Sonic Youth and Murder, with Jake Brennan

The iconic cover of Sonic Youth's 1990 album *Goo*—featuring a striking, androgynous couple with the chilling quote 'I stole my sister's boyfriend. It was all whirlwind, heat and flash. Within a week we killed my parents and hit the road'—hides a harrowing true crime story from 1960s Manchester. The image, drawn by artist Raymond Pettibon, was inspired by a real paparazzi photo of David Smith and Maureen Hindley, a young couple caught in the aftermath of the Moors Murders, a series of brutal killings committed by serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Though Pettibon and Sonic Youth were unaware of the dark origins, the image’s raw, rebellious energy perfectly mirrored the band’s avant-garde ethos. The episode reveals how a 17-year-old David Smith, horrified by the murder of a teenager in front of him, was coerced into silence and later became a reluctant witness, leading to the arrest of the killers. Despite his innocence, public perception painted him as a criminal, a victim of media hysteria and social panic. The story, long buried, now stands as a chilling example of how pop culture can absorb and aestheticize unspeakable evil—without knowing it. Jake Brennan, host of *Disgraceland*, unpacks this convergence of music, art, and true crime, arguing that the most fascinating stories are always the ones they don’t want you to know.