The Drowners
| "The Drowners" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:The drowners.jpg | ||||
| Single by Suede | ||||
| from the album Suede | ||||
| B-side | To The Birds | |||
| Released | 11 May 1992 | |||
| Format | CD, vinyl record (7", 12") | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Britpop, alternative rock, glam rock | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Nude | |||
| Writer(s) | Brett Anderson, Bernard Butler | |||
| Producer(s) | Ed Buller | |||
| Suede singles chronology | ||||
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"The Drowners" is the debut single by Suede, released on 11 May 1992 on Nude Records. It charted at number 49 on the UK singles chart.[1] Though not a hit at first, it amassed airplay over time and has become one of the band's definitive singles. The song has been considered by many to be the beginning of the Britpop movement along with Blur's "Popscene".
It garnered much acclaim from NME and Melody Maker, who both voted the song single of the year.[2] The song was covered by Bristol space rock band Flying Saucer Attack. B-side "My Insatiable One", was notably covered by Morrissey during his 1992 tour. The song was covered in concert by the Manic Street Preachers with Bernard Butler guesting - a recording was released as a b-side to their single "She Is Suffering" in late 1994. The title track featured two videos, one in rotation in the UK and the other in America.
Critical reception
In a retrospective review of the song, Troy Carpenter of Allmusic wrote: "'The Drowners' itself is a raucous anthem, lassoed by Bernard Butler's punctuated guitar riff. Singer Brett Anderson's ambiguous lyrics ("We kiss in his room/to a popular tune") and high-pitched croon recall Bowie's most theatrical moments, but in a different musical setting."[3]
Track listings
All songs written by Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler.
- 7" Vinyl
- "The Drowners"
- "To The Birds"
- 12" Vinyl, CD
- "The Drowners"
- "To the Birds"
- "My Insatiable One"
- CD (1993 US release)
- "The Drowners"
- "My Insatiable One"
- "To the Birds"
- "The Big Time"
- "He's Dead" (live at Glastonbury June 1993)
Chart positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart [1] | 49 |
