Child Psychology (song)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Child Psychology is the debut single by English indie rock band Black Box Recorder, released in 1998 from their first album England Made Me. The song blends spoken-word verses about childhood with a sung chorus. The spoken parts recount events from childhood—refusing to talk, being expelled from school for disruptive behavior, and parents arguing at Christmas. The chorus contains the controversial line, "Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it," which led to bans from several UK radio stations, though Xfm aired it during the day and MTV showed it.

Despite the controversy, critics praised its blunt, sardonic tone. The chorus was later used in the TV series Monkey Dust (Series 3) and in Gilmore Girls (Season 1, Episode 19, "Emily in Wonderland"), and appears on the Gilmore Girls soundtrack, Our Little Corner of the World. The U.S. release came out soon after the Columbine massacre, and the chorus line was played backwards on that version. The track is noted for its mix of spoken word and sharp social commentary.