Parklife (song)

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“Parklife”
“Parklife” cover
Single by Blur
from the album Parklife
Released 22 August 1994
Format 7" vinyl (jukebox only), 12" vinyl, cassette, 2 x CD
Recorded October 1993-January 1994
Genre Britpop
Length 3:05
Label Food/EMI
Producer Stephen Street, John Smith
Blur singles chronology
"To the End"
(1994)		 "Parklife"
(1994)		 "End of a Century"
(1994)

"Parklife" is the title track from Blur's 1994 album Parklife. When released as the album's third single, "Parklife" reached #10 in the UK singles chart. The song has spoken verses, narrated by actor Phil Daniels, who also appears in the song's music video.

A number of newspaper articles about the young middle classes' adoption of Estuary English appeared during the single's chart run, including one in The Sunday Times on the day the song entered the singles chart (although Daniels's accent is more obviously Cockney).

The song played a part in Blur's supposed feud with fellow Britpop band Oasis when, at the 1996 BRIT Awards, the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, taunted Blur by singing a drunken rendition of "Parklife" (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life"). The members of Oasis were collecting the "Best British Album" award, which both bands had been nominated for.

The song's video features Daniels as a smarmy double glazing salesman, with Albarn as his assistant and the other band members appearing as various characters from the song – including Dave Rowntree and Alex James as a couple, with the latter in drag. At one point, Albarn is impressed to see a man (Graham Coxon) carrying a placard reading "Modern Life Is Rubbish", the title of Blur's previous album; on the reverse is written "End of a Century", the title of their subsequent single from Parklife.

The car used by Daniels and Albarn is a bronze coloured Ford Granada Coupe Mk1. This is often regarded as one of the most British cars ever and suits the song very well. In one part of the video, the Granada pulls up next to an Audi Cabriolet convertible and Daniels says "Its got nothing to do with your 'Vorsprung Durch Technik' ya Know". The driver grimaces back at him. Both cars then pull away at speed, neck and neck, with the Granada edging forwards.

The song is still very popular today, with occasional radio plays and regular appearances on music television, in shows such as "The Best of... 1994" on The Vault.

In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Parklife" at number 41 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.

[edit] Track listings

  • 12" 12FOOD53
  1. "Parklife"
  2. "Supa Shoppa"
  3. "To The End" (French version)
  4. "Beard"
  • CD1 CDFOODS53
  1. "Parklife"
  2. "Supa Shoppa"
  3. "Theme from an Imaginary Film"
  • CD2 CDFOOD53
  1. "Parklife"
  2. "Beard"
  3. "To The End" (French version)
  • Cassette TCFOOD53
  1. "Parklife"
  2. "Supa Shoppa"
  3. "Theme from an Imaginary Film"
  • 7" FOODLH53
  1. "Parklife"
  2. "Supa Shoppa"
  • Note: the 7" vinyl edition was pressed for use on jukeboxes and was not issued commercially.

[edit] External links

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Blur
Damon Albarn · Graham Coxon · Alex James · Dave Rowntree
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