Drumming Song
Encyclopedia
"Drumming Song" is the fourth single released from Lungs
, the 2009 debut album by Florence and the Machine
. The song was released on Island Records
on 13 September 2009 in the UK. The song is also the band's second consecutive single to be A-listed on BBC Radio 1
. It is the band's fourth single to peak within in the top 75 on the UK Singles Chart
, peaking at #54 during its week of physical release. The B-side to the single is a demo version of "Falling" a track which appears only on the deluxe edition of Lungs. Though not as commercially successful as their other singles, Drumming Song is a favourite amongst fans at Florence + the Machine live performances.
The single was nominated for "Best Music Video" (alongside Lady Gaga
and Mika
) at the Q Awards
, which took place on 25 October 2009.
Welch elaborated on the concept of the song:
As part of the single's promotion the band performed the song on Jools Holland
alongside previous single "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
". The single was also performed at numerous festivals around the UK throughout 2009. Including: Glastonbury
, Brighton
, T In The Park
, Bestival
, Reading
and Electric Picnic
in the Republic of Ireland, among others.
The song also features on the soundtrack to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Video Game.
awarded the song 4 stars out of a possible 5: "With the release of 'Drumming Song', the fourth single lifted from Lungs, her forward momentum looks set to continue. A darker and more brooding offering than 'Rabbit Heart', it's a case of drum as metaphor for love as Welch describes an unadulterated and impassioned love affair. "Louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell," she wails with more enough power and passion to justify all the critical acclaim.NME
named the song 48th best track of 2009, saying, "In ‘Drumming Song’, she created possibly one of the most intensely passionate and physically aching love songs we’ve ever heard."
CD edition
" and "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
", the single managed to enter the UK Singles Chart
, charting at a current peak of #54.
Lungs (album)
Lungs is the debut album by English indie pop band Florence and the Machine, released 6 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release, behind The Essential Michael Jackson compilation. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to...
, the 2009 debut album by Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
. The song was released on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
on 13 September 2009 in the UK. The song is also the band's second consecutive single to be A-listed on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. It is the band's fourth single to peak within in the top 75 on 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 ...
, peaking at #54 during its week of physical release. The B-side to the single is a demo version of "Falling" a track which appears only on the deluxe edition of Lungs. Though not as commercially successful as their other singles, Drumming Song is a favourite amongst fans at Florence + the Machine live performances.
The single was nominated for "Best Music Video" (alongside Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Mika
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
) at the Q Awards
Q Awards
The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
, which took place on 25 October 2009.
Background
"Drumming Song" features an instrumental collaboration of drums, organ, piano, bass, violin, viola, cello and harp; of which James Ford, the track's producer, is credited for the bass, drums, organ and piano contributions. Ford also co-wrote the song with Crispin Hunt and the song features backing vocals from Ladonna Hartley-Peters and Victoria Alkinlola.Welch elaborated on the concept of the song:
This is about when there's that electricity between you, and a boy, and it's completely unspoken. When they're standing in front of you and you can't breathe, can't think, can't do anything properly. I'm really geeky - if I like someone, I just become incapable. I remember with my first boyfriend, walking past the window of a pub, seeing he was in there and literally throwing myself on the ground and crawling on the floor because I was so scared! I feel things quite intensely, which is probably why the music is quite intense. If I really like someone, I like someone; I'm sad, I'm sad.
I was listening to a lot of hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and I wanted to make something that had that kind of beat to it. To me it's the most forward-thinking music around. No one else is moving forward at such pace! Again, it's really GothicGothic fictionGothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story"...
imagery - fairy tales and Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
stories. I'd read a lot of Gothic horror when I was a kid.
As part of the single's promotion the band performed the song on Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
alongside previous single "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart " is a 2009 single by British indie rock band, Florence and the Machine. It was released on the Universal Island Record Label and Moshi Moshi Records on 21 June 2009. It is their second most successful single to-date, peaking at 12 on the UK Singles Chart, only bettered by the cover...
". The single was also performed at numerous festivals around the UK throughout 2009. Including: Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, T In The Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
in the Republic of Ireland, among others.
The song also features on the soundtrack to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Video Game.
Critical reception
"Drumming Song" has received positive feedback from critics. Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded the song 4 stars out of a possible 5: "With the release of 'Drumming Song', the fourth single lifted from Lungs, her forward momentum looks set to continue. A darker and more brooding offering than 'Rabbit Heart', it's a case of drum as metaphor for love as Welch describes an unadulterated and impassioned love affair. "Louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell," she wails with more enough power and passion to justify all the critical acclaim.NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
named the song 48th best track of 2009, saying, "In ‘Drumming Song’, she created possibly one of the most intensely passionate and physically aching love songs we’ve ever heard."
Formats and track listings
iTunes edition- "Drumming Song" – 3:43
- "Drumming Song" (acoustic) — 3:51
- "Drumming Song" (Boy 8-Bit Remix) — 6:31
- "Drumming Song" (Jack Beats Remix) — 5:04
- "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" (acoustic) — 3:52
CD edition
- "Drumming Song" — 3:45
- "Falling" (demo) — 3:48
- "Dog Days Are Over" (acoustic) — 3:58
Chart performance(s)
"Drumming Song" was the fourth single released by Florence and the Machine, and following the success of "Kiss with a FistKiss with a Fist
"Kiss with a Fist" is the debut single by indie pop band Florence and the Machine. It is featured on their debut2009 Mercury Prize-nominated album Lungs...
" and "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
"Rabbit Heart " is a 2009 single by British indie rock band, Florence and the Machine. It was released on the Universal Island Record Label and Moshi Moshi Records on 21 June 2009. It is their second most successful single to-date, peaking at 12 on the UK Singles Chart, only bettered by the cover...
", the single managed to enter 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 ...
, charting at a current peak of #54.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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 ... |
54 |