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song 2

remixed by paul dakeyne / dmc

"Song 2" is a song by Blur, and the second single released from their eponymous fifth album, Blur in April 1997. It features a catchy, bouncy beat combined with a calmly sung verse and a raucous, guitar-driven chorus, and is among the most well-known songs the band have recorded, particularly in the United States, where it remains their biggest hit to date.

information...

"Song 2" was originally the track's working title (Damon Albarn stated at its debut live performance at the RDS in Dublin in June 1996 that "This one's called 'Song 2', 'cos we haven't got a name for it yet"), but it ended up sticking. Coincidences surrounding the number two eventually became associated with the song: it was the second track on the album, was the second single from the album to be released, and reached #2 in the UK singles chart and is approximately two minutes long.

reception...

In the UK, "Song 2" built upon the success of Blur's prior #1 single "Beetlebum", reaching #2 in the charts. It was also the band's biggest hit in the USA, reaching #6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks. Though it is decidedly atypical of Blur's trademark style, in America it is the song most closely associated with the band.

The song became quite popular upon its release in 1997 on college and modern rock radio stations in the USA. Due to its catchy chorus, it has been licensed worldwide on numerous occasions. Its first and most notable appearance came as the title music for the hit video game FIFA '98, contributing to its American success. It has been used in numerous advertisements, including commercials for the Pentium II, television spots for the film Starship Troopers, and is often heard in soccer and ice hockey stadiums when goals are scored. The song also gained recognition in Canada, as the theme for the Labatt Brewing Company. Famously, the American military requested to use the track at the launch of a new stealth bomber [1], but the band refused to allow this, as Albarn is an anti-war campaigner. [2] [3]

trivia...

  • The distinctive drum sound was achieved by guitarist Graham Coxon playing a second set of drums face to face with regular drummer Dave Rowntree in the studio.
  • In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Song 2" at number 14 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
  • British rapper Plan B covers the song during his live perfomance, adding in his own rapping verse before the first proper verse of the song.

This text is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Song 2".
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