For Tomorrow

"For Tomorrow" is a song by British rock band Blur and is the lead track to their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish. It was released 19 April 1993 as the first single from the album, charting at #28 in the UK Singles Chart. The extended version of "For Tomorrow" was included in the band's compilation album, Blur: The Best of, and was the only song off Modern Life Is Rubbish to be featured on the compilation.

1 Single background
2 Chart position & critical reception
3 Increase in stature
4 Music video
5 Track listings
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Single background

The year before the single was released, the band reached their lowest point. They were prone to giving drunken and loose performances and being far outclassed by other bands such as early rivals Suede. In this period the band had gone on a tour of the USA which they greatly detested, especially as the country was the home of grunge music and audiences were not receptive to their music. After that tour lead singer Damon Albarn started to write songs with a very British feel. This was one such song, written on Christmas Day 1992. David Balfe, the head of the band's record company, commissioned this song as the original album did not have any hit singles. The single cover of the two World War II fighter planes was used by the band as a sense of Britishness. ^[1]

[edit] Chart position & critical reception

The song charted at #28 in the UK in its first week of release, a position matched by Blur's next single, "Chemical World". This was the third lowest chart position the band reached in the UK, the previous single Popscene had reached #32 and She's So High in 1990 didn't make the Top 40, charting at #48. The song did not chart in any other countries.

The song received many more popular reviews than Popscene. However, due to their recent terrible live performances, they were a bit restrained into giving the band much praise. In fact, one reviewer wrote "Blur - you are the Soup Dragons. Now fuck off". ^[1](13 Emperors' Gate was the first London-based home for the Lennons; they lived there in 1964 ^[2] ). He found it "romantic" that his parents lived right next to these people.

[edit] Increase in stature

Like "Modern Life is Rubbish", the album this song appears on, "For Tomorrow" has massively increased in stature since its release. The song charted at #15 in a Time Out poll about the best songs about London, with the magazine labelling the track as an "indie anthem"^[3]. In addition, MOJO magazine chose this song in their "50 Greatest British Tracks Ever" list, beating more well-known Blur songs ^[4]. In a blurtalk.com vote, For Tomorrow was voted fifth out of all of the band's singles, despite being the second lowest charting on its release ^[5].

[edit] Music video

The video, directed by Julien Temple, was filmed in a classic black and white style. This, backed with the front cover of the World War II fighter planes and the typical British clothing worn by Albarn in the video, shows that the band was going for a pro-British, anti-American record. The video was shot entirely in London. Some repeated scenes include:

The band at Trafalgar Square
Shots of Nelson's Column
Albarn leaning out of a London bus
The band flying kites atop Primrose Hill

[edit] Track listings

CD1 CDFOODS40

"For Tomorrow" (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)
"Peach"
"Bone Bag"

CD2 CDFOOD40, released 26 April 1993

"For Tomorrow" (single version)
"When The Cows Come Home"
"Beachcoma"
"For Tomorrow" (acoustic)

12" 12FOOD40

"For Tomorrow" (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)
"Into Another"
"Hanging Over

Cassette TCFOOD40

"For Tomorrow" (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)
"Into Another"
"Hanging Over"

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b [1] Last accessed: 24 March 2007
^ Chris Ingham (2003). The Rough Guide to the Beatles, 336.
^ Time Out Magazine: The 50 best London songs [2] Last accessed: 24 March 2007
^ MOJO- Greatest British Tracks ever [3] Last accessed: 24 March 2007
^ www.blurtalk.com- Blur Singles vote [4] Last accessed: 24 March 2007