I love this song and it's very deep. Even the video has meaning. His walk is a representation of the path of life, the people he encounters are the people and events that we encounter through our lives. The guy with the fridge on a dolly is like a big life altering event that was narrowly avoided. The people he bumped into are the little speed bumps that help shape our lives. The girl in the car is a bad relationship, the car is the large event that he was able to cross and move on from but she didn't move on as easily and followed representing how a love can effect your life long term even after it's ended. The lady he knocked down was like an encounter where he hurt someone else's life in some way and he was recognizing that but still life continues without looking back. The girl that checked him out was like a perfect fling that came and went and left only a fond memory. The car that actually made him pause was a major life event that held him in place for a while, maybe good maybe bad but significant enough to make his life take pause and him looking at his reflection in it's window's was representing him taking that moment of pause to reflect on himself a bit but in the end it too did pass and life continued as always. At the end when the other four followed with him is like the people in your life who are there for the long haul whoever they may be they stick with you till the end while still living their lives respectively.
@@jco207 It might have been, I'm not sure. This was my interpretation and while I feel like it was intentionally done I'm not certain if this was their original meaning behind the song or video.
@@Levi_Amongst_the_Watchers I think you got it right. The idea of a video based on a person walking was inspired by Massive Attack, but I think they added the layers you described on top of that.
Richard Ashcroft is an absolute talent, lyrical master. The Verve are most certainly not a one hit wonder! The atmosphere in the crowd when The Verve perform on stage is insane and amazing to be part of.
HOW has no one mentioned "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack?? The video here is a direct homage to the video for "Unfinished Sympathy." Plus, Massive Attack might be the best British band to come out of the 1990s, apart from Radiohead and maybe Portishead.
Massive Attack's first 3 albums are classics but no way are they the best British band of the '90s! The 1990s was a hotbed of innovation. You sound like you're like you're stuck in Bristol buddy!
They have always produced an equal number of great bands as the US, and for a country that’s much smaller than us it’s extremely impressive. Between 1965 and 1995 both countries produced probably 95+% of the greatest music of all-time.
@@OCRay1'Equal number of great bands as the US' Only a US American could come out with such a deluded comment. Dream on, as if the US gets anywhere even close to the UK with the best bands of all time 😂
@@faithpearlgenied-a5517 Overall, absolutely. I’ll concede though that the Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin are pretty much untouchable. Even though they were inspired and driven by US acts. Look at the overall lists of bands again between ‘65-‘95. LOOK HARDER!!!
Ocean Colour Scene - I would highly recommend checking this British band out, if you haven't already. My favourite is "Hundred Mile High City", but their biggest hits are probably "The Riverboat Song" and "The Day We Caught The Train". Saw them in concert some time before COVID hit, they were still fantastic all these years later.
The lady who got out the car and gave him what for, was actually his wife. It's a great and iconic video and a brilliantly written and performed track. 🙋♂
@@jeffstevens4262 It's actually quite easy to work out. His wife is Kate Radley. They've been married since 1995. She looks totally different to the woman in the music video. It might be an actress called Kelly MacDonald (SP), but it's a little uncertain.
Life is bittersweet for many people. Bumping into people likely represents obstacles that you need to overcome/power past in order to succeed. The violins riff is iconic, so easily recognizable. An instant classic.
The word is: masterpiece! And an absolutely iconic video. The strings were actually sampled from a Rolling Stones song which is why The Verve didn't get royalties from it until recently. Their other hits are Lucky Man, Sonnet, The drugs don't work. Great band! 👍
There are plenty of quality 1990s UK bands that never broke America but were still huge in the UK... Stone Roses / Inspiral Carpets / The Levellers / New Model Army / Happy Mondays / The Wonderstuff
You've most likely heard "The Drugs Don't Work", very emotional ballad. And there is "Lucky Man", which you prob not heard. Also an awesome track. Another fave of mine is "Sonnet"
Watching your reactions to these British songs I know so well is priceless, and helps me hear it with the freshness of your youth. Thanks guys! You need a nice fat zoot to go with your reactions.
Goosebumps on top of goosebumps. I kinda hope that isn’t fatal. Then again, it is some badass theme music/walkout tunes!! Thank you for the walk down memory lane, sincerely!! I’m so glad you guys chose to do it! ! As always, thanks for supplying joy to this ragtag fubar world Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world!!!
