com/Various-Grindcrusher-The-Earache-Sampler/release/367419 Grindcrusher page on Discogs.com
    11. Web site: New Napalm Death Videos of Classic Early Tracks Posted Online . . 13 March 2007 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070316101538/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=68684 . 16 March 2007.