SULK

Released:
March 1995
Length: 3:41
Disc: The Bends
Tablature: Guitar | Bass

One of Thom's earliest creations, this song was inspired by a ruthless and unexplained killing spree conducted by a lone gunman in Hungerford, England, in 1987. Although its original concluding lyrics were "just shoot your gun," these were changed when the song was recorded in late 1994. This was because the death of Kurt Cobain was still weighing heavily on people's minds while the Hungerford killings were not; Thom chose to change the lyrics so that no one would think the song was about the late Nirvana leader.

"Sulk" is rarely heard live: the band played it in concert a few times in 1994, even less often in 1995, and never again after that.

Not a lot of people think much of this track. I mean, it's good, but no one ever thinks its all that great. I reckon it's quite a classy track, myself. The guitars towards the end are excellent, and the way Thom sings the chorus is great.

You bite through the big wall, the big wall bites back
You just sit there and sulk, sit there and bawl
You are so pretty when you're on your knees
Disinfected and eager to please

Sometimes you sulk, sometimes you burn
God rest your soul
When the loving comes and we've already gone
Just like your dad, you'll never change

Each time it comes it eats me alive
I try to behave but it eats me alive
So I declare a holiday
Fall asleep, drift away

Sometimes you sulk, sometimes you burn
God rest your soul
When the loving comes and we've already gone
Just like your dad, you'll never change

Sometimes you sulk, sometimes you burn
God rest your soul
When the loving comes and we've already gone
Just like your dad, you'll never change
Jonny Greenwood "I was too ill to stand when this was done, I played on the floor, unable to tell what was good or bad. Mexico's revenge." - Jonny Thom Yorke

"This was the last song we did for The Bends. There's thousands of tambourines on it, but you can't really hear it on the final mix. It was a weird song because it went from being the one that the record company insisted was going to be the hit to the least-liked thing on the album." - Thom
Ed O'Brien
"The last song to be recorded, done at Abbey Road and without doubty the hardest to finish - we'd made many attempts at it, but came back to how it sounded in rehearsal. I do however, think this could have been mixed better." - Ed Colin Greenwood

"..Got a good beat?." - Colin
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