I've never ACTUALLY analyzed the video, but watching it now as an adult, I feel like I've found some sort of meaning in it. It's a bittersweet symphony, this life. The very first moments of the video, he's standing still waiting for his moment. He steps forward without looking (like The Fool card in the basic tarot) and narrowly misses getting clipped by a car. But then he goes forward, some people he misses, some people he bumps into, some people see him and bump into him also. It's kind of a metaphor for the bittersweet human experience of "some people you don't see coming into your life, but they have a huge impact", & "Some people come into our lives gently and then pass us by", or even "We sometimes don't realize how our actions impact others." Every *interaction* he makes in the video is a representation of different kind of relationships we ALL find ourselves having throughout our lives. Sometimes we hurt people, sometimes people hurt us, some people we don't bother even getting near. We can all watch the video and think he's a dick hahahha, but realistically, we're all the villain in someone else's life story. Even the best of us have done bad things, intentionally or otherwise, that led to lessons being learned. The real life version of character development, a 'character arc' that we all go through as humans with a complicated psychological process. Again, I never really paid attention to the video, but it actually is fascinating to break apart into pieces.
The end image of the band walking together was notable as this was their first single after reforming, having split a couple of years earlier. They split again after this album, then reformed a few years later to headline Glastonbury, released another album, and split again. Freddie Mercury was originally from Zanzibar, which is now part of Tanzania, and had Indian parents.
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 - 24 November 1991)[2] was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Born in 1946 in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents, Mercury attended English-style boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school. In 1964, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution, moving to Middlesex, London.
The verve had a few big hits... The biggest were 'drugs don't work' and 'lucky man' definitely worth checking them out. The 70s saw the British punk scene invade America and also David Bowie broke through In the seventies and black Sabath. In the 90s ot was mostly Oasis and Radiohead that broke America although quite a few groups like Blur and the Verve got a few hits in America. Now, it seems to be the grime scene that's starting to make waves in America. Music in Britain is much more diverse and experimental than music in America, there's not so much money involved in British music and because of that British groups have more power and flexibility with their music. Now this is a generalization as there's a lot of groups and artists in America who break the mold but in a Britain there is just more variety and less monetary pressure to perform a specific style. Can I offer you a little advice if you want to target the British audience.... Start a Brit pop reaction day. Seriously you will get major respect if you did that and probably a big boost in subscribers too. I'm sure there are many brits who are fans of yours who can give you good groups to react too. If you want I can compile a huge list for you and you can put it to the trash talkers to see which ones are voted the top to react to, I will also give you some hidden gems that many won't think to suggest. I was a teen in the late 80s amd most of the 90s so thats my era, I'm also a huge music fan and musician with an extremely varied musical taste. Just give me the go ahead and I'll compile that list for you. Ps Ren does his own version of bittersweet symphony and it's fire. Oh just for giggles check this youtube video out as your both fans of Ren. Its not Ren but it made me smile and it's nuts, totally off the wall. Don't react to it as I'm not sure if it will go down well but watch it on your own time. I found it very refreshing and highly humorous. ua-cam.com/video/gF9iKy_5tSM/v-deo.html
One of my fav bands of the 90's - Ren's cover of this is pretty cool - The guy from the Verve loved it so much he sent Ren a guitar - There's a video of Ren receiving it ❤
Loove this song , and love U doing the " older stuff " ! Plz do " Drugs Dont Work " by the Verve , just as beautiful / deep , as this one , Richard has such an comforting , smooth , and amazing voice ! Tyvm for reacting to this . Btw deff not a one hit wonder ! Awesome trip down memory lane
It's funny. I went to a show in Atlanta around this time and it turned out to be Verve Pipe (we were merely freshmen) and Collective Soul concert. I was hoping to see these guys! LOL.
You guys caught the same groove I feel whenever I listen to it. "That's iconic", gave me chills because that's perfect. I watched an entry March at a high school grad dance to this song in '98. I still have memories of all that. Damn, I thought I was witnessing the coolest thing ever at a grad.
I couldn't make it to live but these guys didn't get paid for this song for A very long time the beat came from an orchestral version of a rolling stone song
The Verve sampled this from The Rolling Stones, it became a big hit and the Stones claimed copyright and took all of their money. A couple of years ago they gave the money back to the Verve, because duh, it’s iconic.
No. The stones manager claimed royalties after the Verve had already asked for, and received, permission from their record label. Richard Ashcroft thought they had permission until that manager got involved. Mind you he also screwed over George Harrison and the Stones as well. Interestingly, or not, the Stones song itself very heavily sampled a much older song.
The walk represents him going through life. He pushes some attractive women out of the way, ignores other people, brushes against others who are indifferent to him, some see him/ feel him but ignore him, others turn and take a look. He pushes one woman to the ground and injures her - like they were in a relationship. Then he walks over the top of a woman's car and she fights him, but she eventually gives up on him. Then the woman rushes by but doesn't acknowledge him or give him the time of day. It's deep meaning
Good stuff! Despite "marketing/video flow" BS, you guys went on for almost 8 minutes before the song I came for started...and I was entertained the whole time! You guys are hilarious and Smokey knows his music.
