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Killed by Death (song)

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"Killed by Death"
Song
B-side"Under the Knife"

"Killed by Death" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. Released in 1984, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. It peaked at number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.

Both formats feature the b-side "Under The Knife". The 12" issue has a second b-side, a different track also entitled "Under the Knife", and came with a free colour poster. The title song is taken from the No Remorse compilation album. Bronze Records also issued a shaped picture disc (approx 12") version of the 7" vinyl release, depicting the band's logo. Some lapses in quality control accidentally allowed a number of pressings that play King Kurt on the 'B' side.[1]

To assist its promotion in the United States, Bronze/Island pressed a 12" radio play edition, with identical versions of "Killed by Death" on both sides of the vinyl, so that disc jockeys couldn't play the wrong track by mistake. It is one of the most difficult to find of all Motörhead items.[2] There is also a video made for the track.

The original song is not included on any official release albums except the compilation album 'No Remorse', along with three other new songs, 'Snaggletooth', 'Steal Your Face' and 'Locomotive'. It is included on several other retrospective budget-release compilations, and on live albums such as 'No Sleep At All'.

Despite relatively high-profile exposure on TV programmes such as Channel 4's The Tube, the single failed to make any significant impression on a UK Chart saturated with New Romantics. This proved particularly disappointing to Lemmy, who at live shows regularly makes joking references about its lack of sales[3].

The song itself has been a mainstay of live performances since release. As with many Motorhead songs, the lyrics show Lemmy's skill at composing lyrics which are at the same time menacing and tongue-in-cheek. Another common theme is Lemmy's use of animal images. Phrases such as "If you squeeze my lizard, I'll put my snake on you, I'm a romantic adventure, And I'm a reptile too" recall the song 'Love me Like a Reptile' from the earlier Ace of Spades album. The second verse also contains the line, "I'm a lone-wolf ligger".

A re-recorded version of this song, entitled "Killed by Death '08", is in the Rock Band Metal Track Pack.

The song was used in sequences set in Hell in Heist (2008 comedy), a British TV comedy-drama.

The song is featured in the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

Single track listing

All tracks written by Lemmy, Würzel, Campbell and Pete Gill.

7"
  1. "Killed by Death"
  2. "Under the Knife"
12"
  1. "Killed by Death" (Full-Length Version) - 4:39
  2. "Under the Knife" - 3:43
  3. "Under the Knife" - 4:31

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Burridge, Alan Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motörhead Published: 1995, Collector's Guide Publishing ISBN 0-9695736-2-6.
  2. ^ Burridge, Alan (1993). "Motörhead". Record Collector (167): 73 and 75. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |quotes= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ No Sleep At All Lemmy introduces the song with: "The next song was a big hit for us, I've got 10,000 copies of it in my house".
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