Creep (Stone Temple Pilots song)

"Creep"

European cover art
Single by Stone Temple Pilots
from the album Core
B-side "Crackerman"
"Where the River Goes"
Released November 1, 1993
Format CD single
Recorded 1992
Genre Alternative rock, grunge
Length 5:33
Label Atlantic
Writer(s) Music: Robert DeLeo
Lyrics: Scott Weiland & Robert DeLeo
Producer(s) Brendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots singles chronology
"Plush"
(1993)
"Creep"
(1993)
"Big Empty"
(1994)
Core track listing
"Naked Sunday"
(6)
"Creep"
(7)
"Piece of Pie"
(8)
Music video
"Creep" on YouTube

"Creep" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, appearing as the seventh track off the band's debut album, Core and later released as a single. The song also appears on the band's greatest hits album, Thank You. A live version featuring Aaron Lewis is included on The Family Values 2001 Tour release. On file sharing websites, this song is commonly misattributed to the grunge band Nirvana under the wrong title of "Half the Man I Used to Be" (part of the lyrics of the song), due to lead vocalist Scott Weiland's singing in the chorus sounding quite similar to the singing voice of Kurt Cobain.

Music video

There were two videos shot for Creep. The video that aired was directed by Graeme Joyce after a version by director Gus Van Sant was shelved due to its drug and sexual references.

Lyrical content

The song's lyrics were written by lead vocalist Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo. DeLeo also wrote the song's music. DeLeo stated the following about "Creep:"

Musically speaking I was thinking about a song along the lines of 'Heart of Gold' by Neil Young, which is in the key of D-minor, the saddest key of all. Scott was thinking about the lyrics, and at that time in our lives we were struggling very much. What Scott was writing about was a real-life situation. Also about me, the thing about the gun. 'Creep' is a very demeaning word. It was one of those instances where we looked at ourselves, looked in the mirror.[1]

Track listing

  1. "Creep" [New Radio Version] - 4:31
  2. "Crackerman" - 3:12
  3. "Where the River Goes" - 8:20

German track listing

  1. Creep
  2. Dead and Bloated
  3. Piece of Pie

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 45
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[2] 59
U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks[3] 2
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[4] 12

References

  1. Rik of Rated-Art.com. "Song Info Archive". Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  2. "Radio Songs – Stone Temple Pilots". Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  3. "Mainstream Rock Tracks – Stone Temple Pilots". Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  4. "Alternative Songs – Stone Temple Pilots". Retrieved 2013-03-08.

External links