The tragic murder that inspired Sonic Youth song ‘100%’
Dirty, the seventh album from Sonic Youth, was released in 1992, just two years after they found commercial success with Goo. These records blended the band’s signature abrasion and unusual tunings with pop influences, resulting in some of their more accessible work.
That’s not to say that these albums were entirely radio-friendly, though. For example, Goo’s ‘Mildred Pierce‘ is dominated by thrashing guitars and guttural screaming. However, songs like ‘Kool Thing’ and ‘Dirty Boots’ saw the band experiment with more traditional song structures.
Thus, on Dirty, the band leaned into this style even further, with songs like ‘100%’ and ‘Youth Against Fascism’ harnessing considerably more mainstream appeal than any of the songs which appeared on their earlier records, like Bad Moon Rising or Evol. Yet, the themes that defined these albums, such as violence, obsession and darkness, are far from absent in their more commercially successful works. Thurston Moore described Dirty as an “LA story. One of limitless violence; the hopeless and the hopeful”.
With Dirty, the band explored themes such as sexual objectification and anti-fascism, highlighting some of America’s most prevalent issues. As Moore asserts, violence, in all its various forms, is at the heart of the record. Yet, most significantly, Sonic Youth were inspired by one horrific act of violence that personally affected them: the murder of their friend, Joe Cole.
The tragic event took place in 1991 while Cole and his best friend, Black Flag’s Henry Rollins, were returning home from a Hole gig. While standing on the doorstep, the pair were approached by two men who demanded money. While Rollins was forced inside to retrieve some cash at gunpoint, the other man shot Cole in the face for reasons that remain unknown. Rollins made a lucky escape, although he was naturally distraught over losing his best friend.
Reflecting on the incident, Rollins speculated that the house was targeted because Rick Rubin had shown up in a Rolls Royce only a few days before. In his journal, Rollins had even written that he suspected the house was “going to get popped”. In remembrance of his dear friend, Rollins keeps some of the blood-soaked soil in his home. However, Sonic Youth, who were also close with Cole, decided to pay tribute through music.
According to bassist and vocalist Kim Gordon: “When Henry called to tell me about Joe. I burst into tears. I didn’t get over it for a couple of years, to be honest. The senseless, random act of violence against someone so full of life and innocence was mind-blowing, and I hated Los Angeles for a long time after that. I wrote the song ‘JC’ about Joe, while Thurston wrote ‘100%’. It was hard to sing without tearing up.”
While ‘JC’ is a great song, ‘100%’ became considerably more popular, reaching number four on the Alternative Airplay charts. In the song, Moore sings, “But can you forgive the boy who/ Shot you in the head?/ Or should you get a gun and/ Go and get revenge?” While the song doesn’t have an overly mournful sound, Moore’s touching lyrics, such as “It’s hard to believe you took off/ I always thought you’d go far,” act as a fitting tribute to Cole.
Watch the music video below.
