"Debaser" is the explosive opener to the Pixies’ 1989 album Doolittle. Penned by frontman Black Francis (Charles Thompson), the song is famous for its visceral lurch between melody and chaos, its cryptic, surreal lyrics, and its pivotal role in alternative rock history12.
Lyrics and Meaning
- The song’s central image, “Slicing up eyeballs,” references the iconic scene from the 1929 surrealist film Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, in which a woman’s eyeball is apparently slashed by a razor.
- The chorus—“Wanna grow up to be a debaser”—is simultaneously grotesque and playful, echoing a child’s ambition with a word that means “someone who lowers moral or artistic values”.
- Black Francis has described the song as his “Cliffs Notes for the surrealist film,” condensing the strange, transgressive energy of Un Chien Andalou into just a few lines.
Key Themes
- Subversion & Surrealism: "Debaser" is about breaking down (“debasement of”) cultural, artistic, or societal norms, much like the film that inspired it.
- Shock Value: Pixies use grotesque, jarring imagery not just for provocation but as a metaphor for tearing away conventions and complacency, echoing the mission of the original surrealists.
- Language Play: The lyric "un chien andalusia" is a playful, pseudo-French riff on the film’s title. Francis once admitted to purposefully using quirky or “bad Spanish” in their songs, heightening the sense of oddness.
Artistic and Cultural Legacy
- Influence: "Debaser" set a template—both musically and lyrically—for the alternative explosion of the '90s, influencing artists like Nirvana and Radiohead. Its loud/quiet dynamic and surrealism have been widely imitated.
- Reception: Though not originally released as a single, "Debaser" became one of the Pixies’ signature songs. It remains a staple in their live shows, celebrated for its raw energy and crowd participation.
The Word “Debaser”
- Black Francis hoped to introduce a new word to the lexicon—“debaser,” meaning one who debases—but he admits the word never really caught on outside the song itself.
- The role of the "debaser" aligns with the Pixies’ ethos: challenge the accepted and revel in the absurd.
Quotations
"The song is sort of my Cliff Notes for the surrealist film Un Chien Andalou. There’s just enough information to get you through a test or if you need to know a few nuggets about that film. That was it from a lyrical point of view."
— Black Francis
In summary: "Debaser" is both a tribute and a manifesto—an anthem of joyful destruction that invites listeners to embrace the unsettling and bizarre, just as the surrealists did nearly a century before125.
