Sugar

Album: Not Your Kind of People (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This dark, sensual electronic ballad finds Shirley Manson singing about what appears to be a sex worker. "Look but don't touch till the light goes on," she whispers. Guitarist told Duke Erikson told MusicRadar.com how the song came together: "I had come up with an idea on acoustic guitar, very simple," he said, "so I recorded it with a little rhythm track, did the first verse and basically the arrangement for the song. Shirley loved it and immediately started singing – I think she must had had some words already written."

    "Originally, I had a straighter rhythm, but we started messing around with a dubby kind of irregular pattern," he continued. "I played drums on the song - I cut them at Smart Studios in Madison. Mike Zirkel, the engineer there, got me set up, I played some stuff, and we picked what worked. The drums aren't very prominent, but they serve their purpose."

    Erikson concluded: "The song could still work as a straight-ahead acoustic samba. But as it happens with all our tunes, we stretched it out and looked for as many sounds as we could, without harming the song. It's easy with experimentation to lose the song, so we try to be aware of that."
  • Speaking to Idolator.com, Erikson described Manson's vocal as "quite amazing."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.