"Dragula"
Single by Rob Zombie
from the album Hellbilly Deluxe
B-side
  • "Super Monster Sex Action",
  • "Halloween (She Get So Mean)"
ReleasedAugust 24, 1998 (1998-08-24)
Recorded1998
StudioChop Shop, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length3:42
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Rob Zombie
Scott Humphrey
Producer(s)Rob Zombie
Scott Humphrey
Rob Zombie singles chronology
"Dragula"
(1998)		 "Living Dead Girl"
(1999)

"Dragula" is a debut solo single co-written and recorded by American rock musician Rob Zombie. It was released in August 1998 as the lead single from his solo debut Hellbilly Deluxe. Since its release it has become Zombie's most recognizable song as a solo artist. It is also his best-selling song, and had sold over 717,000 copies in the U.S. by 2010.[3] The song is based on the drag racer "DRAG-U-LA" from the sitcom The Munsters.

The audio clip "superstition, fear and jealousy" heard at the beginning of the song is a sample of dialogue from the 1960 horror film The City of the Dead (also known as Horror Hotel), and is spoken by Christopher Lee.[4]

The song also appears on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future, the greatest hits album The Best of Rob Zombie. The original single included a big beat remix of the song by Charlie Clouser, entitled the "Hot Rod Herman" remix (in reference to the Munsters episode), which is contained on American Made Music to Strip By (under the name Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare Mix). Additionally, it appeared on the soundtracks for video games, films and TV shows.

Background and writing

Zombie told Billboard magazine that the title came from the name of Grandpa Munster's eponymous dragster DRAG-U-LA on The Munsters. He goes on to say that it "was a classic show with great comic characters. Strangely enough, 'Dragula' was one of the last songs finished for the record. It fell together really fast and worked, but it could just as easily not [have] been on the record."[5]

Music video

The music video shows Rob Zombie driving the Munster Koach (not the actual Dragula racing car) with various shots of the band members and different scenes from movies, e.g. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the beginning of the video and the killer robot from the old movie chapter serial The Phantom Creeps. It achieved heavy rotation on MTV following the huge success of the album. The video also appears in the film Idle Hands.

Releases

UK CD Maxi Single
No.TitleLength
1."Dragula"3:42
2."Dragula" (Hot Rod Herman Remix)4:36
3."Dragula" (Enhanced Music Video)3:42
Total length:12:00
UK 7" Picture Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Dragula"3:42
2."Halloween (She Get So Mean)"2:50
Total length:6:32
UK 7" Picture Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Dragula"3:42
2."Dragula" (Hot Rod Herman Remix)4:36
Total length:8:18
US Promotional 7"
No.TitleLength
1."Dragula"3:42
2."Super Monster Sex Action"3:00
Total length:6:42
US CD Maxi Single
No.TitleLength
1."Dragula"3:42
2."Dragula" (Hot Rod Herman Remix)4:36
3."What Lurks On Channel X?"2:29
Total length:10:47

Covers

The song was covered by Mitchell Sigman for The Electro-Industrial Tribute to Rob Zombie in 2002. It was also covered by gothic metalcore band Motionless in White in 2009 and remixed by electronic rock band Crosses for the album Mondo Sex Head in 2012. Singer-songwriter Lissie covered the song for the horror film Haunt (2019).

In 2021, comedian Shane Gillis performed a cover of the song at Skankfest South.

In 2023, musician Little V Mills performed a cover of the song on Youtube.

Personnel

Additional personnel

  • Rob Zombie – lyrics, artwork, music
  • Tom Baker – mastering
  • Paul DeCarli – additional programming
  • Frank Gryner – additional engineering
  • Scott Humphrey – production, engineering, mixing, programming
  • Chris Lord-Alge – additional mixing

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[6] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 44
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[8] 16
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[9] 6
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[10] 27

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (July 31, 1998). "Rob Zombie Solo Debut Is Monstrous". MTV. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  2. ↑ "10 Greatest Nu-Metal Songs: Edsel Dope's Picks". 12 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Chart Watch Extra: Halloween's Greatest Hits - Chart Watch
  4. ↑ Law, Sam (May 17, 2021). "The 20 greatest Rob Zombie songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ Billboard, November 21, 1998 - Vol. 110, No. 47, Page 81.
  6. ↑ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 7034." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Rob Zombie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Rob Zombie Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Rob Zombie Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Rob Zombie Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  11. ↑ "British single certifications – Rob Zombie – Dragula". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  12. ↑ "The Matrix (1999) - IMDb". IMDb.
  13. ↑ Nyheter, S. V. T.; Eidenskog, Jakob (October 19, 2016). "Så rörde sig Trollhättemördaren genom Kronanskolan". Svt.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
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