"(She's So) Selfish" is a hit song written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre that was first released by the Knack on their #1 debut album Get the Knack in 1979. It also appeared on a number of live and compilation albums. It was intended for release as a single, but was prevented by its "scatological" lyrics. It was inspired by the same woman who inspired the band's #1 single "My Sharona." It was praised by critics for its hooks and style, but criticized for its nastiness and sexism.
Lyrics and music
The music of "(She's So) Selfish" is based on a Bo Diddley-like riff. According to Averre, Fieger wrote most of "(She's So) Selfish" and Averre wrote the "release" section with its "dirty words":
When she takes you by the short hairs
It's the only thing she'll leave you down there
No fuck-a me fuck-a me today
No fuck-a me fuck-a me today
The song was inspired by Fieger's as-yet-unrequited passion for Sharona Alperin, girlfriend of Doug Fieger, who also inspired other Knack songs such as "My Sharona," and Averre has called it a "teasing, playful look" at her. Alperin concurs that she was the inspiration. According to Ed Stephens, Jr. of Saipan Tribune, the song is about a "manipulative tease." Taking a line from the song, Ira Robbins and Michael Sandlin of Trouser Press describe the girl in the song as "rich bitch." Ultimate Classic Rock writer Dave Swanson included it as one of the Knack's "top shelf, hook-laden rockers" but acknowledged that it is "full of words that wouldn't fly past radio censors." Critic Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times describes that the Knack uses crude, locker room language to portray a teenager's view of frustration. Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer described it as a "teen-beat [anthem] about doin' it to your girlfriend while Mom and Dad were out of the house"
Reception
The Associated Press, TV Guide and others identified "(She's So) Selfish" as one of the Knack's radio hits. Classic Rock History critic Skip Anderson rated it as the Knack's 7th best song and noted the "Bo Diddley hambone style beat." Terry Atkinson of the Los Angeles Times calls it "one of the Knack's better songs." Mike Daily of The Age claims that it deserves equal credit with "My Sharona" for the success of Get the Knack. Audio magazine called it a "basher" with "plenty of style". Tina Maples of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel praised its "hooky effervescence". Charla Wasel of The Evening Independent described it as a song "with which we can all relate." Billboard says that it is "delivered in a smart, sophisticated post-punk style that oozes Southern Californian snootiness." It also uses the song as an example of the Knack being "mad about the way things are" with lyrics that "are as innocent as the chief of police in a Latin American dictatorship," citing such lines as "she got a smile in her ass" and "she says she'll make your motor run but she won't give you none" as setting the tone. Author John Borack described "(She's So) Selfish" as a "mean pop tune" in which Fieger comes off "like a leering, sexist twit with hormones a-raging." J. J. Syrja of The Seguin Gazette said that with this song the Knack "[struck] pure teenage delirium." Paul Wagner of Santa Cruz Sentinel claimed that "it had the same sparkle" as "My Sharona."
Cue New York criticized the "sexist get-a-girl lyrics." Jim Sullivan of The Boston Globe calls it "a tiresome, sexist rant." The 3rd edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide, music critic Robert Christgau and other critics commented on the song's nastiness, with authors Michael Uslan and Bruce Solomon calling it "by far the nastiest and most up-front cut on the album." Eric Siegel of The Sun claims that lines such as "It's just me me me me/She's so (dramatic pause) selfish" make apparent the group's "lack of lyrical ability," comparing the lyrics unfavorably to Carly Simon's similarly themed "You're So Vain."
Producer Mike Chapman considers "(She's So) Selfish" his favorite song from Get the Knack besides "My Sharona." Actor/musician Robbie Rist considers it part of the "lethal opening salvo" that opens Get the Knack, which Rist feels few if any albums can match.