Israel's Son

"Israel's Son"
Single by Silverchair
from the album Frogstomp
Released	12 April 1995 (Australia)
Recorded	1994
Genre	Grunge[1] sludge metal[2]
Length	5:20
Label	Murmur
Songwriter(s)	Daniel Johns
Producer(s)	Kevin "Caveman" Shirley
Silverchair singles chronology
"Pure Massacre" (1995) "Israel's Son" (1995) "Shade" (1995)

"Israel's Son" is a song by Australian rock band Silverchair, released on 12 April 1995 as the third single from their debut album, Frogstomp (1995). It was included on Silverchair's The Best Of: Volume 1 compilation album, released on 13 November 2000. A live video recording of "Israel's Son" at the Sydney Royal Easter Show was included on the bonus DVD with the Frogstomp: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition remaster, released on 27 March 2015.

In April 2022, The Guardian ranked "Israel's Son" at #8 on their "The 25 best Silverchair songs - sorted" list.[3]

Origin

Vocalist and guitarist Daniel Johns said about the song in an interview with Request Magazine in November 1995:

That [song] was about an execution I saw on tele. I got this video of an execution, and I just saw it, and I was watching it one night, and I had a dream about it, and I woke up and thought, 'Oh yeah, that's pretty cool', and I wrote a song about it.[4]

Music video

A music video, directed by Nigel Dick, was made for the song, with filming taking place at Rancho Maria in Canyon Country, California on 19 December 1995.[5]

1995 concert bottling incident

On 17 September 1995, Johns was hit with a bottle of alcohol while Silverchair performed "Israel's Son" at Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California during a U.S. tour; the injury required six stitches around his left eyebrow.[6]

1996 murder trial

In a January 1996 murder case, the defendant counsel for Brian Bassett, 16, and Nicholaus McDonald, 18, of McCleary, Washington, claimed that the pair listened to "Israel's Son", from Frogstomp, which contributed to the murders of Bassett's parents and a younger brother on August 10, 1995.[7][8] McDonald's lawyer cited the lyrics "'Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead'" which were "almost a script. They're relevant to everything that happened".[9]

The band's manager, John Watson, was quoted as stating on behalf of Silverchair:

"Silverchair do not, have not, and never would condone violence of any sort. The band is appalled by this horrific crime and they hope that justice will prevail in prosecuting whoever is responsible for it. The band extends its sincere sympathies to the families and friends of the victims in this case. Silverchair absolutely rejects any allegation that their song is in any way responsible for the actions of the alleged murders. It is a matter of public record that the song in question, Israel's Son, was inspired by a television documentary about wartime atrocities. Israel's Son was never intended to provoke violence and cannot be interpreted by any reasonable person as doing so. In fact, the song seeks to criticise violence and war by portraying them in all their horror."

Prosecutors rejected the defence case and convinced the jury that the murder was committed to "steal money and belongings and run off to California."[7]

Track listing

Israel's Son CD/MC EP (Australian version) (MATTCD012)/(MATTC012)

1. "Israel's Son"
2. "Blind (Live)"
3. "Leave Me Out (Live)"
4. "Undecided (Live)"

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[10]	11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11]	12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12]	39

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[13]	Gold	35,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Fuzzed Out: Seven essential records from Australia's grunge glory days". Mixdown Magazine. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
2. Stratis, Niko (14 June 2021). "In Defense Of Silverchair". Spin. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
3. Jolly, Nathan (18 April 2022). "The 25 best Silverchair songs - sorted". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
4. Johnson, Rob (November 1995). "Silverchair - Sonic Youth". Request Magazine.
5. "PRE 2000 Productions". Nigel Dick. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
6. "Chairpage News Archive".
7. "Teen Sentenced to 65 Years for His Part in Murders". Kitsap Sun. E. W. Scripps Company (Charles D Horton III). 22 February 1996. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
8. "Attorney wants to open teen's murder trial with rock song". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Corporation. 18 January 1996. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
9. Elliott, Paul (1997). "Roo Fighters". Kerrang!. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
10. "Australian-charts.com – Silverchair – Israel's Son". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
11. "Charts.nz – Silverchair – Israel's Son". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
12. "Silverchair Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
13. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.

External links

• Silverchair FAQs on silverchair.nu