Die in Terror

Still from The Residents' 2004 music video for the song

**"Die In Terror"** is a song by The Residents, recorded for their *Commercial Album*, released in 1980 on Ralph Records.

## History

"Die in Terror" was written and recorded in 1980, it is one minute long. The song's narrator speaks of a woman he once knew, who "said she wished to die in terror". He wonders where she went, and if she in fact died in terror.

In 1982 the song was rehearsed for a 10th anniversary greatest hits live show that would eventually become *The Mole Show*.

From 1985 to 1986 the song was performed as part of *The 13th Anniversary Show*.

The final re-arrangement of the song came in 2005, for *The Way We Were* live show.

## Music videos

Two music videos for "Die in Terror" were produced for the DVD release *Commercial DVD* in 2004. The first, directed by The Residents, features a hand feeling a knife, which pulls away to reveal an eye, with more eyes hidden beneath it, that start to move anti clockwise. A pair of eyes appears and begins to spin. The eyes spin onto a CGI face with curly hair, which rapidly ages, the head disappears, and the eyes spin onto a heart.

   Artist Incorect created the second video for the song, featuring silhouetted cartoons of The Residents walking through an ice cave. A strange creature appears, and begins to drum out the beat of the song. Another creature appears, with a cube head and a top hat, as well as a bat. The cube-headed creature sings the lyrics, and walks off stage.

## Lyrics

```
She said she wished to die in terror
Screaming in the night
To feel the crawling flesh of panic
As her hair turned white

```

```
She also had a pretty little
See-through negligee
I often wonder where she went
And if she got her way

```

## List of releases

* *Commercial Album* (1980)
* *Assorted Secrets* (1984)
* *Hell!* (1986)
* *The Eyeball Show (Live In Japan)* (1986)
* *Live In The USA! 13th Anniversary Tour* (1986)
* *Liver Music* (1990)
* *Stranger Than Supper* (1990)
* *In Memoriam Torso* (1994)
* *Commercial DVD* (2004)
* *The Way We Were* (2005)
* *13th Anniversary Show - Ritz NY - Jan 16, 1986* (2010)
* *The 13th Anniversary Show - Cleveland* (2014)
* *Commercial Album* pREServed edition (2019)

### List of versions

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1980 Version (1:00)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 1982 Rehearsal Version (2:17)
3. ↑ 1985 Live Version (1:00)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 1986 Live USA Version (1:26)
5. ↑ 1985 Rehearsal Version (1:22)
6. ↑ 1987 Live Version (1:12)
7. ↑ 2005 Live Version (0:59)
8. ↑ 1986 Ritz Live Version (1:21)
9. ↑ 1986 Live Cleveland Version (1:25)

## See also

* *Commercial Album*
* The 10th Anniversary Show
* The 13th Anniversary Show
* *Commercial DVD*
* The Way We Were

## External links and references

* *Commercial Album* at The Residents Historical
* *Commercial Album* at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
* *Commercial Album* on Discogs

1. ↑ Ima Buddy, *Ima Buddy's Totally Impartial Companion to Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated BIG MAMAS*, 1992

**Side A:**
"Easter Woman" · "Perfect Love" · "Picnic Boy" · "End of Home" · "Amber" · "Japanese Watercolor" · "Secrets""**Die in Terror**" · "Red Rider" · "My Second Wife" · "Floyd " · "Suburban Bathers" · "Dimples and Toes" · "The Nameless Souls""Love Leaks Out" · "Act of Being Polite" · "Medicine Man" · "Tragic Bells" · "Loss of Innocence" · "The Simple Song"
**Side B:**
"Ups and Downs" · "Possessions" · "Give It to Someone Else" · "Phantom" · "Less Not More" · "My Work Is So Behind" · "Birds in the Trees""Handful of Desire" · "Moisture" · "Love Is..." · "Troubled Man" · "La La" · "Loneliness" · "Nice Old Man""The Talk of Creatures" · "Fingertips" · "In Between Dreams" · "Margaret Freeman" · "The Coming of the Crow" · "When We Were Young"
**Personnel**
The Residents · Fred Frith · Snakefinger · Don Jackovich · Chris CutlerSandy Sandwich · Mud's Sis · Nessie Lessons · Lene Lovich · David Byrne · Brian Eno
**Related works**
"Electronic Elaborate Waste" · "Kraftwerk" · "Cosmetics For Reality" · "Rosco's Righteous Rodent" · "Pretty Baby" · "Tuxedos""No Longer Unused" · "Instant Hostility" · "Elevator Lady" · "One Minute Movies" · *Commercial Single* ("Shut Up Shut Up" / "And I Was Alone") · "Boy In Love" · *Minatures* ("We're A Happy Family") · "Talkin' in the Town" · "Womb To Worm" · *Greener Postures* · "Theme For An American TV Show" · *Ralph Radio Special* · "Commercial Suite" · *Commercial DVD* · *Commercial Album* by The 180 Gs · *The Commercial Single Commercials (In Mono)*
**Related articles**
Ralph Records · The Cryptic Corporation · Grove St. studio · Poor No Graphics · Buy Or Die 1980½ · *Diskomo/Goosebump*‏‏‎