Bathwater
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| “Bathwater” | |||||
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| Single by No Doubt from the album Return of Saturn |
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| Released | November 14, 2000 | ||||
| Genre | Ska punk | ||||
| Length | 4:02 | ||||
| Label | Interscope | ||||
| Writer(s) | Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani | ||||
| Producer | Glen Ballard | ||||
| No Doubt singles chronology | |||||
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| Alternate cover | |||||
Cover Invicible Overlord Remix
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"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn (2000). It was released as the album's fourth and final single in November 2000 (see 2000 in music).
The music video was directed by Sophie Muller, who also directed the video to their previous single, "Simple Kind of Life". In it, Adrian Young appears in drag. It also features the burlesque group The Pussycat Dolls.
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[edit] Background and writing
The song was written in only ten minutes, opening with slow New Orleans funeral brass and Adrian Young as a human beat-box. The lyrics discuss overcoming insecurities about a relationship with adoration. The lyric "to wash in your old bathwater" means accepting a lover's faults.[1]
"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written in the key of E minor. It is composed in swing time with a medium swing and moves at a moderately fast tempo of 138 beats per minute. Some of the verses have a dub influenced piano in minor keys that play on the off beat. The song's verses are carried by perfect fifth chords with a i-IV chord progression. Stefani's vocal range spans over two octaves in the song, from G3 to B5.[2]
[edit] Critical reception
"Bathwater" received mixed reviews from music critics. Entertainment Weekly described the song's cabaret style as campy and noted that "even lovelorn teen girls may... think it's pretty yucky."[3] Rolling Stone described it as a combination of 2 Tone and the slapstick of farces by Gilbert and Sullivan that "never drops the band's signature blend of adrenaline and sugar."[4] In its review of The Singles 1992-2003, OMH Media disagreed and referred to it as an "uncomfortable merging" of 1940s dance music and the work of 2 Tone band Madness.[5]
[edit] Chart performance
The single was a commercial failure, as had been much of the Return of Saturn project. In the United States, the song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and barely entered the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, inching to #39.[6] In its initial release the song also failed to chart on the Top 75 Singles chart in the UK; however, upon re-release in 2004 as the second single from the compilation album The Singles 1992-2003, it peaked at #17.
In the territories where the song did chart, it performed poorly. On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, the single managed a #79 peak position. In Germany, the song reached #73.
On American Idol Season 6, Sanjaya Malakar performed "Bathwater", the week that Gwen Stefani was the mentor for the contestants. [7]
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 79 |
| German Singles Chart | 73 |
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40[6] | 39 |
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 14 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Bathwater". Montoya, Paris and Lanham, Tom. 2003. The Singles 1992-2003 (liner notes). Retrieved December 6, 2006.
- ^ Sheet music for "Bathwater". Hal Leonard Corporation. 2000.
- ^ Browne, David. "Return of Saturn | Music Review". Entertainment Weekly. April 10, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
- ^ Walters, Barry. "No Doubt: Return Of Saturn : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. April 27, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
- ^ McDonnell, Sara. "No Doubt - The Singles 1992-2003 (Interscope)". OMH Media. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
- ^ a b "Return of Saturn". All Music Guide. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Poniewozik, James"Sanjaya Malakar - Bathwater" Time Retrieved October 20, 2007
[edit] External links
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