"Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)"
Single byDavid Bowie
from the albumScary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
B-side	"Because You're Young"
Released	2 January 1981 (1981-01-02)
Recorded	February–April 1980
Studio	Power Station, New York City Good Earth, London
Genre	Post-punk[1]
Length	5:10 (album version) 3:27 (single version)
Label	RCA
Songwriter	David Bowie
Producers	David Bowie Tony Visconti
David Bowie singles chronology
"Fashion" (1980) "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (1981) "Up the Hill Backwards" (1981)

"Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" is a song by the English singer-songwriterDavid Bowie, released as the title track of his 1980 albumScary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It was also issued as the third single from that album in January 1981. Coming as it did in the wake of two earlier singles fromScary Monsters, "Ashes to Ashes" in August 1980 and "Fashion" in October the same year,NME criticsRoy Carr andCharles Shaar Murray labelled its release another instance "in the fine old tradition of milking albums for as much as they could possibly be worth".^[2] The song was subsequently performed on a number of Bowie tours.

Musically the track was notable for its lead guitar work byRobert Fripp and distinctive synthesized percussion. The lyrics, sung by Bowie in hisCockney accent, charted a woman's withdrawal from the world and descent into madness ("When I looked in her eyes they were blue but nobody home ... Now she's stupid in the street and she can't socialise"). Thematically the song has been compared toJoy Division's "She's Lost Control" (1979),^[2] and to the "claustrophobic romance" ofIggy Pop's 1977 collaborations with Bowie,The Idiot andLust for Life.^[3]

The edited single reached No. 20 on theUK singles chart. As well as 7" vinyl, it was issued oncassette.

All tracks written byDavid Bowie.^[4]

1. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" – 3:27
2. "Because You're Young" – 4:51

The French release of the single had "Up the Hill Backwards" as the B-side.

According to Chris O'Leary:^[5]

• David Bowie – lead and backing vocals
• Robert Fripp – lead guitar
• Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
• George Murray – bass guitar
• Dennis Davis – drums
• Tony Visconti –acoustic guitar,EDP Wasp, backing vocals

Production

• Tony Visconti
• David Bowie

A concert performance recorded on 12 September 1983 was included on the live albumSerious Moonlight (Live '83), which was part of the 2018 box setLoving the Alien (1983–1988) and was released separately the following year. The filmed performance appears on the concert videoSerious Moonlight (1984). The song was performed during the 1987Glass Spider Tour, although a 1987 live performance of the song was not included until the 2007 special edition release ofGlass Spider featured a performance recorded in Montreal, Canada. Bowie performed the song withNine Inch Nails numerous times during theOutside Tour and one live version was released on the concert albumNo Trendy Réchauffé (Live Birmingham 95) (2020). Bowie performed the song onSaturday Night Live during aseason 22 episode hosted byNeve Campbell on 8 February 1997, later released on the albumSaturday Night Live - 25 Years Volume 1. A July 1997 performance at thePhoenix Festival was released in 2021 onLook at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival 97). Bowie andReeves Gabrels performed an all-acousticcountry and western version of the song for the radio station WRXT in Chicago Il on 16 October 1997.

• The song appeared on the following compilations:
  • Golden Years (1983) – album version
  • The Singles Collection (1993) – album version
  • Best of Bowie (2002) – single edit
  • The Platinum Collection – single edit
  • The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007) – single edit
  • Nothing Has Changed (2014) (3-CD version) – single edit
• The single edit of the song was also included onRe:Call 3, part of theA New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) compilation (2017).^[8]
• It also appeared on the soundtrack of thePlayStation gameGran Turismo (1998).

• Carr, Roy;Murray, Charles Shaar (1981).Bowie: An Illustrated Record. London:Eel Pie Publishing.ISBN 978-0-380-77966-6.
• O'Leary, Chris (2019).Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. London: Repeater.ISBN 978-1-912248-30-8.
• Pegg, Nicholas (2016).The Complete David Bowie (revised and updated ed.). London:Titan Books.ISBN 978-1-78565-365-0.

• 1980 songs
• 1981 singles
• David Bowie songs
• Song recordings produced by David Bowie
• Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti
• Songs written by David Bowie
• British post-punk songs
• RCA Records singles
• Songs about mental health
• Songs about monsters

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• Single chart usages for Ireland2
• Single chart usages for UK