Freak Me Out

From Weezerpedia
"Freak Me Out"
Freak Me Out cover
Album track by Weezer
Album Make Believe
Released May 10, 2005
Format CD
Recorded Summer 2004
Length 3:26
Label Geffen
Writer(s) Rivers Cuomo
COR# 667
Producer(s) Weezer, Rick Rubin, Chad Bamford
Status Officially released
Stream Spotify
Apple Music
Make Believe track listing
12 tracks
  1. "Beverly Hills"
  2. "Perfect Situation"
  3. "This Is Such a Pity"
  4. "Hold Me"
  5. "Peace"
  6. "We Are All on Drugs"
  7. "The Damage in Your Heart"
  8. "Pardon Me"
  9. "My Best Friend"
  10. "The Other Way"
  11. "Freak Me Out"
  12. "Haunt You Every Day"

"Freak Me Out" is the eleventh song on Make Believe.

Appearances

Overview

Beliefnet: Didn't you write a song--"Really Freak Me Out"--about a spider?

Rivers: I did, but I changed the lyrics because I had the experience with a spider, and I realized, "I can't write a song about a spider," so I just envisioned something else that's analogous.

—Beliefnet.com interview[1], 2006

Although the lyrics of "Freak Me Out" sound as if they are written about an incident where Rivers Cuomo was startled, Brian Bell has revealed that the song is actually about a spider. The song is most identifiable by its unique use of harmonics throughout the entire song as well as the first appearance of a harmonica on a Weezer album since 1994's Blue Album. It is the only Make Believe track to never be played live.

A solo Rivers Cuomo demo of "Freak Me Out," recorded at S.I.R. Rehearsal Studios during pre-production on Make Believe, was released as part of the digital compilation Alone IX: The Make Believe Years in 2020.

Band commentary

[laughter]

Brian: I’m already on the record saying it’s about a spider, that’s all I know about it. But it’s some of the coolest guitar stuff ever, and I can say that because Rivers came up with it, so I don’t sound conceited. But I think that Rivers didn’t want the harmonics on it—[to Rivers] right, at one point?

Rivers: Uhhhh…probably. [laughs]

Brian: But there’s three guitars playing those harmonics. There were notes that I didn’t know even made harmonics. It took me a long time to figure out what was going on, and how to play it. It was a song, for me, that I discovered things about the guitar I didn’t know about. And that’s always amazing when you’ve been playing an instrument for twenty years, and you find a new sound it makes - it’s cool, you know?

Scott: It reminds me of the apartment that Rivers had above the Sunset Strip, with like, a yoga mat, a spoon, a bowl, a bar of soap, and a towel—that’s about all that was in there.

Rivers: I didn’t have a bowl! [laughter] I didn’t!

Scott: …and just sitting in there…and it was just, I don’t know…

Brian: It’s probably the most un-Weezer-like track that’s ever been on an album, whatever that means, and I think, you know, that that could be good.

Rivers: I think, it didn’t work until Pat put the drum-beat on there. Cuz when I originally wrote it, and recorded the demo, it was some weird, New Age drum beat that I found in the Casio.

Scott: Oh yeah, it was total, like, “In the Air”…

Rivers: “This song’s kinda cool, but…”

Scott: It was like a Phil Collins beat!

Rivers: And then as soon as Pat put his beat on it, it sounded like Weezer.

Scott: Yeah, Pat’s beat is correct on that song.

Brian: It was a good…it was fun song to track live as a band too. I felt like something special happened while tracking it.

—Weezer Recording History[2]

Personnel

Lyrics

City streets at night
Can be so intimidating
I'm not the toughest guy
I gotta keep my eyes open
You came out of nowhere

Man you really freak me out
I'm so afraid of you
And when I lose my cool
I don't know what to do
I know you don't mean no harm
You're just doing your thing
But man you really freak me out

Did I hurt you?
Are you okay?
Can I buy you a drink?
Ohhh what's the world coming to?
You came out of nowhere

Man, you really freak me out
I'm so afraid of you
And when I lose my cool
I don't know what to do
I know you don't mean no harm
You're just doing your thing
But man, you really freak me out

I'm gonna try to improve my manners
Everyone, yes everyone, is my friend

City streets at night
City streets at night
Till the morning light
City streets at night

Man, you really freak me out
I'm so afraid of you
And when I lose my cool
I don't know what to do
I know you don't mean no harm
You're just doing your thing
But man, you really freak me out

Known recordings

Performer(s) Title Filename Date of recording Recording location Length Appeared on Notes
Rivers Cuomo Freak Me Out 11 Freak Me Out.mp3 July 20, 2004 S.I.R. Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA 3:15 Alone IX: The Make Believe Years
Weezer Freak Me Out July 22—October 22, 2004 Grandmaster Recorders, Los Angeles, CA 3:26 Make Believe
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See also

References

  1. ↑ "Alt Rocker Finds Inner Peace" Beliefnet. June 2006. https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/music/2006/06/alt-rocker-finds-inner-peace.aspx
  2. ↑ Weezer Recording History - Page 15. Original source archived by Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20091229113823/http://www.weezer.com/info/recording/WeezRecHist15.htm
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