End of a Century

"End of a Century" is a song by alternative rock band Blur. Released in November 1994, it was the last single to be released from their third album Parklife. "End of a Century" reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, considered a disappointment by Andy Ross of Food Records.[1] Albarn later stated that "End of a Century" may not have been the best choice for the album's fourth single, and that "This Is a Low" would have been a better alternative.

"End of a Century"
Single by Blur
from the album Parklife
B-side
  • "Red Necks" (7")
  • "Red Necks", "Alex's Song" (CD)
Released7 November 1994
RecordedOctober 1993–January 1994
GenreBritpop
Length2:46
LabelFood
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stephen Street
Blur singles chronology
"Parklife"
(1994)		 "End of a Century"
(1994)		 "Country House"
(1995)
Parklife track listing
16 tracks
  1. "Girls & Boys"
  2. "Tracy Jacks"
  3. "End of a Century"
  4. "Parklife"
  5. "Bank Holiday"
  6. "Badhead"
  7. "The Debt Collector"
  8. "Far Out"
  9. "To the End"
  10. "London Loves"
  11. "Trouble in the Message Centre"
  12. "Clover Over Dover"
  13. "Magic America"
  14. "Jubilee"
  15. "This Is a Low"
  16. "Lot 105"
Music video
"End of a Century" on YouTube

Composition

Damon Albarn stated that the song is about "how couples get into staying in and staring at each other. Only instead of candle-light, it's the TV light." The opening line, "she said there's ants in the carpet", refers to an infestation of ants that Albarn and his then-girlfriend Justine Frischmann suffered in their then-home in Kensington.[1]

The lyrics seem to emphasise the (then) up-coming millennium change and the fact that people contemplate the future rather than take care of the present. The line from the song is "End of a Century // It's nothing special". Producer Stephen Street saw the song as "Damon getting the art of songwriting really sorted".[1]

Squeeze did a live cover version of the song for their 1995 single "This Summer".

The video is a live performance recorded at Alexandra Palace. As with their later video to Tender, it uses the audio track of the live performance, rather than overdubbing the audio of the studio take.

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single

  1. "End of a Century" (Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree; Lyrics by Albarn) – 2:47
  2. "Red Necks" (Albarn, Coxon, James, Rowntree; Lyrics by Coxon) – 3:04

CD single

  1. "End of a Century" (Albarn, Coxon, James, Rowntree; Lyrics by Albarn) – 2:47
  2. "Red Necks" (Albarn, Coxon, James, Rowntree; Lyrics by Coxon) – 3:04
  3. "Alex's Song" (James) – 2:42

Personnel

Charts

References
  1. Cavanagh, David; Stuart Maconie (July–August 1995). "How did they do that?". Select.
  2. "Ultratop.be – Blur – End of a Century" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11 no. 48. 26 November 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (25.6. '95 – 1.7. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 24 June 1995. p. 26. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  5. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
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