100 Percent

Album: Dirty (1992)
Charted: 28
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was dedicated to Joe Cole, a roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band. He was shot and killed in a robbery on December 19, 1991, as he and his roommate, Henry Rollins, returned home from a video rental store. In the press bio for Dirty, singer and guitarist Thurston Moore called it an "LA story. One of limitless violence; the hopeless and the hopeful."
  • "JC," which is a bonus track on some versions of Dirty, was also inspired by Cole's murder.
  • The song's music video, which was directed by Tamra Davis and Spike Jonze, also alludes to the shooting of Cole. The bass guitar played by Kim Gordon in the clip, was loaned to her by the actor Keanu Reeves.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.