"Starfuckers, Inc." | |
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Promotional single by Nine Inch Nails from the album The Fragile | |
Released | May 2, 2000 |
Format | |
Length | 5:00 |
Label | Nothing |
Writer(s) | |
Producer(s) |
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"Starfuckers, Inc." (known as "Starsuckers, Inc." in its edited form), is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from their third studio album, The Fragile (1999). Although the song does not have an official halo, an edited promotional single for "Starfuckers, Inc.", retitled "Starsuckers, Inc.", was distributed with exclusive radio edits, and a video for the song was produced.
Written by Trent Reznor and Charlie Clouser, "Starfuckers, Inc." is one of the heaviest songs on The Fragile. The chorus is built on heavy metal guitars and massed, shouted choruses. The verses feature breakbeats, deep bass hits, and glitchy, stuttering vocals. The outro introduces more synthesizers, distortion and sound effects.
"Starfuckers, Inc." deals with the self-involved vanity and shallow commercialization of fame. The song directly references "You're So Vain", Carly Simon's ode to a self-absorbed lover, by quoting the chorus:
You're so vain
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
These lyrics were changed for the video version of "Starsuckers, Inc." to:
Overplayed
And soon you'll make us forget about you
Won't you?
Other than Marilyn Manson, the lyrics are often speculated to be directed towards Courtney Love. The video version of "Starfuckers, Inc." was changed to "Starsuckers, Inc.". The word "Starfucker" may have been taken from The Rolling Stones' song "Star Star" (original title "Starfucker") which appeared on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup or more likely from the song "Professional Widow", also rumoured to be about Love, by Tori Amos, to whom Reznor was close prior to what he refers to as "some malicious meddling on the part of Courtney Love".