| "In a Big Country" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Big Country | ||||
| from the album The Crossing | ||||
| Released | May 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982-1983 | |||
| Genre | New Wave, post-punk, celtic rock | |||
| Length | 4:44 (Album version) 3:56 (Single edit) |
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| Label | Mercury | |||
| Writer(s) | Stuart Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, Bruce Watson | |||
| Producer | Steve Lillywhite | |||
| Big Country singles chronology | ||||
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"In a Big Country" is a song by rock band Big Country from their 1983 debut studio album The Crossing. The song peaked at #3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents |
The music video for the song follows the four band members as they track down an unspecified treasure, while constantly being pursued and bested by a woman who appears to be a rival treasure-hunter.
The first half of the video follows the band as they ride through lush green fields on sports three wheelers and a motorbike while the woman watches them through binoculars. The group soon locates a black box emblazoned with the band's logo and a map. What is inside the box is never shown. The opening scenes are filmed at the then-derelict Corfe Castle railway station including the 'down' platform shelter and show the ruins of Corfe Castle in the background. The station is now part of the restored Swanage Railway.
The woman lures them to her by starting a fire in a barn, the smoke drawing the band members' attention. She (unintentionally and comically) defeats all four with a single punch. They then consult their map and head off again.
The second half of the video takes place at sea in Swanage Bay. The band head towards Swanage Pier where they don wet suits and scuba gear and set out on a motorized inflatable raft. The woman, who has followed them, overtakes them on a jet ski. The band reach their destination at sea, but have apparently no luck in locating the treasure after attempting some underwater diving (however, since nobody in the band was actually scuba certified, this meant having to stay on the surface).
The video concludes with the woman trapped on a small island surrounded by a cliff with a rescue fire burning. The band appears overhead and lead singer Stuart Adamson tosses a rope down the cliff edge. He and drummer Mark descend. Stuart and the woman embrace (perhaps revealing they knew each other and had an ongoing relationship/rivalry) while Mark discovers the black box floating amongst the seaweed in the inlet.
Interspersed throughout the video, in between the action, the band is shown in flannel shirts and blazers performing the song onstage. The video ends on this note, with Stuart dancing and the rest of the band playing. The video itself appears to have little to do with the actual lyrics and meaning of the song.
The band is often described as a "one-hit wonder" for the popularity of "In a Big Country" in the United States, though they continued to have success in Europe and were a prolific touring band famous for their live shows more than their studio albums. Frontman Stuart Adamson once remarked about the song in an interview, part of which was shown on a VH1 special celebrating "one-hit-wonders" that,
| “ | If we're known for nothing more than just that one song, I'd be pretty happy with that. | ” |
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 3 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 34[1] |
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 17[2] |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
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