British invasion in the 60s: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Yardbirds, to name a few... 70s: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Genesis... 80s: too many to mention....
When 99x was hinting at coming back, the radio station played this song on repeat for days. We accidentally stumbled upon it one day and thought we had lost our minds lol
Muse came along a little too late to be grouped with The Verve, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, etc. The Verve are from Wigan which is the town next to me and there's a former strip club with a bunch of bands from Greater Manchester painted on the front like The Verve, Oasis, the buzzcocks and the charlatans. They're not a one hit wonder, Drugs don't work and lucky man are great songs too. This video gives me such nostalgia growing up in the North West of England in the 90s, the streets looked just like that and every guy looked and dressed like that... until the green parkas came along.
Yeah, he’s talking about life in the big city but in the bigger picture, he’s talking about life in general. It’s a bitter Sweet Symphony for all of us, and we’re stuck in our modes and most of us just work until we die and that’s it. He’s trying to get out of that mode. That there’s more to life than that but most of us are stuck. That’s how I interpret it. 💗💗
The early 80's had a British invasion because when MTV started there weren't many American groups with music videos............but the UK already did, so they played a lot of British songs due to that
First comment beat me to it. Maybe the filming of this video was influential to Sam and Ren? Wonder if they ever saw the Beastie Boys rolling live down the street and coming to a stage on the Letterman Show. That's Iconic!
I think I was in like 3rd grade or something when i first heard the graduation song and it hit in a different kind of way. That was the first time I felt that kind of nostalgic sad separation sort of feeling that you might feel at a graduation. lowkey mastapiece
You guys need to check out the video that this song is based on "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack. Regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time and at the time one of the best music videos. Massive Attack is a band you should look at closely they are amazing and sit with great bands like Tool and Radiohead from the nineties.
Freddy Mercury was from Zanzibar, Tanzania, not the UK. what did I win? The 70'/80's had the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen, Hawkwind, Budgie, Bad Company, Status Quo, Nazareth, Motorhead...
My take away is, the million different people line is, he’s basically saying he’s gotta be someone different for each person he meets, in attempt to try to please everyone and keep everyone happy, but the bittersweet was of it all is, while trying to make everyone else happy, he forgets to make himself happy, and instead he’s just numb, and going through life on auto pilot or whatever.
If you want to hear the verve at their best, listen to - slide away,this is music or blue. They were the first band I ever saw live, supporting the smashing pumpkins in 1993,in Leeds. Best gig ever. 🤘🎸
They closed the movie "CRUEL INTENTIONS" with this song 🎵, great movie, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, acted so well, I haven't been able to STAND her, ever since!
A few little facts about this song and video, This song had a dubious copyright strike against it due to the strings used at the start. It is one of the musical travesties of recent years that the band lost the case and never got anything from the sale and royalty plays of this track up until this day. The woman who gets in his face after jumping on the car was his girlfriend at the time.
Have you done “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life”? “Kryptonite”? Any Sugar Ray? “Mr. Brightside”? MUST do My Morning Jacket. Google any video of a live performance. “I Will Sing You Songs,” “One Big Holiday,” “Dondante,” “Touch Me,” “the Bear” . . . And about two dozen more.
here Richard appears being rude to people while walking down the streets... years later he did the opposite in a video for his song 'Music Is Power' being kind and polite to people who crossed his path...I love this man...
I think the video is about life in general. The busy high street he is walking down is equitant to walking your own path in life. Don't let other people get in your face or their opinions effect you. You only have one journey...LIFE. Don't let anyone de-rail you.
Urban Hymns was a class album and while it's understandable to react to The Drugs don't work/Sonnet/Luck Man i'd like to give a shout to Velvet Morning, Catching the Butterfly, Space and Time, Weeping Willow, The Rolling People and Come On (i remember some looked down on those last two songs but i really enjoyed the cocky, aggressive swagger of those ones as much as the perhaps more tuneful, and technical artistry of the others i listed). Regardless, hope you do more from this album, i don't think there is a bad song there and it is a total classic album of the time - i remember singing the songs from it in the car with friends, while waiting for food at a youth camp, probably other places too - everyone knew the words to the singles, and a lot to the other tracks too.
