Quite possibly the
single most controversial piece of electronic
music ever produced. Released by The Prodigy in 1997, the lyrics consist entirely of eight words sampled from the classic hip-hop
track "Give the Drummer Some." Four of those eight are,
well, "smack my bitch up." The song has been interpreted as meaning a variety of things, ranging from shooting heroin to domestic violence to doing things intensely, the last of which is what the
band maintains as the actual meaning.
The song was coupled with an equally controversial video, which depicts a wild night of sex, drugs, and violence from a first-person perspective. However, it was far from mindless- in fact, the video consistently ranks as one of the best ever made, and contains a twist that makes people rethink their entire interpretation of the song. Personally, I came away from it thinking the song was
one big joke making
fun of people who
will dance to anything without caring what the lyrics are, but I'll let you decide for yourself.
Guy #1: Have you heard that song, "Smack My Bitch Up"?
Girl: OMG, that song is so offensive!
Guy #2: Yeah, but you have to admit, there's a lot worse. Just listen to rap
music.
