Vasoline

"Vasoline"
"Vasoline"
Single by Stone Temple Pilots
from the album Purple
B-side	"Meatplow"; "Andy Warhol" (live); "Crackerman" (live);
Released	July 18, 1994
Genre	Grunge; alternative rock; hard rock;
Length	2:56
Label	Atlantic
Composer(s)	Robert DeLeo; Dean DeLeo; Eric Kretz;
Lyricist(s)	Scott Weiland
Producer(s)	Brendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots singles chronology
Audio sample
	"Vasoline" file; help;
Music video
	"Vasoline" on YouTube

"Vasoline" is a song by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots from their second album, Purple. The song was the second single of the album, reaching number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for two weeks.^[5] The song's odd-sounding intro was created by Robert DeLeo, who ran his bass through a wah-wah pedal to get the said effect. The song's lyrics were written by vocalist Scott Weiland. "Vasoline" also appears on the greatest hits compilation album Thank You. A live version also appears on The Family Values 2001 Tour compilation.

Composition and meaning

During STP's performance of "Vasoline" on VH1 Storytellers, Weiland says that the song is about "feeling like an insect under a magnifying glass." During an interview with Greg Prato from SongFacts.com on October 14, 2014, Scott Weiland confirmed that the key line in this song came from a misheard lyric: His parents put on the Eagles song "Life in the Fast Lane", and Weiland thought they were singing, "Flies in the Vaseline."^[6]

In his autobiography Not Dead and Not For Sale, he adds that it "is about being stuck in the same situation over and over again. It's about me becoming a junkie. It's about lying to [my first wife] Jannina [sic] (Castaneda) and lying to the band about my heroin addiction."^[7]

Music videos

The music videos (directed by Kevin Kerslake) were in heavy rotation on MTV when the single was released in 1994.^[8] There are at least three different versions of the video, labeled "X Version", "Y Version", and "Z Version". All versions are similar, using parts of the same footage with some minor differences and shown in different orders. The single album art is taken directly from the music video.

Differentiation

X Version – begins with a shot of flypaper and then a laughing clown [Robert DeLeo]
Y Version – begins with a butterfly-catching girl [Deanna Stevens] skipping up to the camera
Z Version – begins with a man using a sharpening stone wheel

Track listings

UK, European, and Australian CD single^[9]

"Vasoline" – 2:56
"Meatplow" – 3:38
"Andy Warhol" (David Bowie cover live from MTV Unplugged) – 3:05
"Crackerman" (live from MTV Unplugged) – 4:03

German CD single^[10]

"Vasoline" – 2:56
"Meatplow" – 3:38

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[11]	24
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[12]	21
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[13]	28
Scotland (OCC)^[14]	42
UK Singles (OCC)^[15]	48
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)^[16]	23
US Radio Songs (Billboard)^[17]	38
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[18]	2
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[19]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)	Position
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[20]	6
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[20]	7

References

^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 July 1994. p. 31.
^ Michael Danaher (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste.
^ "Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time". KXRK. May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
^ O'Connor, Rob; Robbins, Ira; Corcaron, Clifford. "Stone Temple Pilots". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 607.
^ "Scott Weiland : Songwriter Interviews". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
^ Not Dead and Not For Sale (Scribner, 2010), pp111
^ "Site Maintenance". www.mvdbase.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
^ Vasoline (UK, European & Australian CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1994. A5650CD, 7567-85650-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Vasoline (German CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1994. 7567-85646-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Vasoline". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2564." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Vasoline". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-62.

External links

[1] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 July 1994. p. 31.

[2] Michael Danaher (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste.

[3] "Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time". KXRK. May 20, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

[4] O'Connor, Rob; Robbins, Ira; Corcaron, Clifford. "Stone Temple Pilots". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2025-06-08.

[5] Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 607.

[6] "Scott Weiland : Songwriter Interviews". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

[7] Not Dead and Not For Sale (Scribner, 2010), pp111

[8] "Site Maintenance". www.mvdbase.com. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

[9] Vasoline (UK, European & Australian CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1994. A5650CD, 7567-85650-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[10] Vasoline (German CD single liner notes). Stone Temple Pilots. Atlantic Records. 1994. 7567-85646-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Australia_Stone_Temple_Pilots-11] "Stone Temple Pilots – Vasoline". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-12] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2564." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Stone_Temple_Pilots-13] "Stone Temple Pilots – Vasoline". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_Scotland_-14] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_UK_-15] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_UKrock_-16] "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_Billboardradiosongs_Stone_Temple_Pilots-17] "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_Stone_Temple_Pilots-18] "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_Stone_Temple_Pilots-19] "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

[usrockye-20] "The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-62.

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v t e Stone Temple Pilots
Robert DeLeo Eric Kretz Dean DeLeo Jeff Gutt Scott Weiland Chester Bennington
Studio albums	Core Purple Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop No. 4 Shangri-La Dee Da Stone Temple Pilots (2010) Stone Temple Pilots (2018) Perdida
Extended plays	High Rise
Compilations	Thank You
Singles	"Sex Type Thing" "Plush" "Creep" "Big Empty" "Vasoline" "Interstate Love Song" "Big Bang Baby" "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" "Lady Picture Show" "Down" "Sour Girl" "Days of the Week" "Hollywood Bitch" "Revolution" "All in the Suit That You Wear" "Between the Lines" "Take a Load Off" "Meadow"
Promotional singles	"Dead & Bloated" "Wicked Garden" "Unglued" "Pretty Penny" "Dancing Days" "Tumble in the Rough" "Heaven & Hot Rods" "No Way Out" "Out of Time" "Black Heart"
Concert tours	Family Values Tour 2008 Reunion Tour
Related articles	Discography Army of Anyone album Talk Show album Velvet Revolver The Wondergirls Linkin Park
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