C'mon Billy
| "C'mon Billy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by PJ Harvey | ||||
| from the album To Bring You My Love | ||||
| B-side | "Darling Be There" / "Maniac" / "One Time Too Many" | |||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Format | CD, vinyl | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) | PJ Harvey | |||
| Producer(s) | Flood, John Parish, PJ Harvey | |||
| PJ Harvey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternate cover | ||||
 | ||||
C'mon Billy was the second single released on PJ Harvey's 1995 album To Bring You My Love. The track features a woman begging for 'Billy' to come home and meet his son.[1] Her singing style is described as "frantic purrs" and has an accompanying string section which is similar to songs from previous albums. The song is credited as being a clear example of Harvey's sound change; critics have stated that the song was possibly a "glimpse of the Blues Explosion and Portishead."[2][3] The song peaked at #29 on the UK Charts and had moderate airplay in the UK.[4]
Music video
The accompanying music video to the song shows PJ Harvey in a saloon setting described by one author as "surreal".[5] While there, she attempts to seduce a man implied to be Billy. The video then shows imaginary home movies of Harvey, Billy, and a baby boy playing together in a park. A Chicago Tribune critic referred to Harvey in the video as a "sadomasochistic dominatrix in blood-red dress." Although the video impressed VH1 executives, they refused to play on their channel because the video was seen as scary and off-putting.[6][7]
Track list
- "C'mon Billy" – 2:52
- "Darling Be There" – 3:46
- "Maniac" – 4:01
- "One Time Too Many" – 2:51[8]
Chart positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[9] | 128 |
| UK Singles Chart[4] | 29 |
References
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (November 2, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition (4 ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743201698. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ Santangelo, Antonio (July 3, 2003). "CMJ Silver Salute" (821). CMJ: 5. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ Aswad, Jem (April 1995). "PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love Island". CMJ: 12. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- 1 2 "Pj Harvey". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ Michigan Sociological Association (1999). "Michigan Sociological Review, Volumes 13-15". 13-15. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (December 18, 2000). "'My Music Has Not Been Easy Listening: That Stops People'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ "PJ Harvey - C'mon Billy". Artistdirect. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ "PJ Harvey – C'Mon Billy". Discogs. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 15 July 2015". imgur.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
