| "Ex-Girlfriend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by No Doubt | ||||
| from the album Return of Saturn | ||||
| Released | May 2, 2000 (U.S.) | |||
| Genre | New Wave Alternative rock Ska punk |
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| Length | 3:32 | |||
| Writer(s) | Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani | |||
| Producer | Glen Ballard | |||
| No Doubt singles chronology | ||||
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"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn (2000). The song was released as the album's first official single in mid-2000 (see 2000 in music) and it was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries.
Contents |
Gwen Stefani originally composed the song as a dirge about her relationship with Bush's lead singer Gavin Rossdale, whom she married in 2002. After listening to it, the band increased the tempo because the album already included several ballads.[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".
"Ex-Girlfriend" is a rock song composed in the key of E minor. It is written in common time and moves at a fast tempo of 168 beats per minute. Stefani's vocal range in the song covers nearly an octave and a half, from G3 to C5.[2] It features flamenco guitar riffs and influence from New Wave and hip hop.[1]
The song's music video, which was directed by Hype Williams, was partially based on the highly controversial anime Kite. 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 storyline is cut with scenes of the band playing on a stage. No Doubt's guitarist Tom Dumont initially played the part of a police officer but was cut from the final version of the "Ex-Girlfriend" video. He enacts the role in MTV's Making the Video.
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Ex-Girlfriend".
UK CD1
UK CD2
Netherlands/UK/Australia
Netherlands/UK 2-track
"Ex-Girlfriend" failed to enter the U.S. Hot 100 chart and spent only one week on the Canadian Singles Chart, on which 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[3] | 15 |
| German Singles Chart | 34 |
| Swedish Top 60[4] | 18 |
| Swiss Top 100[5] | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[6] | 2 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 11 |
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Gold[7] | 35,000+ |
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