Released 1995 Genre Alternative rock Label Island | Format CD, vinyl Length 2:52 | |
B-side "Darling Be There" / "Maniac" / "One Time Too Many" | ||
C'mon Billy was the second single released on PJ Harvey's 1995 album To Bring You My Love. As one of the more solemn tracks on the album it depicts a woman begging for the aforementioned Billy to come home and meet his son. Her singing style is described as "frantic purrs" and has an accompanying string section similar to songs from previous albums. Despite this added string section the song is credited as being a clear example of Harvey's sound change, critics have stated that the song was possibly a "glimpse of the Blues Explosion and Portishead." The song charted 29 on the UK Charts and had moderate airplay in the UK.
Contents
Music video
The accompanying music video to the song shows PJ Harvey in a saloon setting said to be surreal by critics. While there she attempts to seduce a man there implied to be Billy. The video then shows imaginary home movies of Harvey, Billy, and a baby boy playing together in a park. A Chicago Tribune critic referred to Harvey in the video as a "sadomasochistic dominatrix in blood-red dress." Although the video impressed VH1 executives, they rejected it from being able to play on their channel because the video was seen as scary and off-putting.
Track list
- "C'mon Billy" – 2:52
- "Darling Be There" – 3:46
- "Maniac" – 4:01
- "One Time Too Many" – 2:51