Here are some British Invasion bands from different decades: 60s: Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, Small Faces, The Kinks, The Yardbirds 70s: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Procol Harum, The Moody Blues, Genesis, Queen 80s: Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tears for Fears, The Human League, The Cure 90s: Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Pulp, The Verve, Keane, Starsailor, Travis, Supergrass Bitter Sweet Symphony was The Verve's only hit in the US, here in Europe they had more hits: Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work (#1 in the UK) or Lucky Man are highly recommended as well.
It always makes me laugh when americans define oasis with wonderwall and champagne supernova like that was it lol, oasis were the biggest band of the 90's in most of the western world, japan and even south america were crazy for them at the time, the energy of a live oasis gig at that time was incredible, even now liam and noel are killing it with their solo careers!
One of the best songs ever written. Lots of history behind this song. Because he took a small sample from The Rolling Stones, they prevented him from ever making money on this song and took the rights. Only in the last couple years did mick release the song and give it back to Ashcroft
I love this song and it's very deep. Even the video has meaning. His walk is a representation of the path of life, the people he encounters are the people and events that we encounter through our lives. The guy with the fridge on a dolly is like a big life altering event that was narrowly avoided. The people he bumped into are the little speed bumps that help shape our lives. The girl in the car is a bad relationship, the car is the large event that he was able to cross and move on from but she didn't move on as easily and followed representing how a love can effect your life long term even after it's ended. The lady he knocked down was like an encounter where he hurt someone else's life in some way and he was recognizing that but still life continues without looking back. The girl that checked him out was like a perfect fling that came and went and left only a fond memory. The car that actually made him pause was a major life event that held him in place for a while, maybe good maybe bad but significant enough to make his life take pause and him looking at his reflection in it's window's was representing him taking that moment of pause to reflect on himself a bit but in the end it too did pass and life continued as always. At the end when the other four followed with him is like the people in your life who are there for the long haul whoever they may be they stick with you till the end while still living their lives respectively.
Wow, I have a new appreciation for the video now. I also heard the concept was inspired by "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack.
@@jco207 It might have been, I'm not sure. This was my interpretation and while I feel like it was intentionally done I'm not certain if this was their original meaning behind the song or video.
@@Levi_Amongst_the_Watchers I think you got it right. The idea of a video based on a person walking was inspired by Massive Attack, but I think they added the layers you described on top of that.
@ASaaaxxx You're welcome and thank you as well.
Thank you for this friend
The Verves Richard Ashcroft was and is a master songwriter and his song 'drugs don't work' was a big hit,but a very deep and moving song too👍🇬🇧
Absolutely a great song
Richard Ashcroft is an absolute talent, lyrical master. The Verve are most certainly not a one hit wonder! The atmosphere in the crowd when The Verve perform on stage is insane and amazing to be part of.
Love you
HOW has no one mentioned "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack?? The video here is a direct homage to the video for "Unfinished Sympathy." Plus, Massive Attack might be the best British band to come out of the 1990s, apart from Radiohead and maybe Portishead.
What about "Angel" by Massive Attack. ❤
And Teardrop 👌
@@craigevans8912 Yesss!!
I explained it to them in the live chat so you never know they may do Massive attack.
Massive Attack's first 3 albums are classics but no way are they the best British band of the '90s! The 1990s was a hotbed of innovation. You sound like you're like you're stuck in Bristol buddy!
You have to admit, British bands keep on smashing it out of the park with absolute classics…❤
They have always produced an equal number of great bands as the US, and for a country that’s much smaller than us it’s extremely impressive.
Between 1965 and 1995 both countries produced probably 95+% of the greatest music of all-time.
@@OCRay1'Equal number of great bands as the US' Only a US American could come out with such a deluded comment. Dream on, as if the US gets anywhere even close to the UK with the best bands of all time 😂
@@faithpearlgenied-a5517
Overall, absolutely. I’ll concede though that the Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin are pretty much untouchable. Even though they were inspired and driven by US acts.
Look at the overall lists of bands again between ‘65-‘95.
LOOK HARDER!!!
As an American I do agree. The British labels look for originality while American labels play it safe. But we still have some great bands here.
So many great songs in the 90s, and this is one of them. Man this song brings back so many memories.
Ocean Colour Scene - I would highly recommend checking this British band out, if you haven't already. My favourite is "Hundred Mile High City", but their biggest hits are probably "The Riverboat Song" and "The Day We Caught The Train". Saw them in concert some time before COVID hit, they were still fantastic all these years later.
Love them, and I agree about Hundred Mile City, great song
The lady who got out the car and gave him what for, was actually his wife. It's a great and iconic video and a brilliantly written and performed track. 🙋♂
That's a common myth. It's not true.
@@_starfiend OK, so how do you know?
