Exploring The Killers’ murder trilogy
Upon first listen, The Killers’ classic 2000s indie sound is far brighter and more optimistic than their name might suggest. But their upbeat sonic tapestry is often punctured by lyrics that deal with infidelity, rumours, and crime. On their debut album, Hot Fuss, in particular, the band lived up to their name with a collection of songs dubbed the ‘murder trilogy’.
Flowers once shared the influence behind ‘Jenny Was a Friend of Mine’ and ‘Midnight Show’, two of the songs in the trilogy. In The Guardian, the vocalist recalled being enamoured with “the romance of crime” in Morrissey’s 1988 track, ‘Sister, I’m a Poet’. On the track, Morrissey sings, “I love the romance of crime and I wonder, does anybody feel the same way I do? And is evil just something you are, or something you do?” Flowers recalls the lyric, stating: “I studied that line a lot. And it’s kind of embedded in me.”
Flowers’ love for Morrissey, and for ‘Sister, I’m a Poet’ in particular, led him to write a trilogy of songs around the subject of murder, made up of ‘Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf’, ‘Midnight Show’ and ‘Jenny Was a Friend Of Mine’. ‘Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf’ was the first entry to the trilogy and the only song which didn’t make it to Hot Fuss. Introducing us to presumably the same Jennifer referred to later in the trilogy, the song follows Flowers’ failing relationship with the girl. He sings, “Oh Jennifer, you know I always tried…”
Though the song marks the first song in the supposed murder trilogy, the lyrics refrain from any real mention of crime just yet. Instead, they seem to focus on the increasingly abusive and resentful romance as Flowers sings, “And I never liked your hair… And I love you endlessly”. The song only sets the scene for the murder.
‘Midnight Show’ details the crime itself. Flowers sings, “I took my baby’s breath beneath the chandelier of stars in atmosphere and watched her disappear”. The lyrics are laced with both romance and crime – the breath-taking line could refer to devoted love, intense sex, or murder.
‘Jenny Was a Friend Of Mine’ concluded the trilogy and confirmed the death of Jenny. Flowers takes on the voice of the killer inside the interrogation room. Affronted with the accusation, “I know what you’re doing here,” he pleads, “There ain’t no motive for this crime, Jenny was a friend of mine”.
In an interview in 2005, the band spoke about the trilogy, noting, “‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ is a reflection of what happened in part one and two.”
The Killers had also hoped to create a short film around the trilogy, though this never came to fruition. Nonetheless, the twisted narrative remains just as vivid through the music alone as it traces the horrifying fate of Jenny, soundtracked by characteristically Killers guitars and Flowers’ distinctive vocals.
