I Wanna Be a Warhol

Album: My Shame Is True (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This lust-ridden track about vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba's romantic and sexual obsession with his former girlfriend was released as the first single from Alkaline Trio's 2013 album My Shame Is True. The song title references American pop artist Andy Warhol (1931-1987) whose pictures of soup tins and celebrities and flair for self-publicity made him a household name in the late 1960s. It was Warhol who coined the phrase "15 minutes of fame."
  • A music video for the song was released on March 8, 2013 featuring the actress Milla Jovovich.
  • The album title is a cheeky reference to Elvis Costello's 1977 LP My Aim Is True. However, it holds its own meaning with eight of the twelve songs written for Skipa's girlfriend whom he split from shortly before recording the record. "There's just this underlying theme of shame in the album," he told Billboard magazine. "I wrote them as if no one but her was going to hear them. That's kind of the way I used to write our original records because I didn't think anyone was gonna hear them."

    Skiba and his ex remained friends. She's the leather-clad motorcycle rider featured on the cover of My Shame Is True.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.