Sign Of The Crab

Album: Enter: The Conquering Chicken (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Around May 1993, Mia Zapata told fellow band member Steve Moriarty that she wanted to write a song about a serial killer. In 2007, Moriarty said in a TV interview when he asked her why, she replied "Because it's happening so much."
  • "Sign Of The Crab" runs to 2 minutes 33 seconds and is the final track on the album Enter: The Conquering Chicken; it was also an epitaph because in the small hours of July 7, 1993, Mia Zapata was raped and strangled in Seattle where she had relocated to begin her musical career. Her murderer was not a serial killer, but it took over a decade to bring him to book. On March 25, 2004, Jesus C. Mezquia was convicted of her murder; five years later his conviction was affirmed on appeal.
  • Enter: The Conquering Chicken was released March 22, 1994, but "Sign Of The Crab" was re-recorded by Evil Stig for the eponymous album; Stig is of course an anagram of Gits. On this recording, the vocalist is Joan Jett. The album was made for a series of benefit concerts aimed at raising money to hire a private detective to bring to book Mia's killer. In the end the crime was solved by forensics due to the foresight of a pathologist and developments in DNA profiling. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.