“Shame” by Stabbing Westward

"Shame" was the second and last single from Stabbing Westward's 1996 album Wither Blister Burn + Peel, and it's the industrial-rock heartbreaker of the set. Singer Christopher Hall has said it grew out of his divorce from his first wife after years of endless touring, a song about how to carry on living when someone is gone and still fills every thought.

The band, who share the writing credit, wrap that wound in grinding guitars and cold electronic pulse, Hall howling the chorus like it's the only way to stay upright. MTV's Kyle Anderson later called it a solid anthem and praised a video that's smarter than it needs to be: a woman named Julie gets a call from her ex, Nick, fresh out of a mental institution, and his trip to her door turns deadly.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.