"Beetlebum" is a song by English alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 band Blur

Blur (band)

Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...

. It was released as the lead single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 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

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 (after "Country House").

Song

The song is about heroin and the drug experiences that Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn

Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...

 had with his then girlfriend, Justine Frischmann

Justine Frischmann

Justine Elinor Frischmann is an English singer and guitarist, best known for being the lead singer of the now defunct band Elastica...

 of Elastica

Elastica

Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...

. In the 2010 Blur documentary

Documentary

A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...

, No Distance Left to Run

No Distance Left to Run (film)

No Distance Left to Run is a documentary film about the British rock band Blur, released in cinemas on 19 January 2010. Following the band during their 2009 reunion and tour, the film also includes unseen archive footage and interviews...

, 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

Chasing the dragon

"Chasing the dragon" refers to inhaling the vapor from heated morphine, heroin, oxycodone or opium that has been placed on a piece of foil...

) 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

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was directed by Sophie Muller

Sophie Muller

Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...

, 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

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 in the centre of kaleidoscopic

Kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors...

 patterns. Notably, in the video, Alex James

Alex James (musician)

Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur...

' joint and Dave Rowntree

Dave Rowntree

David Alexander De Horne Rowntree is an English solicitor, musician, animator, and political activist. He is best known as the drummer of the alternative rock band Blur...

's Coke

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as 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)"

Video games

A cover of Beetlebum appeared on disc for the European release of Rock Band

Rock Band

Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...

and was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band Series outside of Europe.