Moaning Lisa Smile

Album: Creature Songs (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This track from Wolf Alice's Creature Songs EP was inspired by the band's favorite 8-year-old girl, Lisa Simpson. Singer Ellie Rowsell explained: "We wanted to create a Lisa-type character and follow her in a pursuit to happiness. Although faced with obstacles in the shape of some nasty bitches, Lisa soon finds the group who make her feel like she belongs."
  • The video features the three male band members playing girls. "We're not trying to be funny. It's more that we make stories about girls sometimes but we don't have enough girls in the band to show that," Ellie Rowsell shrugged to Digital Spy.

    "It's like when you see a primary school play and there aren't enough girls so a boy plays Rapunzel," bassist Theo Ellis added.
  • This was played during the "Solace for Tired Feet" episode of HBO's television series The Leftovers.
  • Wolf Alice made their American TV debut on June 16, 2015, when they performed this song on Conan.
  • The song is a nod to a first season episode of The Simpsons. "Everyone knows a Homer and a Bart, " Ellie Rowsell pointed out to NME. "We've grown up with them; they're like our second family, I've learned half my life morals from The Simpsons."
  • "Moaning Lisa" was the title of the sixth episode of The Simpsons' first season, and originally aired on February 11, 1990. The episode deals with Lisa's depression and her attempts to sublimate it by playing her saxophone.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

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

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.