An interesting note to this song, is the mention of Bobby Fuller. His name makes sense in the song, since he was the man behind "I Fought the Law" (Well, he did the popular rendition with the Bobby Fuller Four). But there is much more to the story. He died a very peculiar death in the mid-1960s, which was reluctantly ruled a suicide.
He was found by his mother, keys in the ignition and a can of gasoline nearby. It was discovered that he had ingested approximately 1/3 of the can of gas. He also appeared to be doused in it. Friends and family had a difficult time believing that he willingly ended his life in such a strange way. First of all, he was on his way to the studios, and had been excited about some of the music he was working on. He had also gotten off the phone with a female friend just hours before, and had made plans to see her after the studio. And the car that he was in? He had JUST purchased it from a friend that same week. Many people believe that these actions are not characteristic of a suicidal person. He was far from burned out, according to his friends. Nor was he a "has-been".
Apparently, there was a lucrative insurance policy on his life, which raised some suspicions. If I can recall, his small record label (or management?) were benefactors to the claim. There were legends of mob involvement, as well. The fact that he was covered in gasoline, suggested that the perpetrators may have planned to set him on fire, but were spooked, and opted to leave the scene. Some of my facts may be foggy (it has been quite a few months since I read about the case). But there are a number of websites that explore Fuller's life and death, if anyone is interested.
Anyway, back to "Monster Hospital". Haines sings: "Daddy Warbucks up against Bobby Fuller/ And he beat him hands down/ lead in his head/ They put a little lead in..in his head."
Could she be theorizing that the "lead in his head", was actually the leaded gas that may have been forced down Fuller's throat, causing his death? If so, who's "they"? The mysterious people that were set to gain from the death of this musician? Is "Daddy Warbucks" an alias for whoever may have planned or executed the murder of Bobby Fuller? Many perceive Daddy Warbucks to be a symbol of power, dominance, and opportunism- just a few of the vices that conspiracy theorists believe led to Bobby Fuller's murder.
Regardless, "Monster Hospital" is such an intense track. The Bobby Fuller story brings a certain a darker tone to the song, which adds to the mystique of Metric. I need to get more familiar with their music, because I only know of "Monster Hospital, and "Glass Ceiling". But I'm crazy about both of them, so I'm sure I'd like many more songs on "Live It Out".
I think you are right! Wow. I didn't know the story, but having read it now, I can say that this song isn't about any "war" but about songwriters fighting the big labels and not selling out. Using Bobby Fuller as a symbol of how the industry "kills" the artists. It fits the general Metric emphasis on writing about musicians and music itself. The "war" won because they signed up with a label. They held her hands down, she signed up, she was "bad." Amazing! It is an intensely clever critique of the music industry and its greed disguised as...
I think you are right! Wow. I didn't know the story, but having read it now, I can say that this song isn't about any "war" but about songwriters fighting the big labels and not selling out. Using Bobby Fuller as a symbol of how the industry "kills" the artists. It fits the general Metric emphasis on writing about musicians and music itself. The "war" won because they signed up with a label. They held her hands down, she signed up, she was "bad." Amazing! It is an intensely clever critique of the music industry and its greed disguised as a war protest song.
An interesting note to this song, is the mention of Bobby Fuller. His name makes sense in the song, since he was the man behind "I Fought the Law" (Well, he did the popular rendition with the Bobby Fuller Four). But there is much more to the story. He died a very peculiar death in the mid-1960s, which was reluctantly ruled a suicide.
He was found by his mother, keys in the ignition and a can of gasoline nearby. It was discovered that he had ingested approximately 1/3 of the can of gas. He also appeared to be doused in it. Friends and family had a difficult time believing that he willingly ended his life in such a strange way. First of all, he was on his way to the studios, and had been excited about some of the music he was working on. He had also gotten off the phone with a female friend just hours before, and had made plans to see her after the studio. And the car that he was in? He had JUST purchased it from a friend that same week. Many people believe that these actions are not characteristic of a suicidal person. He was far from burned out, according to his friends. Nor was he a "has-been".
Apparently, there was a lucrative insurance policy on his life, which raised some suspicions. If I can recall, his small record label (or management?) were benefactors to the claim. There were legends of mob involvement, as well. The fact that he was covered in gasoline, suggested that the perpetrators may have planned to set him on fire, but were spooked, and opted to leave the scene. Some of my facts may be foggy (it has been quite a few months since I read about the case). But there are a number of websites that explore Fuller's life and death, if anyone is interested.
Anyway, back to "Monster Hospital". Haines sings: "Daddy Warbucks up against Bobby Fuller/ And he beat him hands down/ lead in his head/ They put a little lead in..in his head."
Could she be theorizing that the "lead in his head", was actually the leaded gas that may have been forced down Fuller's throat, causing his death? If so, who's "they"? The mysterious people that were set to gain from the death of this musician? Is "Daddy Warbucks" an alias for whoever may have planned or executed the murder of Bobby Fuller? Many perceive Daddy Warbucks to be a symbol of power, dominance, and opportunism- just a few of the vices that conspiracy theorists believe led to Bobby Fuller's murder.
Regardless, "Monster Hospital" is such an intense track. The Bobby Fuller story brings a certain a darker tone to the song, which adds to the mystique of Metric. I need to get more familiar with their music, because I only know of "Monster Hospital, and "Glass Ceiling". But I'm crazy about both of them, so I'm sure I'd like many more songs on "Live It Out".
I think you are right! Wow. I didn't know the story, but having read it now, I can say that this song isn't about any "war" but about songwriters fighting the big labels and not selling out. Using Bobby Fuller as a symbol of how the industry "kills" the artists. It fits the general Metric emphasis on writing about musicians and music itself. The "war" won because they signed up with a label. They held her hands down, she signed up, she was "bad." Amazing! It is an intensely clever critique of the music industry and its greed disguised as...
I think you are right! Wow. I didn't know the story, but having read it now, I can say that this song isn't about any "war" but about songwriters fighting the big labels and not selling out. Using Bobby Fuller as a symbol of how the industry "kills" the artists. It fits the general Metric emphasis on writing about musicians and music itself. The "war" won because they signed up with a label. They held her hands down, she signed up, she was "bad." Amazing! It is an intensely clever critique of the music industry and its greed disguised as a war protest song.