Wave of Mutilation

Album: Doolittle (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lead singer Black Francis (Frank Black) described this song as being about "Japanese businessmen doing murder-suicides with their families because they'd failed in business, and they're driving off a pier into the ocean."
  • In a concert in 2004 Frank Black stated half-jokingly, "This song is from about 15 years ago and while I didn't invent it, I was the first guy to sing about El Niño before it became all popular and everything. I just wanted to take credit for that." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Martin - Rostock, Germany, for above 2
  • Pixes drummer David Lovering describes this as a very "un-Pixies-like" song, calling it "gentle and dreamy." He told MusicRadar: "It's an easy song to play, but it's very effective in the way it grabs people. It's got a very odd, arresting spirit. There's nothing else that sounds quite like it."

Comments: 3

  • I'm For Against That from Not The Mariana IslandsMariana refers to Mariana Trench... so nice try RI.
  • Rl from NycMariana is a reference to the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific ocean.

    El Niño is the warm phase of the Pacific Ocean that increases rainfall and warm weather.
  • Ryan from Anahola, HiI'm the first to comment. This song was featured in the music video game, Rock Band.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A Timeline

"Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit: A TimelineSong Writing

Untangling the events that led to the "Stairway To Heaven" lawsuit.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Steven Tyler of AerosmithSongwriter Interviews

Tyler talks about his true love: songwriting. How he identifies the beauty in a melody and turns sorrow into art.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Glen Ballard

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.