The Story Behind Violent Femme's Widely Misunderstood Classic “Blister in the Sun”: Podcast

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When it comes to jams truly ahead of their time, few songs can compare to Violent Femmes' “Blister in the Sun.” The alternative rock and proto-folk-punk tune still sounds so fresh, despite being frequently misinterpreted, that it's hard to believe it's over 40 years old. In this episode of The story behind the Songvocalist Gordon Gano explores the origins of the classic cut and reveals how it almost wasn't a Violent Femmes song at all.

“I had been at a poetry reading and exchanged a number with a woman who was there. “She called me and told me that she was going to form a band and that she wanted it to be like the Plasmatics,” she recalls. “So I thought, 'Well, it would be nice if she could offer him a song for her to sing…' and that was 'Blister in the Sun.' I got a phone call saying it was canceled the next day and then I never found out [from] Or I saw her again.”

And so, the song stuck with Gano and the Violent Femmes, and thank God for that. “Blister in the Sun,” with its undeniable acoustic riff and in-your-face attitude, would define the band's ethos, to the point that it's hard to imagine the song coming from anyone else. It's Gano and the band through and through, and to that point, he'd like to set the record straight when it comes to TRUE interpretations of the song lyrics.

“One time I was talking to someone I had met by chance who was also a musician, and he started saying how much he loved 'Blister in the Sun,'” Gano says. “And he kept saying 'And, You know What is it about; all knows what it's about. And I say, 'Tell me!' And he said, 'Masturbation.' And that was the first time I heard that. And the song had been out for 15 years!

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Listen to Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes tell these stories from “Blister in the Sun” and more via the player above or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch a clip of the interview above, or via Youtube. Make sure you follow The story behind the song to watch all the new and archive episodes coming in season 2, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts to show your support for our series.

Also, be sure to check out the new TSBTS Merchandise, including a spectacular poster and puzzle, available now at the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below! You can also get the 40th Anniversary deluxe boxed reissue of violent womenwhich begins with “Blister in the Sun”, here.

You can also follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and in Deep cutting mediaand stay tuned to the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all of our shows.