Beetlebum

"Beetlebum" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It was released in January 1997 as the lead single from the band's eponymous fifth album, Blur. Written about Blur frontman Damon Albarn's experiences with heroin, the song features Beatles-influenced music and a mood that Albarn described as "sleepy" and "sexy."

"Beetlebum"
Single by Blur
from the album Blur
B-side"Woodpigeon Song"
Released20 January 1997
GenrePop rock[1]
Length5:05
LabelFood
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stephen Street
Blur singles chronology
"Charmless Man"
(1996)		 "Beetlebum"
(1997)		 "Song 2"
(1997)
Music video
"Beetlebum" on YouTube
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

Despite fears of the song's uncommercial nature, the single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Blur's second track to reach the top of the charts. It has since appeared on several Blur compilations.

Background

"Beetlebum" was inspired by heroin and the drug experiences Damon Albarn had with his then-girlfriend, Justine Frischmann of Elastica.[2][3] Albarn reflected, "That whole period of a lot of people's lives was fairly muddied by heroin for a lot of people. And it's sort of, it's in that place. And a lot of stuff was at that time."[4][5] He has stated in an interview with MTV that the song describes a complicated emotion, sort of "sleepy" and sort of "sexy".[6]

Rolling Stone hypothesizes that the song's title is a reference to the phrase "chasing the beetle," further linking the song to Albarn's experimentation with drugs. Albarn commented, "I'm not sure what a Beetlebum is. It's just a word I sang when I played the song to myself. I asked the others if I should change it, but they said no. If it felt right, we decided that we wouldn't tidy it up like we've done in the past. It's about drugs basically."[7]

Bassist Alex James explained of the song, "I think 'Beetlebum' is representative of the fact that as the band's got older, the song's have become more simple. Now we can play them with a lot more feeling."[8] The song has been described as a "Beatles tribute" by several publications; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that the song "[ran] through the White Album in the space of five minutes."[9]

Release

Because of its stylistic differences from Blur's previous singles, "Beetlebum" was expected to be a commercial disappointment. As James recalls, "When we first took it around, 'Beetlebum' was perceived as commercial suicide."[8] Despite these fears, "Beetlebum" was a chart hit in the UK, becoming the band's second number one single (after "Country House").[10][11] The single also reached the top ten in several European countries as well as number 13 in Canada.

In addition to its release on Blur, the song has appeared on compilations such as Blur: The Best Of and Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur. It was remixed by Moby for the remix album Bustin' + Dronin'.[5]

Music video

The "Beetlebum" music video was directed by Sophie Muller.[12] The downbeat video[8] combines a performance of the song in a room in a tall building with computer-generated zoom-outs from the set showing the Earth in the centre of kaleidoscopic patterns. Alex James' cigarette and Dave Rowntree's Coke can are censored. The video concludes with the camera zooming out of the room to show a shot of the River Thames and London's skyline.[7]

Track listings

All music composed by Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree. All lyrics composed by Albarn.

Personnel

Charts and certifications

References
  1. Trendell, Andrew (23 March 2015). "Blur's 14 all-time greatest hits, ranked". Gigwise. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. Andrew Smith (10 March 2002). "Interview: Justine Frischmann: Elastica limits". The Observer. The Guardian. Then, in early 1997, Blur had a hit with a single called 'Beetlebum', which, after being pressed in these very pages, Albarn reluctantly admitted to be about heroin.
  3. No Distance Left to Run 2010 film
  4. "Is Blur's Beetlebum their most heartbreaking single?". Radio X. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  5. "Remembering when Moby remixed Blur's hit single 'Beetlebum'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  6. MTV Blurography – Broadcast December 1996
  7. Wright, Danny. "Beetlebum // 20 Years On". London in Stereo. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  8. Power, Martin. The Life of Blur. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-862-1.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: – Blur". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  10. "BLUR | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  11. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 602. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  12. "The Best of Blur (2000)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  13. "Australian-charts.com – Blur – Beetlebum". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  14. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9893." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14 no. 7. 15 February 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  16. "Blur: Beetlebum" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blur – Beetlebum". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  18. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (30.1. – 5.2. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 31 January 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beetlebum". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Blur – Beetlebum" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. "Charts.nz – Blur – Beetlebum". Top 40 Singles.
  22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  23. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  24. "Swedishcharts.com – Blur – Beetlebum". Singles Top 100.
  25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  26. "Árslistinn 1997 – Íslenski Listinn – 100 Vinsælustu Lögin". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  27. "Top 100 Singles 1997". Music Week. 17 January 1998. p. 27.
  28. "British single certifications – Blur – Beetlebum". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
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