Format 7"
CD Length 2:02 | Recorded 1996 Label Food | |
Released 7 April 1997 (1997-04-07) Genre Alternative rock
grunge
punk rock | ||
"Song 2" (sometimes mistakenly titled as "Woo Hoo") is a song by English rock band Blur, the second track from their 1997 eponymous fifth studio album. The hook features Damon Albarn yelling "woo-hoo!" as the distorted bass comes in. Released in April 1997, "Song 2" appropriately reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Charts, and number six on US Billboard Alternative Songs (previously called Billboard Modern Rock Tracks).
Contents
- Background
- Reception
- Other uses
- Television
- Film
- Video games
- Sports Events
- Remix
- Music video
- Track listing
- Personnel
- References
At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, "Song 2" was nominated for Best Group Video, and Best Alternative Video. At the 1998 Brit Awards the song was nominated for Best British Single, and Best British Video. In December 1998, BBC Radio 1 listeners voted "Song 2" the 15th Best Track Ever. In October 2011, NME placed it No. 79 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Blur intended "Song 2" to be a parody of grunge. The song was nonetheless their biggest hit in the United States. The song has often featured in popular culture, and first appeared in the hit video game FIFA: Road to World Cup 98.
Background
The track was originally nicknamed "Song 2" as a working title, but the name stuck.
Reception
In the UK, "Song 2" built upon the success of Blur's chart-topping single "Beetlebum" to reach number two in the charts. It was also the band's biggest hit in the US at number 55 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart; it also reached number 6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart staying on the chart for 26 weeks and number 25 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. This is the band's only crossover hit to date crossing over to Top 40 radio. It also placed #2 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 1997 in Australia. The song is atypical of Blur's previous style. The song's intro has been called Graham Coxon's "finest moment".
Other uses
The song became popular in the UK and overseas upon its release in 1997, and featured on college and modern rock radio stations in the US. It has been licensed worldwide on numerous occasions. Its first appearance came as the title music for the hit FIFA video game FIFA: Road to World Cup 98. It has been used in numerous advertisements, including commercials for the Pentium II and Nissan Sentra and television spots for the film Starship Troopers, and it is often heard in association football, ice hockey, and baseball stadiums when goals or runs are scored, or at the end of a winning game for the home team. The American military allegedly requested to use the track at the launch of a new stealth bomber, but the band refused to allow this, as Albarn is an anti-war campaigner. More recently, "Song 2" was used as part of the London 2011 New Year's Eve fireworks display. It appeared in shortened form mixed alongside various other landmark British tracks including "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles, "We Will Rock You" by Queen, and "London Calling" by The Clash. The Madeon remix has been used for a trailer for FIFA 17. The song was also used in The Hire, a short film by Guy Richie for BMW, featuring Madonna and Clive Owen, to showcase the new BMW M5 saloon car.
Television
The song was featured briefly in the episode "Malled" of the animated series Daria. The song is also used in the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, entitled "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday". The song appears in the South Park episode entitled "Stanley's Cup", during the pee-wee hockey game. The song is also heard in the Doctor Who spin-off television series Torchwood in the episode "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang". In 2009, it was featured in a TV commercial for Michelob Ultra. In 2014 New Zealand ISP Xtra used this song as part of an advertising campaign with the boy playing the soldier game on dial-up internet, promoting the benefits of broadband Internet. The song appeared in the Parks and Recreation episode "Prom". The song appears in a 2016 commercial for BMW.
Film
The song was featured in the 2000 film Charlie's Angels during a Drew Barrymore fight scene. The song was used in the background of the "Star" segment of the short film series The Hire. The song also appears in trailers of Thunderbirds and Hop.
Video games
The song is featured on the soundtrack to the videogames FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, Rocksmith, Guitar Hero 5, Just Dance 2 (as a DLC), Lego Rock Band, Madden NFL 11, Saints Row IV and SingStar Rocks!.
Sports Events
The song has been used to the goal song or win song for many teams. The Pittsburgh Penguins are notable for this as they used this song to their 2009 Stanley Cup Run. Other teams using the song over time include the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators, who currently use the song as the horn on "Throwback Thursday" nights and the remix horn by Madeon on other home nights.
Remix
French DJ Madeon made a remix of the song in 2016. The remix is yet to be released, but it has featured on a FIFA 17 trailer.
Music video
The music video for this song was directed by Sophie Muller, and it features the band playing in a small, secluded room with loud amplifiers behind them. During the choruses, the volume of the song sends the band members crashing against the walls and ground. This video bears striking resemblances to Blur's video for "Popscene".
Track listing
All music composed by Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree. All lyrics composed by Albarn.