Screaming Skull

Apparently, Thurston wrote this song after visiting the SST Records Superstore on the Sunset Strip. SST was SY's former record label (and the Lemonheads' and Husker Du's) but the band and the label split acrimoniously when the Youth left for Geffen Records. SST used to be staunchly "indie" and resolutely against anything which smacked of corporate sellout or major label-ism, yet ended up opening a Virgin-type megastore in L.A. by the mid-90s and turning into a parody of "major label" terrors, without the big sales. To Sonic Youth, who were able to maintain their indepedence despite being on a major label, this must have been delicious poetic justice.

It's either about stuff they dislike, stuff they like, or a summary of random parts of their life.

Seems like it's just an indy music montage. Lot's of music-related names (Pat Smear, Husker Du, SST, Lemonheads, etc.), There's probably other stuff I just don't recognize. Sister was the name of a previous album of theirs. Could be a lot of stuff, but probably just a bunch of music-themed stuff that fit together.

yeah. owennnnnnnn's got it right.

I have to agree with owennnnnnnnnn on this one. This was definitely poetic justice, since Sonic Youth was formerly on SST.

i love this song. its my favorite Sonic Youth.

In 1986's super-hero comic "Watchmen" one of the characters, Nite Owl I, mentions an old super-villian named "Screaming Skull" who has reformed: "found Jesus, got married and had two kids".

It sounds as a metaphor for an organization which has radically changed due to external factors of social evolution. Could there be a connection there? Or is it just a major coincidence?

This song is about nostalgia for their indie days, particularly the couple of years they spent on SST Records. They had survived their indie years, signed to a major label, got a gold record (1992's Dirty), but somehow they missed the salad days.

In 1992, SST opened up the "SST Superstore" on Sunset Boulevard in LA. To attract business, punk legend Pat Smear (formerly of Germs, and later of Nirvana of Foo Fighters) worked the counter. Hence, the lyrics about SST Superstore, and "I'll go there/for Pat Smear."

Screaming Skull and Husker Du are two bands who put out records on SST, along with Sonic Youth. Superchunk never put out anything on SST (they were on Matador and their own label, the equally legendary Merge), but it's a cool indie shout-out anyway.

While their years on a major certainly treated them well, I imagine they are happy to be back on an indie, with their first album for Matador coming out in June 2009.

Since the admins think I'm BOOW-SHIT, here's the lyrics to the "Rap Damage" version:

That's right! Fuckin' Greg G Suckin' on a big D Damn straight baby! Motherfuckin' major label corporate fuckin' weasels and shit Suckin' on a big D That's right! All y'all! All ya fuckin' sell-out bullshit motherfuckin' Rock n' roll suck-ass assholes Suckin' on a big D That's right! I ain't fuckin' around this time Even though my fuckin microphone is fucked up n' shit I don't care Cuz all you fuckin' motherfuckers out there Tryin' to fuckin' be Foreigner Styx..motherfuckin' Genesis and shit Y'all can go suck on a big D Yeah! I ain't fuckin' kiddin' either! I'll go out and kick your fuckin' ass! That's right! I'm the bad motherfucker on the motherfuckin' mic Tellin' all y'all All you major label corporate ass kissin' motherfuckers To suck on a big D Yeah! Ain't no shit this time! I ain't fuckin' around! I ain't ever fuckin' around! Y'all know it too! Yeah! You know the truth! All you motherfuckers out there Suckin' big ass corporate cock Yeah, you know! All you rock and roll motherfuckers Suckin' on a big D Fuck yeah! You know it too, baby! I come out there... Start kickin' some motherfuckin' ass! Some motherfuckin' hardcore ass! Yeah! All you west coast, east coast Fuckin' southern regional motherfuckers Down there in Tex-Ass And all the way up there in Cana-Duh Yeah you all get down on your knee And be suckin' on my big D! Goddamn straight, I think y'all got it straight now I think you know I ain't bullshittin'! You fuckin' corporate cocksuckin' motherfuckin' Major label ass-kissin' bullshit Sucking on a big motherfucking dick! YEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!! (It's right!)

owennnnnnn got a few things wrong.

Lemonheads never put anything out on SST.

The SST Superstore was hardly a major store like Virgin or anything like that. It was actually a very small record store, its gimmick being that they only sold SST LPs and CDs.

I went there many times in the '93 to '96 time frame and bought a lot of SST goodies. Never saw Pat Smear though.