Song Stories
“Tunic (Song for Karen)”
Sonic Youth | 1990
"Tunic (Song for Karen)" was Sonic Youth's tribute to and elegy for Karen Carpenter, who died from complications related to anorexia. Kim Gordon sang on the track, which described the Carpenters lead singer as saying goodbye to Hollywood, and hello to other dead rock stars like Elvis and Janis Joplin. Thurston Moore wasn't a fan of the Carpenters, but he was intrigued by the subject matter. "Oh, it was crap music," he said, "but was also extremely interesting … They were white bread, middle-class people, and Karen was somebody who was supposed to be perfect. It was a heavy slice of Americana, like the Walton family."
blog comments powered by Disqus
Most Popular Song Stories
-
“Drifter's Escape”
Jimi Hendrix | 1974 -
“Crosstown Traffic”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 -
“Voodoo Chile”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 -
“Purple Haze”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1967 -
“All Along the Watchtower”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 -
“Kiss From a Rose”
Seal | 1995
Photos & Videos
Go To Content
Random Notes: Hottest Rock Pictures
Go To Content
Gallery: Summer Tour Preview 2013


