"So Strung Out" is a song by German hip-hop group

C-Block C-Block were a German Hip-Hop group, founded in 1995 by German music producers Frank Müller and Jörg Wagner. The group is fronted by American rapper/singer Anthony "Red Dogg" Joseph and James "Mr.P" White. C-Block were a well-known hip hop ac ...

. Released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on October 4, 1996 in Germany, it was included in C-Block's debut album '' General Population'' in the following year. In 1997 the song had entered the top ten in charts of several countries and remained popular after C-Block's breakup.

Themes and composition

"So Strung Out" was recorded at Toneway & Paradise Studio. The music was composed by Franky Miller, Jörg Wagner and Ulrich Buchmann and the lyrics were written by Red Dogg, Mr. P and Wagner. The

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the v ...

is sung by Spanish–German vocalist Raquel Gomez with the

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

part by Red Dogg and Mr. P. The lyrics revolve around

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

and depressive state of one person, who consumes

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

. The black-and-white

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

conveys an anti-drug message with the words "stop the madness" and "say no to drugs" shown in the end. Throughout the music video some features of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

are shown, including the Metro Theatre. According to

The Echo Nest The Echo Nest is a music intelligence and data platform for developers and media companies. Owned by Spotify since 2014, the company is based in Somerville, MA. The Echo Nest began as a research spin-off from the MIT Media Lab to understand t ...

, "So Strung Out" is composed in the

minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which al ...

, in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (ma ...

of A♭ and is set in the

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

. The extended version of the song has a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 100 beats per minute. That version begins with introductory a cappella

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...

about abusive drug experience.

Reception

"So Strung Out" was credited with giving "the real breakthrough" to C-Block. The song entered the top five of German

Media Control Charts Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass ...

and

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Top 100. The radio version of "So Strung Out" was included in the

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

for ''

14 Days to Life ''14 Days to Life'' (german: 14 Tage lebenslänglich) is a 1997 German thriller film directed by Roland Suso Richter. Plot Young lawyer Konrad von Seidlitz is celebrating his engagement with Cornelia, the daughter of justice minister Friedemann ...

''. The song also appears in several compilation albums and has off-single remixes.

Charts

Year-end charts

Track list

*CD single # "So Strung Out" (Radio Version) – 3:44 # "So Strung Out" (Extended Version) – 6:04 # "So Strung Out" (Paranoid Mix) – 4:33 # "So Strung Out" (Mysterious Version) – 5:06

References

{{Authority control 1996 singles Hip hop songs Songs about drugs 1996 songs