Songfacts®:

• Pixies' Black Francis said about the Mount Emult directed video for the track. "We've always liked the idea of working with young, up-and-coming, independent film makers, as we think that their energy and vision would probably best compliment what we've tried to do with our music."
  
  "Consequently, we've really had very little creative input in this new 'Silver Snail' video or any of the others that have been made for the Indie Cindy project," he added. "I think the only direction we've given any of those who have made a music video for us this time was just to be as creative and innovative as they want - no barriers. And looking back at the series of videos we have for this project, they've all done just that."
• Asked by Q magazine about the inspiration for this song, Black Francis replied: "Snails of course, and the reproductive technique they've developed over time. That was a big inspiration. It's a very psychedelic thing. They're asexual and they shoot these little harpoons at each other through the air (makes gunshot noises) at each other. So there's a lot of references to how they procreate."
  
  "But sex is considered a creative energy, so the next layer of the song is self-referential to the band. It's about the band and it's about snails pretty much."
• While we are on the subject of snails, here are some fun facts:
  
  A snail can sleep for three years.
  
  Garden Snails can have up to 25,000 thousand teeth, which are mounted on their tongue (radula). They are classed as Gastropods meaning, "walking stomach."
  
  Giving Prozac to a snail renders it unable to stick to surfaces.
  
  The slipper-shelled snail starts life as a male and gradually turns female as it grows up.
  
  The French eat 25,000 tons of snails a year, equivalent to 700 million individual snails. Roman - or Burgundy- snails are among the most popular.