Killed By Death (song)
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"Killed by Death" is a song by the English heavy metal band
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
. Released in 1984, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. It peaked at number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.


Promotion

To assist its promotion in the United States, Bronze/Island pressed a 12" promo version for radio play (identical versions on both sides). It is one of the most difficult to find of all Motörhead items. There is also a video made for the track, directed by the manager of
the Plasmatics The Plasmatics were an American punk rock and heavy metal band formed by Rod Swenson and Wendy O. Williams in New York City in 1978. They were a controversial group known for chaotic, destructive live shows and outrageous theatrics. These inc ...
, Rod Swenson, which was banned by MTV for "excessive and senseless violence". Despite relatively high-profile exposure on TV programmes such as
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's ''
The Tube The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
'', the single failed to make any significant impression on the UK Singles Chart. This proved particularly disappointing to
Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...
, who at live shows regularly made joking references about its lack of sales.


Releases

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 '' Nö Sleep at All''. Both the 7" and 12" formats feature the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
"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.


Live performances

The song itself used to be a mainstay of live performances since release. As with many Motörhead 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 The ace of spades (also known as the Spadille, Old Frizzle, and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. Design The ornate design of the ...
'' album. The second verse also contains the line, "I'm a lone-wolf ligger".


Legacy

*A re-recorded version, entitled "Killed by Death '08", is in the '' Rock Band Metal Track Pack''. *In 2012, ''
Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...
'' ranked the song number two on their list of the top 10 Motörhead songs, and in 2021, ''
Louder Sound ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 196 ...
'' ranked the song number 12 on their list of the top 50 Motörhead songs. *The song was used in sequences set in
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
in ''Heist'', a British TV comedy-drama. *The song is featured in the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. *"Killed by Death" was covered by German
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...
band
Paragon Paragon may refer to: Places *Paragon, Indiana, a town in the United States * Paragon, Nebraska, former community in the United States *The Paragon, Bath, a Georgian street in the Walcot area of Bath * The Paragon, Blackheath, London, built by Mi ...
, by all-female Swedish metal band Crucified Barbara, and by Finnish power metal band
Beast in Black Beast in Black is a Finnish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Helsinki in 2015 by guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen. The band's blend of power metal, 80s pop, and electronic music, as well as their energetic live performances, h ...
on their 2019 album '' From Hell with Love''. *The lyrics of the song's first verse are used as an epigraph in Bruce Craven's 1993 novel ''
Fast Sofa ''Fast Sofa'' is a 2001 American road-trip comedy film directed by Salomé Breziner and starring Jake Busey, Adam Goldberg, Natasha Lyonne, Crispin Glover, Bijou Phillips, Eric Roberts and Jennifer Tilly. It is based on Bruce Craven's novel of ...
''. *"Killed by Death" is performed regularly by Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons and is the final track on their 2023 live album ''Live in the North''.


Track listing

All tracks written by
Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...
,
Würzel Michael Richard Burston (23 October 1949 – 9 July 2011), commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician who played professionally for three decades. He played guitar in British rock band Motörhead from 1984 to 1995,
, Phil Campbell and
Pete Gill Peter Gill (born 9 June 1951) is an English former heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of the Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead. Gill was one of the two drummers in the Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line-up of Saxon i ...
.


Personnel

;Motörhead *
Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was a British musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the metal band Motörhead, of which he ...
– vocals, bass * Phil "Wizzö" Campbell – guitars *
Würzel Michael Richard Burston (23 October 1949 – 9 July 2011), commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician who played professionally for three decades. He played guitar in British rock band Motörhead from 1984 to 1995,
– guitars *
Pete Gill Peter Gill (born 9 June 1951) is an English former heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of the Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead. Gill was one of the two drummers in the Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line-up of Saxon i ...
– drums ;Production * Fin Costello – photography * Steve Joule – designer


References

{{authority control Motörhead songs 1984 singles Songs written by Lemmy Songs written by Würzel Songs written by Phil Campbell (musician) Songs written by Pete Gill 1984 songs Song recordings produced by Vic Maile