Singer Matt Shultz worked on the Social Cues album during the unraveling of his marriage to the French actress and model Juliette Buchsa. He created different fictional people to illustrate the breakdown of their relationship and this gothic, agitated track is spoken-sung from the perspective of a "soft-spoken murderer."
The character was inspired by the Netflix show I Am a Murderer in which people on death row are interviewed. Guitarist Brad Scultz explained to Consequence of Sound that he and his brother Matt were watching the program while recording Social Cues. "During that time period, Matt created the character of a shy-eyed, soft-spoken murderer, a person who truly lives polar lives," he said. "The character undeniably has a duality of heart, and is kind by all respects publicly, but inwardly is a monster and yet still very relatable. In many regards he seems lovable, though this is not deserved."
The unsettling song's ghoulish feel was inspired by John Carpenter's horror films. The movie director is actually from Cage the Elephant's home town of Bowling Green, Kentucky and he dated the mom of the band's bass player Daniel Tichenor.
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