Shame for You
Encyclopedia
"Shame for You" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen
from her debut studio album, Alright, Still
. Written by Allen and Blair MacKichan, while sampling Jackie Mittoo
's "Loving You" melody, the song was released as the A-Side
to her fourth single, "Alfie
", exclusively in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings
.
While no music video had been shot for the song, it was performed live in Allen's 2007 concert tour.
song with pieces of funk
and ska
mixed with it. The song is set in the time signature
of common time and played in the key of A minor
, with Allen's vocals ranging from F#3 to A4
. It has a metronome
of 80 beats per minute, as the background music is played with a piano and guitar. "Shame for You" samples parts of the melodic lines of “Loving You”, a Jackie Mittoo
song from her album, Evening Time. Lyrically, the song has a "nice-then-naughty approach" and a vindictive streak that belies the sugarcoated sounds around it, while she revels in being the one that got away from her ex-boyfriend.
"Shame for You" was performed live, as part of the setlist of Allen's 2007 concert tour, for promoting Alright, Still.
reporter Lucy Davies to be a reggae-fused song, which "stick[s] in your head whilst you desperately suss out why [it's] familiar". Davies went on to say that Allen blatantly lifts the chorus hook
from the song "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
" by Dawn Penn
. Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork Media
compared the singer's easy comfort with language to that of Mike Skinner
, also suggesting she's confident enough that she never overexerts herself lyrically, but uses the song's wilting punchline, "Oh my God you must be joking me/ If you think that you'll be poking me", to argue that she is "not above risking a stupid joke either". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
praised the production of "Shame for You", as well as "Alfie", with "plenty of catchy melodies and clever samples", but claimed that Allen lacks charisma.
Having only being released through the "Alfie/Shame for You" single exclusively in the singer's home country, the song peaked at number fifteen, along with A-side "Alfie
", on the UK Singles Chart
.
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
from her debut studio album, Alright, Still
Alright, Still
Alright, Still is the debut album by British pop singer-songwriter Lily Allen, released on 14 July 2006 by Regal Recordings . Recording the album began with sessions between Allen and production duo Future Cut, and Allen's work garnered publicity on the Internet as she posted demos to her MySpace...
. Written by Allen and Blair MacKichan, while sampling Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
's "Loving You" melody, the song was released as the A-Side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to her fourth single, "Alfie
Alfie (Lily Allen song)
"Alfie" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still. Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album, on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings. In the United Kingdom, it was marketed as a double...
", exclusively in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings
Regal Recordings is a British record label functioning as an imprint of Parlophone.-Background:Regal Records was a British record label founded in 1914 as a subsidiary of the UK branch of Columbia Records known as Columbia Graphophone Company...
.
While no music video had been shot for the song, it was performed live in Allen's 2007 concert tour.
Background
The song, Shame For You is a jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
song with pieces of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
mixed with it. The song is set in the time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time and played in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
, with Allen's vocals ranging from F#3 to A4
A (musical note)
La or A is the sixth note of the solfège. "A" is generally used as a standard for tuning. When the orchestra tunes, the oboe plays an "A" and the rest of the instruments tune to match that pitch. Every string instrument in the orchestra has an A string, from which each player can tune the rest of...
. It has a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
of 80 beats per minute, as the background music is played with a piano and guitar. "Shame for You" samples parts of the melodic lines of “Loving You”, a Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
song from her album, Evening Time. Lyrically, the song has a "nice-then-naughty approach" and a vindictive streak that belies the sugarcoated sounds around it, while she revels in being the one that got away from her ex-boyfriend.
"Shame for You" was performed live, as part of the setlist of Allen's 2007 concert tour, for promoting Alright, Still.
Reception
"Shame for You" was described by BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reporter Lucy Davies to be a reggae-fused song, which "stick[s] in your head whilst you desperately suss out why [it's] familiar". Davies went on to say that Allen blatantly lifts the chorus hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
from the song "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
"You Don't Love Me " is song by Jamaican singer Dawn Penn. It is a remake of her 1967 song "You Don't Love Me". The song was her only Billboard hit, peaking at #58 on the Hot 100 and #10 on the Hot Dance charts in 1994. In the UK, the song peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1994...
" by Dawn Penn
Dawn Penn
Dawn Penn is a Jamaican reggae singer.-Career:Dawn Penn's earliest recordings were for Prince Buster around 1966. In 1967 she recorded and released the rocksteady single, "You Don't Love Me" produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One...
. Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
compared the singer's easy comfort with language to that of Mike Skinner
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
, also suggesting she's confident enough that she never overexerts herself lyrically, but uses the song's wilting punchline, "Oh my God you must be joking me/ If you think that you'll be poking me", to argue that she is "not above risking a stupid joke either". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
praised the production of "Shame for You", as well as "Alfie", with "plenty of catchy melodies and clever samples", but claimed that Allen lacks charisma.
Having only being released through the "Alfie/Shame for You" single exclusively in the singer's home country, the song peaked at number fifteen, along with A-side "Alfie
Alfie (Lily Allen song)
"Alfie" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still. Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album, on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings. In the United Kingdom, it was marketed as a double...
", 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 ...
.
Track listing and formats
- CD Single
- "Shame for You"
- "Alfie"
- 7" Vinyl
- A. "Shame for You"
- B. "Alfie" (explicit)
- Digital download
- "Alfie" (explicit)
- "Alfie" (CSS remix)
- "Alfie" (live at Bush Hall)
- "Shame for You"
- "Shame for You" (live at Bush Hall)
Credits and personnel
- Lead vocals - Lily AllenLily AllenLily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
- Writer(s) - Lily Allen, Blair Mackichan
- Producer - Blair Mackichan
- Audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Future CutFuture CutFuture Cut is the stage name of drum and bass producers Darren Lewis and Tunde Babalola. They share production duties.The duo first met whilst promoting rival Drum 'n' Bass nights in Manchester... - Audio mixing (assisted) - Dan Porter
- Audio mixing (credited to) - Darren Lewis, Iyiola Babalola
External links
- "Shame for You" lyrics LilyAllenMusic.com
- "Shame for You" performed live YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....