The Verve

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About Bitter Sweet Symphony

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by English alternative rock band the Verve. It is the lead track on their third studio album, Urban Hymns (1997). It is based on a sample it uses from the Andrew Loog Oldham orchestral cover of the Rolling Stones' song "The Last Time", and involved some legal controversy surrounding a plagiarism charge. As a result, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were added to the songwriting credits, and all royalties from the song went to former Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein. In April 2019, Jagger and Richards signed over all their publishing for the song to The Verve. The song was released in the UK in June 1997 by Hut Recordings as the first single from the album, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and stayed in the chart for three months. Acclaimed in music publications, it was named Rolling Stone and NME Single of the Year for 1997, and is considered one of the defining songs of the Britpop era. The accompanying music video features lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft walking down a busy London pavement – in Hoxton Street, Hoxton – oblivious to what is going on around and refusing to change his stride or direction throughout. At the 1998 Brit Awards, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was nominated for Best British Single. The song was released in the US as a single in March 1998 by Virgin Records America, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the music video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Group Video, and Best Alternative Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. In 1999, the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.more »

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'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, that's lifeTryna make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you dieI'll take you down the only road I've ever been downYou know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeahNo change, I can changeI can change, I can changeBut I'm here in my moldI am here in my moldBut I'm a million different people From one day to the nextI can't change my moldNo, no, no, no, no(Have you ever been down?)Well, I've never prayed but tonight I'm on my knees, yeahI need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeahI let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free nowBut the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singin' to me nowNo change, I can changeI can change, I can changeBut I'm here in my moldI am here in my moldAnd I'm a million different peopleFrom one day to the nextI can't change my moldNo, no, no, no, no(Have you ever been down?)I can't change, oh, noI can't change, oh'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, that's lifeTryna make ends meet, tryna find somebody then you dieI'll take you down the only road I've ever been downYou know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeahYou know I can change, I can changeI can change, I can changeBut I'm here in my moldI am here in my moldAnd I'm a million different peopleFrom one day to the nextI can't change my moldNo, no, no, no, noI can't change my moldNo, no, no, no, no,I can't change my mold, no, no, no, noIt's just sex and violence, melody and silenceIt's just sex and violence, melody and silenceI'll take you down the only road I've ever been downI'll take you down the only road I've ever been downBeen downEver been downEver been downEver been downEver been downHave you ever been down?Have you ever been down?Have you ever been down?

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The Verve

The Verve were an English alternative rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. The guitarist and keyboard player Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space rock, by the mid-1990s the band had released several EPs and three albums. It also endured name and line-up changes, break-ups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits. Filter referred to them as "one of the tightest knit, yet ultimately volatile bands in history". The band's commercial breakthrough was the 1997 album Urban Hymns, one of the best-selling albums in UK Chart history, and the single "Bitter Sweet Symphony", which became … more »

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Sheet Music PDF Playlist

Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Richard Ashcroft

Lyrics © Abkco Music Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

12 facts about this song

Record Release

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" was released on June 16, 1997, as the lead single for the band's third studio album, "Urban Hymns".

Inspiration

The song was inspired by an orchestral version of The Rolling Stones' track "The Last Time", performed by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra.

Authorship Dispute

For many years, The Verve wasn't credited with writing the song due to a lawsuit over sampling the aforementioned orchestral track.

Claim to Fame

Despite its contentious history, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is The Verve's most successful song and is often considered one of the greatest tracks of the 90s and of British music history.

Chart Success

The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the chart for three months. In the United States, the song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Award Nominations

The track earned nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1999 Grammy Awards.

Music Video

The video for the song, featuring frontman Richard Ashcroft walking down a busy London street oblivious to his surroundings, is iconic in its own right.

Resolution of Dispute

As of 2019, thanks to the negotiation efforts of Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, all future royalties from "Bitter Sweet Symphony" will go to The Verve.

Cultural Impact

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" has been widely used in popular culture, including in commercials, movie trailers, and television shows. Notably, it featured heavily in the film "Cruel Intentions".

Cover Versions

Countless artists have performed covers or offered remixes of "Bitter Sweet Symphony." Noteworthy among these are renditions by American musician Jason Mraz and English rock band London Grammar.

Reunion Concert

During The Verve's reunion concert at Coachella in 2008, the band performed "Bitter Sweet Symphony" as the closer, emphasising the song's enduring popularity.

Usage in Sports

The song is also dedicatedly used within sports, becoming an unofficial anthem for English football team, Stoke City FC.

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