Swallowed (song)

1996 single by Bush

For the song by Blind Melon, see Nico (album).

"Swallowed"

Single by Bush
from the album  Razorblade Suitcase
B-side| "Broken TV"
Released| 22 October 1996 (1996-10-22)
Genre|

* Alternative rock[1]
* hard rock[2]
* post-grunge[3]

Length|

* 4:51 (album version)
* 4:08 (UK radio edit)
* 4:22 (Australian radio edit)

Label|

* Trauma
* Interscope

Songwriter(s)| Gavin Rossdale
Producer(s)| Steve Albini
Bush singles chronology
| "Machinehead"
(1996)  | "Swallowed"
(1996)  | "Greedy Fly"
(1997)

|
|

Music video
"Swallowed" on YouTube
Alternative covers

UK CD2 cover

"Swallowed" is a song by British rock band Bush, released in October 1996 as the lead single from the band's second studio album, Razorblade Suitcase (1996). It also appeared on both Bush greatest-hits albums, with live versions appearing on Zen X Four (2005) and Live in Tampa (2020), with remixed editions featured on Deconstructed (1997) and Loads of Remixes (2024).

## Composition

[edit]

A power ballad,[4] the song is in A-flat major. Gavin Rossdale opined in 1999 that, despite a musical dissimilarity, the song was "[his] version" of the Beatles' song "Help!".[5]

## Critical reception

[edit]

British magazine Music Week rated the song four out of five, adding that "the successful British exports look set for their first big UK hit with this melodic cut."[6] David Sinclair from The Times described it as "an undeniably catchy tune, once you get past the meaningless lyric and self-conscious Nirvana-isms."[7] It was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards, losing to the Smashing Pumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End".

## Commercial performance

[edit]

"Swallowed" was released as the lead single from the follow-up to their debut album, Sixteen Stone, which was released two years prior. Upon release, the song topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for seven consecutive weeks (their longest stay at number one on the chart) and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was also Bush's biggest hit in their native Britain, where it peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

## Music video

[edit]

The accompanying music video for "Swallowed", directed by Jamie Morgan, was filmed in October 1996 and released later that month, is set in a retro apartment with myriad alternative youths.[8] A neon crucifix (which would later become the album cover for Deconstructed) is frequently interspersed amongst the antics of houseguests. The video was shot at Twickenham Studios England and in Florida.[9] The video was nominated for several MTV Video Music Awards.

American rock band Third Eye Blind opted to work with Jamie Morgan for their "Semi-Charmed Life" music video after seeing his work on "Swallowed".[10]

## Track listings

[edit]

* UK CD single 1

1. "Swallowed" (radio edit) – 4:08
2. "Broken TV" – 4:28
3. "Glycerine" – 4:26
4. "In a Lonely Place" – 5:58

* UK CD single 2

1. "Swallowed" (LP version) – 4:53
2. "Swallowed (Toasted Both Sides Please)" (Goldie remix) – 5:50
3. "Insect Kin" (live on Saturday Night Live) – 4:09
4. "Cold Contagious" (16"oz demo version) – 5:57

* Australian CD single

1. "Swallowed" (radio edit) – 4:22
2. "Broken TV" – 4:28
3. "Communicator" – 4:24
4. "Glycerine" (live at Pinkpop, Holland) – 4:42

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1996–1997)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[11] | 25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] | 5
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[13] | 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] | 59
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[15] | 21
Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] | 100
Quebec (ADISQ)[18] | 16
Scotland (OCC)[19] | 7
UK Singles (OCC)[20] | 7
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[21] | 1
UK Airplay (Music Week)[22] | 44
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[23] | 27
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[24] | 1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[25] | 2
US CHR/Pop Top 50 (Radio & Records)[26] | 50
US Pop/Alternative Top 20 (Radio & Records)[27] | 4

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1996)  | Position

|

Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[28] | 40
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[29] | 94
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[30] | 86
Chart (1997)  | Position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[31] | 52
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[32] | 42

## Release history

[edit]

Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label(s)  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

United States  | 22 October 1996  | Contemporary hit radio |

* Trauma
* Interscope

| [33]
Japan  | 4 December 1996  | CD  | Interscope  | [34]
United Kingdom  | 17 February 1997  |

* CD
* cassette

* Interscope
* Trauma
* MCA

| [35]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The 96 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1996". Spin. p. 4. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
2. ^ Piccoli, Sean (22 March 1997). "Bush: America's Band". Sun Sentiel. Sun Senitel. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
3. ^ Sterdan, Darryl (10 April 2012). "Bush Returns To Canada". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
4. ^ Hoard, Christian David; Brackett, Nathan (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Revised ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 122. ISBN 9780743201698. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
5. ^ Nine, Jennifer (1999). Bush: Twenty-seventh Letter : the Official History. Virgin. ISBN 9780753501894. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
6. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 8 February 1997. p. 8. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
7. ^ Sinclair, David (22 February 1997). "The week's top pop releases; Records". The Times.
8. ^ "Site Maintenance". www.mvdbase.com.
9. ^ "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.
10. ^ "'There Was No Overnight Success': An Oral History of Third Eye Blind's Self-Titled Debut". Billboard. 6 April 2017. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
11. ^ "Bush – Swallowed". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9806." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
13. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9882." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 7\. 15 March 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
15. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 13 December 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Swallowed". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
17. ^ "Bush – Swallowed" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
18. ^ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
19. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
20. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
21. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
22. ^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 8 March 1997. p. 32. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
23. ^ "Bush Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
24. ^ "Bush Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
25. ^ "Bush Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
26. ^ "CHR/Pop Top 50" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1573\. 17 January 1997. p. 38. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
27. ^ "Pop/Alternative Top 20" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1573\. 6 December 1996. p. 38. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
28. ^ "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2021 – via Library and Archives Canada.
29. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53\. 27 December 1996. p. 23. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
30. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53\. 27 December 1996. p. 24. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
31. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2021 – via Library and Archives Canada.
32. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Alternative Tracks". RPM. Retrieved 24 August 2021 – via Library and Archives Canada.
33. ^ "Selected New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1168\. 18 October 1996. p. 38.
34. ^ "ブッシュ | スワロウド" [Bush | Swallowed] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
35. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 15 February 1997. p. 31. The source incorrectly labels the second CD single as a 12-inch vinyl single.

* v
* t
* e

Bush

* Gavin Rossdale
* Chris Traynor
* Corey Britz
* Nik Hughes

* Nigel Pulsford
* Dave Parsons
* Robin Goodridge

Studio albums|

* Sixteen Stone
* Razorblade Suitcase
* The Science of Things
* Golden State
* The Sea of Memories
* Man on the Run
* Black and White Rainbows
* The Kingdom
* The Art of Survival
* I Beat Loneliness

Live albums|

* Zen X Four

Compilation albums|

* Deconstructed
* The Best of '94–'99
* Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994–2023

EPs|

* Loads of Remixes

Home videos|

* Live!

Singles|

* "Everything Zen"
* "Little Things"
* "Comedown"
* "Glycerine"
* "Machinehead"
* "Swallowed"
* "Greedy Fly"
* "Bonedriven"
* "Cold Contagious"
* "Mouth (The Stingray Mix)"
* "The Chemicals Between Us"
* "Warm Machine"
* "Letting the Cables Sleep"
* "The People That We Love"
* "Headful of Ghosts"
* "Inflatable"
* "Afterlife"
* "The Sound of Winter"
* "Baby Come Home"
* "The Only Way Out"
* "Mad Love"
* "The Beat of Your Heart"
* "This Is War"
* "Bullet Holes"
* "Flowers on a Grave"
* "More Than Machines"
* "Heavy Is the Ocean"
* "All Things Must Change"
* "Nowhere To Go But Everywhere"

Related articles|

* Discography
* The Partisans
* Transvision Vamp
* Helmet
* Institute
* Spear of Destiny
* Stone Gods

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

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