"Crazy" - which was their first single - debuted at #1 on the British pop charts on April 2, 2006. It was the first #1 UK single to be obtained solely through Internet downloads. The success of the single in the UK was due largely to its use in a promotional trailer for Radio 1 across all of the BBC TV channels prior to the single's release. 'Crazy' stayed at #1 for almost 9 weeks.
The buzz for "Crazy" helped generate a lot of press coverage of their debut album, St. Elsewhere, which was released on May 9, 2006.
The album is seen as a cross-over between hip-hop, rock and soul. Both artists have previously been known to have a quirky experimental side, moving between different genres of music.
Producer DJ Danger Mouse began his career doing remixes of indie rock artists like Neutral Milk Hotel and downbeat instrumental music under the 'Pelican City' alias. He later went on to emphasize more hip-hop production: most notably his The Grey Album, a remix of Black Album, with samples exclusively from The White Album; 2005's Dangerdoom collaboration with MF Doom; and, most recently, the double platinum Demon Days.
Gnarls Barkley singer Cee Lo Green started out in the classic Southern rap group Goodie Mob, but later developed a unique funk-inspired soulful style of singing which developed on his solo albums.
Their new album The Odd Couple was released March 18, 2008.
Necromancing
Gnarls Barkley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh huh, wake up, wake up, wake up
Don't wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Uh huh, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
It's naughty, very naughty necrophilia
Without a care I'm compassionate about killing her
I'd have my way with what's left of the will in her
When she spoke I saw a spark, but it was dark so
I drove her home when she died, sexy suicide
Sweet nothings for the numb, you feel where I'm coming from?
Have no fear, everything's fine, my girl parties all the time
Did you hear what I said?
With this ring I thee wed
A body in my bed
She was cool when I met her, but I think I like her better dead
The production is progressive, but the reason is retro
The chords are cold-blooded murder, I named it neo-necro
I whispered in her ear to hear an echo, echo-co-co
I keep her, it's cheaper, I love too much to let go
We discussed over dinner how she would die before the day was done
So I've caught her just in time to have a little fun
And you could use a little sun
So scream and holler, run and play wish you could die another day
I'm glad to say that I've
Done what I could to revive
My softer side survived
Damn, that shit was all right, when she was alive
The lyrics to Gnarls Barkley's "Necromancing" are undoubtedly controversial and dark, painting a disturbing picture of a man who is not only attracted to the dead body of his lover but is also responsible for her death. The opening lines of the chorus, "wake up, wake up, wake up, don't wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up," alludes to a desire to control the fate of the woman in question, perhaps even suggesting that he wants her to remain dead. The first verse continues this disturbing tone with the admission that the Necrophilia is naughty and how he is compassionate about killing her as he would have his way with what's left of her will. The pre-chorus reinforces the character's hedonistic tendencies, naming particular vices that he associates with his dead lover.
The second verse is just as disturbing as the first, with the character expressing his love for her and her death simultaneously, culminating in the line that he likes her better dead. The disturbing imagery is heightened when the character discusses how they discussed over dinner how she would die before the day was done. However, the character seems to be aware of the wrongness of his actions as he tries to justify them by saying how it can be good for his "softer side" and that he has done what he could to revive it.
Overall, "Necromancing" is a song that explores disturbing concepts like necrophilia and murder, and it is up to the listener to decide whether the character is genuinely disturbed or only taking part in a macabre fantasy.
Line by Line Meaning
(Ooh)
The song begins with a soft vocalization to set the mood.
Uh huh, wake up, wake up, wake up
The singer playfully pleads with someone to wake up.
Don't wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
The singer contradicts himself, urging the person not to wake up while also urging them to do so.
Uh huh, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
The playful pleas continue, setting the tone for the song.
It's naughty, very naughty necrophilia
The singer admits that his thoughts and actions are socially unacceptable and taboo.
Without a care I'm compassionate about killing her
The singer feels no guilt or remorse for his violent fantasies.
I'd have my way with what's left of the will in her
The singer is sexually aroused by the idea of dominating a dead body.
Cosmopolitans, and cocaine, and an occasional pill in her
The singer indulges in hedonistic pleasures, which have contributed to the development of his necrophilic tendencies.
When she spoke I saw a spark, but it was dark so
The singer acknowledges that he was attracted to the victim when she was alive, but he now finds her even more alluring in death.
I drove her home when she died, sexy suicide
The singer romanticizes the victim's death, seeing it as a deliberate, seductive act on her part.
Sweet nothings for the numb, you feel where I'm coming from?
The singer addresses the listener, suggesting that others may also have twisted desires that are hidden from society.
Have no fear, everything's fine, my girl parties all the time
The singer reassures himself that he has done nothing wrong and that the victim is enjoying her new existence with him.
Did you hear what I said?
The singer calls attention to his controversial lyrics.
With this ring I thee wed
The singer equates his obsession with necrophilia to a marriage, cementing his bond with the victim.
A body in my bed
The singer revels in the physical presence of the victim, even in her lifeless state.
She was cool when I met her, but I think I like her better dead
The singer reveals that he prefers the victim now that she is dead and can no longer resist him.
The production is progressive, but the reason is retro
The singer notes that the music is innovative, but the theme of necrophilia is not.
The chords are cold-blooded murder, I named it neo-necro
The singer acknowledges that the music reflects the disturbing themes of the song, and gives a name to the sub-genre of music it represents.
I whispered in her ear to hear an echo, echo-co-co
The singer shares a fleeting, intimate moment with the victim's corpse, but his words only repeat back to him.
I keep her, it's cheaper, I love too much to let go
The singer rationalizes his hoarding of the victim's corpse as an act of love, and claims that keeping her is more affordable than pursuing new relationships.
We discussed over dinner how she would die before the day was done
The singer hints at a prior conversation where he and the victim had discussed her death, further revealing the premeditated nature of his actions.
So I've caught her just in time to have a little fun
The singer takes pleasure in having 'caught' the victim before she could escape him.
And you could use a little sun
The singer takes a rare moment to address the listener directly, suggesting that they might benefit from sun and fresh air - two basic experiences that the victim is now denied.
So scream and holler, run and play wish you could die another day
The singer encourages the listener to live life to the fullest, and expresses the twisted oxymoron that someone might actually wish to die another day, unlike the victim.
I'm glad to say that I've
The singer prepares to sum up his feelings and actions.
Done what I could to revive
The singer sees his necrophilic obsession as a form of reanimation, and interprets it as a way of 'reviving' the victim in some non-literal sense.
My softer side survived
The singer hints at some inner conflict he may have about his actions, suggesting that deep down he has a 'soft' side that is at odds with his darker impulses.
Damn, that shit was all right, when she was alive
The singer is suddenly reminded of a time when the victim was alive, and suggests that he may have enjoyed a genuine, non-necrophilic relationship with her at some point.
Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.