| "Miss Murder" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byAFI | ||||
| from the albumDecemberunderground | ||||
| Released | April 3, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Finn | |||
| AFI singles chronology | ||||
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"Miss Murder" is a song by Americanrock bandAFI. It was released on April 3, 2006, as thelead single from their seventh studio albumDecemberunderground. It was initially scheduled to premiere onLIVE 105 on April 13, 2006; however, it was released early due to overwhelming fan reaction. "Miss Murder" was released to radio on April 25, 2006.[5] It was released in theUnited Kingdom andAustralia on April 24 and July 29, 2006. It was written byDavey Havok and produced by Jerry Finn.
The song received favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its musicianship.[6][7] It is the band's most commercially successful single to date, reaching number 24 on theBillboard Hot 100 and topping theAlternative Songs chart. Internationally, the song was a moderate success, charting within the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. It won in the category Best Rock Song at the 2006MTV Video Music Awards and was nominated for theKerrang! Award for Best Single.[8] An accompanyingmusic video was directed byMarc Webb (who has previously directed videos for AFI) and premiered ontelevision shortly after the single's release.
The song originated with guitaristJade Puget playing a bass hook on his guitar and vocalistDavey Havok coming up with the "Miss Murder" lyric as a throwaway line which ended up sticking.[9] Havok toldKerrang: "We beat this song down. We reworked the chorus over and over again, and in some abyss I sang the melody of the chorus with a scratched lyric that went, 'Hey, miss murder, can I?'" Havok was skeptical of the unconventional hook, butInterscope insisted it should stay as it was.[10] Havok later revealed that he wanted to exclude the song fromDecemberunderground, opining that the unreleased "The View from Here" is a better song.[9]
There are several popular theories as to the meaning of the song. These includeSatan's fall from grace,Jesus abandoning humanity,Oscar Wilde's 1890 novelThe Picture of Dorian Gray (in which Gray sells his soul to preserve his beauty), or Havok's personal struggle with fame. Havok refuses to confirm or deny any rumors: "I don't necessarily need for people to understand specifically what it means. If they want to take something from it and use it in a personal way, I think that's great. I wouldn’t want to risk destroying that just so someone can get a better understanding of me personally."[11]
A music video directed byMarc Webb for the song premiered on television shortly after the track's release. It was filmed atLos Angeles City Hall.
The music video opens with Davey Havok finding a note, possibly written by Miss Murder. The note features the threeblack rabbits symbol featured on the cover ofDecemberunderground. Havok appears at his desk singing the song, while the band members are shown performing the song in a large room. Havok then appears on a balcony, rallying a chanting crowd below, and unfolds large posters of the band members themselves. During the bridge of the song, black rabbits surround Havok's desk. After he looks down the balcony, the crowd has disappeared and instead sees Miss Murder staring back at him. He returns to his desk where Miss Murder approaches. She places her hand on his shoulder, then he shuts his eyes. The video ends with the black rabbit watching the murder.
An extended version of the music video was released afterward, featuring extra footage at the beginning of the video while the introductory track ofDecemberunderground, "Prelude 12/21" is playing. It features Miss Murder writing a note, then consuming the note, which appears in Havok's mouth. The band is shown performing the track as well.
US promo single
UK / AU single
7" vinyl picture disc
10" vinyl picture disc
Promo CDM
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 14 |
| CanadaCHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[13] | 46 |
| Czech Republic Modern Rock (IFPI)[14] | 13 |
| Germany (GfK)[15] | 93 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 44 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[17] | 24 |
| USAlternative Airplay (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
| USMainstream Rock (Billboard)[19] | 13 |
| Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report)[20] | 5 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[21] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[23] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
