Throbbing Gristle: Hamburger Lady

It’s almost Halloween so this week’s songs are selected for the occasion.  Today’s selection raises the cringe factor by a thousand, so don’t enter if that is not your thing. The song “Hamburger Lady” by experimental band Throbbing Gristle presents a disturbing story about a woman who is placed in a hospital burn unit. This song is extremely disturbing, so don’t listen if you can’t handle content of this type. This song is similar to some other songs that make you feel extremely uncomfortable, often wondering whether they should have even been recorded. To be honest, “Hamburger Lady” is relatively tame when compared to some other songs such as “Frankie Teardrop” by Suicide or “Jordan, Minnesota” by Big Black. If you want to listen to really disturbing songs about really disturbing subject matter, feel free to search them out yourself. These are songs that should probably only be listened to once. I have to admit that I have not listened to “Frankie Teardrop” very often, and only because it is included on Suicide’s great debut album. I definitely have not listened to “Jordan, Minnesota” in decades. I did not listen to either one of them while writing this post. I hesitated to include any songs of this type, but it is a little too easy to find songs like “Monster Mash” and have a fun Halloween. I think it is important to recognize that songs which elicit profound horror have a place in the world of music alongside those that elicit joy, sorrow, peace, or any other emotions. Music is an art form, much like painting, sculpture, or literature, and there will always be a place for humanity’s darkness in the world of creativity.  

To learn more about Throbbing Gristle, check out their Wikipedia page.

To listen to all of the songs of the day, check out the Radio Faux Show Song of the Day playlist.

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