4st 7lb
"4st 7lb" | |
---|---|
Song by Manic Street Preachers | |
from the album The Holy Bible | |
Released | 29 August 1994 |
Studio | Sound Space Studios, Cardiff, Wales |
Genre | |
Length | 5:05 |
Label | Epic |
Composer(s) | James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore |
Lyricist(s) | Richey Edwards |
Producer(s) | Manic Street Preachers |
"4st 7lb" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band, Manic Street Preachers, from the band's third album, The Holy Bible.[3]
Music and lyrics
Musically, the song features
Lyrically, the song describes advanced-stage anorexia;[10][11][12][13] it is about a teenage girl who wants "to be so skinny, that she rots from view".[14][15][16][17] It has been widely interpreted as a reflection of the band's guitarist and lyricist Richey Edwards's own personal struggle with the disease,[18][19][20][21][22] which was confirmed by the band's bass guitarist and co-lyricist Nicky Wire.[23] The spoken intro was sampled from the documentary Caraline's Story, which chronicles the final months of Caraline Neville-Lister, who died of anorexia in 1994 at age 29.
The song was named after 4 stones 7 pounds, or 63 pounds (29 kg), the weight below which death is said to be medically unavoidable for an anorexia sufferer.[6][24]
Reception
The song received acclaim from
Personnel
Manic Street Preachers
- James Dean Bradfield – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, production
- Richey Edwards – lyrics, production
- Nicky Wire – bass guitar, production
- Sean Moore – drums, production
Technical
- Alex Silva – engineering
- Mark Freegard – mixing
References
- ^ a b "Manic Street Preachers - the Holy Bible - Golden Vault 38". GoldenPlec Magazine. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Harris, Cameron Sinclair (29 January 2021). "11 Underrated Songs: Manic Street Preachers". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Dave Franklin (4 April 2005). Manic Streets of Perth: An Australian Comedy. Baby Ice Dog Press. pp. 44–. GGKEY:3YSBTPEZ47H.
- Pitchfork. Archivedfrom the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Gajarsky, Bob (27 March 1995). "Manic Street Preachers – Interview". Consumable.
- ^ a b c Butler, Nick (21 January 2005). "Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-4091-1129-0.
- ^ "Razors pain you: what Dorothy Parker teaches us about our addiction to female suffering". 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-615-18964-2.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Martin, Dan (13 December 2004). "Manic Street Preachers : The Holy Bible (Tenth Anniversary Edition)". NME. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (4 February 2005). "Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible 10th Anniversary Edition". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Dorian Lynskey (21 December 2014). "Manic Street Preachers review – fire and brimstone revisited". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ a b Edwards, Mark (14 December 2004). "Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ a b O'Neil, Tim (20 May 2005). "Manic Street Preachers: The Holy Bible -- 10th Anniversary Edition". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
- ISBN 978-88-09-76922-9.
- ^ Fricke, David (21 April 2005). "Manic Street Preachers: The Holy Bible: 10th Anniversary Edition". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (20 November 2008). "Manic Street Preachers – Holy Bible". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-84767-643-6.
- ISBN 978-1-136-50229-3.
- ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4. Archivedfrom the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ "Manics New Testament". Melody Maker: 4. 27 August 1994.
- ^ Clarke 1997, p. 116.
Sources
- Clarke, Martin (1997). Manic Street Preachers: Sweet Venom. London: Plexus. ISBN 0-85965-259-9.