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Greedy Fly

"Greedy Fly"
Single by Bush
from the album Razorblade Suitcase
B-side"Old"
Released28 January 1997
Genre
Length
  • 4:29 (album version)
  • 3:50 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Gavin Rossdale
Producer(s)Steve Albini
Bush singles chronology
"Swallowed"
(1996) 		"Greedy Fly"
(1997) 		"Bonedriven"
(1997)
Alternative covers
UK CD 1 cover

"Greedy Fly" is a song by alternative rock band Bush, released on 28 January 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, Razorblade Suitcase (1996).

Music

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"Greedy Fly" was described by Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian to show the band to "have a streak of goth a mile wide".[2]

Music video

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Bush were one of the early pioneers of the enhanced CD single, with the full video being available as a file on CD 2. The video was directed by Marcus Nispel in December 1996 in Los Angeles. The video was shot in the same building Se7en was shot in and cost nearly half a million pounds (around £961,0000 in 2024).[3]

Commercial performance

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"Greedy Fly" was released as the second single from the album, after "Swallowed". The song became a hit, possibly due to its well-known music video, which clocks in at over 7 minutes (although the song itself is only 4:29 long). The song reached the top 5 on both the US Alternative Songs chart and Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song is also the band's second biggest hit in their native Britain where it peaked at #22 (behind "Swallowed" which peaked at #7).

Allusions

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In 2023, American musician Corey Taylor, best known as the lead vocalist of alternative metal band Slipknot, named "Greedy Fly" the Bush song he wished he'd written.[4]

Track listing

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All songs written by Gavin Rossdale unless stated.

Appearances in the media

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- Featured on Cold Case in the episode "Spiders".

Chart performance

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Chart (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 78
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[6] 29
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[7] 6
Scotland (OCC)[8] 21
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 22
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[10] 3
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[11] 41
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[12] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] 5

References

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  1. ^ Piccoli, Sean (22 March 1997). "Bush: America's Band". Sun Sentiel. Sun Senitel. Retrieved 23 January 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (3 March 2000). "Briddish rock hunks". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Music Video History at OneSecondBush.com - A Comprehensive Fan Site for the Band Bush". Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  4. ^ Rogers, Ellie (9 November 2023). "Gavin Rossdale talks us through Bush's platinum hits: "These songs were not written with a view to any degree of success… I had toiled for many years and nothing had worked"". Music Radar. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  5. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3196." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3175." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Bush Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Bush Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Bush Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
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