Bugman (song)

"Bugman"
Song by Blur from the album 13
Released 15 March 1999
Recorded 1998
Genre Experimental rock, Noise rock, Industrial rock
Length 4:48
Label Food Records
Composer Damon Albarn (lyrics), Blur (music)
Producer William Orbit
13 track listing
"Tender"
(1)
"Bugman"
(2)
"Coffee & TV"
(3)
Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur track listing
"Song 2"
(7)
"Bugman"
(8)
"He Thought of Cars"
(9)

"Bugman" is a song by Blur, featured as the second track on their sixth album, 13, released 15 March 1999.

The song itself has been noted by critics for it's overdriven "noise" section in the middle of the song. It features the sound of a white-noise believed to be either a power drill or possibly a vacuum cleaner. One review of the album noted "13 contains a track entitled "Bugman" that is a brief piece of managed chaos. It manages to combine fat distorted riffs, a straight ahead rock beat, synth blips (including it seems, a power drill), screamy lead vocals, and saccharine sweet back ups (sha na na etc.). In short, it is wholly unique and embodies Blur's late 90's sound completely."[1] The song has been noted at various points to be a reflection of the music the band was listening to around the time.

The song is actually two different compositions, combined only in the song through an interlude of the sound of Graham Coxon's guitar being distorted. The first part is "Bugman", which runs until 3:23. From this point until the song's conclusion at 4:48, it is the "Bugman Exitlude" also known as "Space is the Place" due to it's key lyric.

It was also issued as a rare 12" DJ-only promotional single in 1999. On the band's 2009 revival, it featured on their greatest hits-style album Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur. Coxon reportedly wanted to perform the song live in 2009, but this did not fall through.

The song was also individually recorded by each of the members of Blur, and given a new name. These appeared as Coffee & TV's B-sides.

References