Beetlebum

"Beetlebum"
Single by Blur
from the album Blur
Released	20 January 1997
Format	7" vinyl, 2 x CD
Recorded	1996
Genre	Indie rock
Length	5:05
Label	Food
Producer	Stephen Street
Blur singles chronology
"Charmless Man" (1996) "Beetlebum" (1997) "Song 2" (1997)
Music sample "Beetlebum"

"Beetlebum" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It was released as the lead single for the band's eponymous fifth album, Blur. The single became Blur's second to reach the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart (after "Country House").

Song

The song is about heroin and the drug experiences that Damon Albarn had with his then girlfriend, Justine Frischmann of Elastica. In the 2010 Blur documentary, No Distance Left to Run, Albarn confirms this song is about heroin use and implies that he was personally involved. The song's title is a reference to the phrase "Chasing the beetle" (Chasing the dragon) which refers to inhaling the smoke from heated heroin, morphine, or opium that has been placed on a piece of tin-foil. Albarn has stated in an interview with MTV that the song describes a complicated emotion, sort of 'sleepy' and sort of 'sexy'.

Music video

The "Beetlebum" music video was directed by Sophie Muller, and shot in Islington, Blundell St N7 London on 14 December 1996. It is a relatively simple production, combining a performance of the song with computer-generated zoom-outs from the set showing the Earth in the centre of kaleidoscopic patterns. Notably, in the video, Alex James' joint and Dave Rowntree's Coke can are censored, presumably for artistic rather than official reasons.

In some versions of the video the line "she'll make you come", is censored.

Tracklisting

Red 7"

1. "Beetlebum"
2. "Woodpigeon Song"

CD1

1. "Beetlebum"
2. "All Your Life"
3. "A Spell (For Money)"

CD2

1. "Beetlebum"
2. "Beetlebum" (Mario Caldato Jr. mix)
3. "Woodpigeon Song"
4. "Dancehall"

Japanese Edition CD

1. "Beetlebum"
2. "All Your Life"
3. "Woodpigeon Song"
4. "A Spell (For Money)"

Preceded by "Your Woman" by White Town

UK Singles Chart number-one single 26 January 1997 – 2 February 1997

Succeeded by "Ain't Nobody" by LL Cool J

Video games

A cover of Beetlebum appeared on disc for the European release of Rock Band and was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band Series outside of Europe.