Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)

Album: not on an album (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty in 2012 of failing to report income of more than $1.8 million between 2005 and 2007. The former Fugees singer signed a last minute deal with Sony to record five new songs plus an album, which enabled her to partly repay her debts. This cut, in which Hill dismisses 2013 as "a joke time, [a] metaphorical coke time," was her first release under the agreement, her first new music since "Repercussions" leaked in 2010.
  • The song was made available by Hill on May 4, 2013, dubbed by the singer as the "Compulsory Mix." She added a link in which Hill stated that she would not have made the tune public so quickly had it not been for her legal problems.
  • Hill was sentenced to three months in prison a couple of days after the song's release for her failure to pay taxes. The sentence also came with three months of home confinement.
  • Such lyrics as "greedy men and pride fiends," followed by "drag queens" sparked controversy for its seemingly anti-gay message. Hill addressed these issues in an open letter on her Tumblr page saying that the song is "not targeting any particular group;" adding that is "targeting everyone in our society who hides behind neurotic behavior, rather than deal with it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.