Ex-Girlfriend (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Ex-Girlfriend" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by No Doubt | ||
| from the album Return of Saturn | ||
| Released | May 23, 2000 (U.S.) | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:32 | |
| Writer(s) | Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani | |
| Producer(s) | Glen Ballard | |
| Chart positions | ||
| No Doubt singles chronology | ||
| "New" (1999) |
"Ex-Girlfriend" (2000) |
"Simple Kind of Life" (2000) |
"Ex-Girlfriend" is a rock song by No Doubt. The song was released as the album's first official single in mid-2000 (see 2000 in music), but it was a commercial failure in North America. Its popularity was greater elsewhere. "Ex-Girlfriend" features flamenco guitar riffs and influence from New Wave.
Contents |
[edit] Background and writing
Gwen Stefani originally composed the song as a dirge about her relationship with Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale, who she married in 2002, but the band turned it into a fast track to balance the album.[1] The line "you say you're gonna burn before you mellow" is a reference to the lyrics in the Bush song "Dead Meat": "I'm doing you in tomorrow/I'll burn before I mellow". In 2001's FreQuency, a remix of "Ex-Girlfriend" was featured as a song in the first stage.
[edit] Music video
The song's music video was directed by Hype Williams. In the video, Stefani cross-dresses to enter a men's bathroom and, upon being discovered, assaults Tony Kanal (who plays her ex-boyfriend) and several other men. When Kanal regains consciousness, he grabs Stefani and jumps out the window, and the two plummet to the ground. The bathroom scene in the music video is associated with the highly controversial Japanese hentai anime movie Kite. The storyline is cut with scenes of the band playing on a stage. No Doubt's guitarist Tom Dumont's initially played the part of a police officer but was cut from the final version of the "Ex-Girlfriend" video. He can be seen enacting the role in MTV's Making the Video.
[edit] Track listings and formats
- "Ex-Girlfriend" (2000) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Stefani raps many of the lyrics rather than singing, and the instrumentals take influence from New Wave and flamenco.
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
- UK CD1
- "Ex-Girlfriend" (album version) – 3:32
- "Leftovers" – 4:28
- "Ex-Girlfriend" (CD-Rom video)
- UK CD2
- "Ex-Girlfriend" (album version) – 3:32
- "Big Distraction" – 3:52
- "Full Circle" – 3:16
[edit] Chart performance
"Ex-Girlfriend" failed to enter the U.S. Hot 100 chart and spent only one week on the Canadian Singles Chart, where it peaked at number forty. Elsewhere the single experienced more success, and reached the Australian top ten and UK top thirty.
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 9 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 40 |
| Finnish Top 20[2] | 15 |
| German Singles Chart | 34 |
| Swedish Top 60[3] | 18 |
| Swiss Top 100[4] | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[5] | 2 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Ex-Girlfriend". Montoya, Paris and Lanham, Tom. 2003. The Singles 1992-2003 (liner notes). Retrieved December 6, 2006.
- ^ "No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend (Song)". FinnishCharts.com. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ "No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend (Song)". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ "No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend (Song)". HitParade.ch. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
- ^ "No Doubt". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
| No Doubt |
| Tom Dumont - Tony Kanal - Gwen Stefani - Adrian Young |
| Touring band: Stephen Bradley - Gabrial McNair |
| Former members: John Spence - Eric Stefani |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: No Doubt - The Beacon Street Collection - Tragic Kingdom - Return of Saturn - Rock Steady |
| Compilations: The Singles 1992-2003 - Everything in Time - Boom Box |
| DVDs: Live in the Tragic Kingdom - Rock Steady Live - The Videos: 1992-2003 |
