“Blister in the Sun,” the first song on the Violent Femmes’ self-titled debut album, introduced the folk-punk band to the world in 1983. The song had a cult following and was favorite on American college radio in the '80s as alternative and modern rock radio stations went on the air. It received a lot of airplay and considered a classic of the alternative genre.
The lyrics were often misinterpreted. According to frontman & songwriter Gordon Gano, the lyrics to the song refer to drug use and not masturbation as was widely rumored. In a 2013 interview with The Village Voice, Gano said:
“I don’t think there’s a whole lot to understand with the lyrics. In fact, it was maybe 10 or 15 years later, when somebody was asking me about that song and said something like, “Well, you know… You know what that song’s about.” I’m like, “No. What are you talking about?” “Well everybody knows. You wrote it.” I’m like, “What?” And they told me the song was about masturbation. I had never thought of that. But I can see where people could get that."
The album gradually sold over one million copies and helped build a formidable fan base for the trio.
