Synopsis

Supergrass' "Mary (Scary Version)" turns the song into a compact horror anthology. The band performs against a dark, old-fashioned backdrop while three disturbing vignettes unfold: a poltergeist attack in a cluttered room, a family breakfast interrupted by a blood-vomiting housewife, and a bathtub drowning accompanied by blood pouring from a sink. The grotesque images arrive in sync with the song's piercing falsetto chorus, creating a deliberately campy but unsettling contrast with Supergrass' bright, melodic rock.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1999 alongside "Mary," the third and final single from Supergrass' self-titled third album. The single reached No. 36 on the UK chart.

• Its visual style draws on classic horror cinema, combining supernatural effects, domestic gore, exaggerated performances, and deliberately theatrical imagery rather than presenting a conventional band narrative.

• The video's three most graphic moments are timed to the song's falsetto-screaming chorus, making the editing part of the joke as well as part of the scare effect.

• A censored version replaced the disturbing scenes with shots of onions. The unusual substitution became one of the video's most memorable pieces of trivia.

• The clip was often described as having been banned from television for being too frightening. Contemporary reporting suggested the situation was more complicated: some broadcasters restricted it to post-watershed viewing rather than imposing a universal ban.

• The video arrived around Halloween, giving the single a seasonal horror angle that contrasted with the band's usually more playful presentation.