The Queens of the Stone Age song Josh Homme wrote about the hardest decision of his life
After Josh Homme’s band Kyuss ended in 1995, he formed Queens of the Stone Age, continuing with a desert rock sound. While Kyuss gathered a dedicated following, QOTSA has gone on to become one of America’s most successful modern rock bands.
The group has released eight records since 1998, beginning with a self-titled debut, predominantly performed by Homme, with Kyuss’ Alfredo Hernández on drums. Well-received by critics, the album marked the beginning of an incredibly successful career.
Next up was Rated R, with Kyuss’ Nick Oliveri also joining the line-up. With tracks such as ‘Feelgood Hit of the Summer’ and ‘The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret’, the album demonstrated the band’s ability to make popular rock hits, which received significant radio airplay.
However, their magnum opus came in 2002, Songs for the Deaf. Formed as a concept album, emulating the soundtrack to a long desert drive through various radio stations, the record contains many of the band’s greatest works, such as ‘No One Knows’, ‘Song for the Dead’ and ‘Go With the Flow’. The band were joined by musicians such as Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan, helping to elevate the album to even greater heights.
Oliveri contributed lead vocals to several tracks on Songs for the Deaf, such as the raucous opener ‘You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire’ and ‘Six Shooter’. However, by 2004, Homme had fired Oliveri from the band, much to the dismay of many fans.
Homme stated that Oliveri was asked to leave for personal reasons after he heard rumours about the bassist physically abusing his girlfriend. In a 2005 interview, Homme revealed that he told Oliveri, “If I ever find out that this is true, I can’t know you, man”.
In response to Oliveri’s departure from the band, Homme penned ‘Burn the Witch’, which appeared on album number four, Lullabies to Paralyze. The record features other hits such as ‘Little Sister’ and ‘In My Head’, reaching number five on the US Billboard 200.
Talking to Spin in 2013, Homme revealed: “I felt a little persecuted because I fired my best friend, and it was really hard, and it wasn’t about music. And I didn’t say anything, thinking that people would respect that decision. But instead, I felt these social rocks hitting me.”
He continued: “Instead of saying, ‘I feel persecuted,’ I wrote ‘Burn the Witch.’ I thought, ‘Well this is clear as day,’ and it’s more interesting than writing, ‘What the fuck is your problem?’ But people didn’t pick up on it.”
Listen to the song below.
