Animal Style

Album: Ellipsis (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Simon Neil addressing his wife during a dark period in his life. He asks why she still stays by his side when he feels he's such an animal. "I was just in a terrible headspace," he recalled to NME. "It's just the way I am. I'm always going have a bit of trouble convincing in here [taps his head] that everything's going alright, when it is going alright."
  • Neil considers this to be the band's "most heads-down rock song ever." He explained to DIY magazine: "Normally with Biffy, it's all rhythm changes and quiet-loud. This was a riff I had for a few months and I recorded at my friend John's studio.

    To be honest, I think if we'd worked on this track together as a band initially, it would've become a more traditional Biffy song, but because I was in the studio by myself, it took it somewhere that it probably wouldn't have gone if we'd been together in a room."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.