“Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” by Skrillex

First off let it be known that the lyrics of “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” are actually recited backwards by the vocalist. And it should be stated that this is a fact that doesn’t have any bearing on its meaning but is still worth noting, just in case you’re wondering how we were able to interpret it in the first place. 

And secondly, the narrative doesn’t appear to have anything to do with “scary monsters and nice sprites”. However, it does sound as if certain base elements of the instrumental may have been sampled from a video old school game, i.e. a form of entertainment commonly associated with “scary monster and nice sprites”. And in the latter case, we don’t only mean in terms of fairies but also the fact that a sprite is actually a common term associated with the creation of the videogames. And even though it’s actually graphical terminology, some may associate it with audio also.

But in terms of the actual narrative, there are only really three assertions that the vocalist is making to the addressee. Those are:

• “for I am just like you”
• “you don’t need to hide, my friend”
• “I’m a coward too”

So putting all of these together, especially in the order in which they are presented in the outro, then what it reads like is that the vocalist is trying to befriend a shy person. And he is advising this individual that he shouldn’t fear, because the two of them are actually kindred spirits. 

In fact the singer ‘too is a coward’ which, all lyrics considered, we would take to mean that he also has issues with being socially timid. So in all, he’s trying to ease the addressee’s mind in terms of freely opening up, to him specifically.

Title (“Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”)

And going back to the title, if we may also go out on a limb for a second, we could perhaps stretch matters and say that the “scary monsters” are symbolic of the addressees fears, i.e. one individual being afraid to associate with another even though there is no actual threat present. 

And the “nice sprites” could be representative of the singer’s empathetic nature and the possibility of he and the addressee becoming friends. But again, that’s just us trying to relate the title directly to the story. 

And as for the story itself, it is most simply focused on one person trying to befriend another who is apparently less open to the idea, with the disposition of the latter founded in his innate fear as opposed to any fault of the former.

“Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” Facts

Artist(s): Skrillex
Album/EP: “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” 

Was “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” a single release?

Yes. It was the first single of the EP of the same name. And October 22, 2010 was its official date of release.

Writing/Production

The song was written and produced by Skrillex himself.

Awards/Honors

At the Grammys in 2012, “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” won an award for “Best Dance Recording”. It contested with the following songs:

• Deadmau5 and Greta Svabo Bech’s “Raise Your Weapon”
• Duck Sauce’s “Barbra Streisand”
• David Guetta and Avicii’s “Sunshine”
• Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend”
• Swedish House Mafia’s “Save the World”

Other Facts about “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”

According to a published scientific study in Acta Tropica, “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” could give protection against the bites of mosquitoes. The study claims this was due to the repetitive tone that characterized the song. The study revealed that mosquitoes exposed to the song were more likely to delay in attacking hosts as compared to those that weren’t exposed to the song.

The song was used in “MLB 2K12”, a baseball video game and a motor racing video game, “Ridge Racer Unbounded”.

Chart Performance

• US (69)
• UK (77)
• Australia (1)

Covers

• Pinn Panelle (2011)
• Music Legends (2015)
• HIKAKIN (2012)
• Grande1899 (2014)
• Fraxiom (2020)
• Crowdburn (2012)

Movie Appearance

The song was featured in “Spring Breakers”, a 2012 American crime film.