My Curse by The Afghan Whigs

Album: Gentlemen (1993)

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Greg Dulli, who is normally lead singer, opted to let Marcy Mays of local band Scrawl sing lead on this song. Some have said the song hit too close to home for Dulli. He has sung lead on this song in concert, so he must be over whatever negative feelings he once had. >>>
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John - Levittown, NY
The Afghan Whigs recorded "My Curse" for Gentleman, a concept album that follows a tumultuous relationship as it falls apart. "When I look back on Gentlemen, I see someone trying to figure out relationships, and I think that's why on side two I gave the big song ["My Curse"] to Marcy," Dulli told Uncut magazine. "There's no one like her and we've been friends since the late eighties. That was giving the subject a voice, which also allowed me to call in my own responsibility for the demise of the relationship. And I was able to look at the gray in between the two poles."
"My Curse" is a wracked female perspective ballad. Marcy Mays sings of being locked into a dysfunctional, emotionally abusive relationship where she feels she's the "slave."

The title refers to The Curse of Eve, the result of Eve's disobedience to God's commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3 tells us after Eve ate the fruit and gave some to Adam to eat, God cursed the serpent, Eve, and Adam because of their sin.

God told Eve that because she had eaten from the tree, he would greatly increase her pain in childbirth. Her desire would be for her husband, but he would rule over her, which parallels the master/slave relationship between Mays and her lover.
The Afghan Whigs wrote both Gentleman and their previous record, Congregation, while touring their 1990 album Up in It. "We wrote it on the road - back-to-back records: Congregation 1992, Gentleman 1993," Dulli recalled to Uncut. "That's something that really doesn't happen anymore. We sort of went nonstop: It was a very prolific period for the group."

Comments: 6

Blur991 from Indyfinally saw this live with the right people. fuzxin amazin
Babu from SeattleGreg is a clever son of a bitch.
Greg is genius.
But not genius enough.
Should've hired Keith Derouin..but...Hillis was out of Commission..things were crazy.
Eric from Chicago, IlWell, I hate to say, but the songfact is wrong. "My Curse" was actually written about 1988. It was originally called "Ciaphas" and appeared on the 'Jugula Tape' which were old demos. Dulli changed 2 lines in the chorus and slowed down the arrangement for 'Gentlemen'. He sings lead vocals on the original, and it actually is a fun, upbeat song. It shows the band's true talent that they can take the same song and arrange it so heartbreakingly on Gentlemen.
Randy from Mclean, VaI have always loved this very intense song, and Marcy Mays does an incredible job on the vocals in the studio version, it sounds like she is on the brittle edge emotionally. I have always thought it had to do with someone involved in a very intense and not very positive same-sex relationship about which they were very troubled, "Hyssop in your perfume" (hyssop is a bitter purgative herb). "Enslaved I only use as a word to describe the special way I feel for you", indicating an unhealthy relationship. "You look like me and we look like noone else" referring to the sameness of their relationship. "My curse" I thought referred to the relationship itself, or the writer's unwilling commitment to unhealthy relationships.
Jan from Antwerp, BelgiumI must have heard this song thousands of times already, as the Gentlemen album is my most favourite rock album, but still it manages to get me by the gutts everytime I hear it. I think it's the combination of the tormented voice and honest lyrics over this lazy guitar riff and howling guitar 'layer'.
Matt from Boston, MaThe song doesn't really identify itself as being from the point of view af either a man or a woman, but it definitely adds an air of vulnerability coming from the wonderfully pained and unsteady female voice and vocals of Marcy Mays. Especially in the defiant way she boasts, "I can smile now....You won't find out....Ever!" Sexy as hell.

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