@@jeffstevens4262 It's actually quite easy to work out. His wife is Kate Radley. They've been married since 1995. She looks totally different to the woman in the music video. It might be an actress called Kelly MacDonald (SP), but it's a little uncertain.
@@_starfiend Cheers.
Drugs don't work is a must listen, very emotional, powerful song.
Maybe Amy Winehouze and Whitney Houston should have listened to it first.
Plus the casisdead version is great
Life is bittersweet for many people. Bumping into people likely represents obstacles that you need to overcome/power past in order to succeed. The violins riff is iconic, so easily recognizable. An instant classic.
The word is: masterpiece! And an absolutely iconic video. The strings were actually sampled from a Rolling Stones song which is why The Verve didn't get royalties from it until recently. Their other hits are Lucky Man, Sonnet, The drugs don't work. Great band! 👍
Sampled from Andrew Oldham Orchestra's lp of the Rolling Stone's song "The Last Time".
Two song from that era that still make pubs explode today.: Pulp - Common people, Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
One of best song I ever heard
This song is just like an entire vibe!
There are plenty of quality 1990s UK bands that never broke America but were still huge in the UK...
Stone Roses / Inspiral Carpets / The Levellers / New Model Army / Happy Mondays / The Wonderstuff
You've most likely heard "The Drugs Don't Work", very emotional ballad. And there is "Lucky Man", which you prob not heard. Also an awesome track. Another fave of mine is "Sonnet"
Such a beautiful song
Watching your reactions to these British songs I know so well is priceless, and helps me hear it with the freshness of your youth. Thanks guys! You need a nice fat zoot to go with your reactions.
Very good 90s hit. Loved it. And it was used in the movie Cruel Intentions too, which was good.
Lucky Man was another good hit from them.
Goosebumps on top of goosebumps. I kinda hope that isn’t fatal. Then again, it is some badass theme music/walkout tunes!!
Thank you for the walk down memory lane, sincerely!! I’m so glad you guys chose to do it! !
As always, thanks for supplying joy to this ragtag fubar world
Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world!!!
I've never ACTUALLY analyzed the video, but watching it now as an adult, I feel like I've found some sort of meaning in it.
It's a bittersweet symphony, this life.
The very first moments of the video, he's standing still waiting for his moment.
He steps forward without looking (like The Fool card in the basic tarot) and narrowly misses getting clipped by a car.
But then he goes forward, some people he misses, some people he bumps into, some people see him and bump into him also.
It's kind of a metaphor for the bittersweet human experience of "some people you don't see coming into your life, but they have a huge impact", & "Some people come into our lives gently and then pass us by", or even "We sometimes don't realize how our actions impact others."
Every *interaction* he makes in the video is a representation of different kind of relationships we ALL find ourselves having throughout our lives. Sometimes we hurt people, sometimes people hurt us, some people we don't bother even getting near.
We can all watch the video and think he's a dick hahahha, but realistically, we're all the villain in someone else's life story. Even the best of us have done bad things, intentionally or otherwise, that led to lessons being learned. The real life version of character development, a 'character arc' that we all go through as humans with a complicated psychological process.
Again, I never really paid attention to the video, but it actually is fascinating to break apart into pieces.
First time I heard this was in the movie cruel intentions at the end of the movie..classic
Me too, just like the first time I heard The Pixies' Where is My Mind (another favorite of mine).
The meaning of this song always give me goosebumps
The end image of the band walking together was notable as this was their first single after reforming, having split a couple of years earlier. They split again after this album, then reformed a few years later to headline Glastonbury, released another album, and split again.
Freddie Mercury was originally from Zanzibar, which is now part of Tanzania, and had Indian parents.
Sampled from the Stones 'This will be the last time.'
There was a symphony version of the Stones song between The Stones and Verve.
I love this song❤❤❤
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 - 24 November 1991)[2] was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Born in 1946 in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents, Mercury attended English-style boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school. In 1964, his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution, moving to Middlesex, London.
Definitely check out “The Drugs Don’t Work” or “Lucky Man”
Omg the goat sweeping 😂😂❤
The video does match because the song is about how obstacles in life get in our way 😊
Watching the video takes me back to my teens watching MTV on the school holidays
Such a happy blast from the past watching this!! 🇬🇧 😊
The verve had a few big hits...
The biggest were 'drugs don't work' and 'lucky man' definitely worth checking them out.
The 70s saw the British punk scene invade America and also David Bowie broke through In the seventies and black Sabath.
In the 90s ot was mostly Oasis and Radiohead that broke America although quite a few groups like Blur and the Verve got a few hits in America.
Now, it seems to be the grime scene that's starting to make waves in America.
Music in Britain is much more diverse and experimental than music in America, there's not so much money involved in British music and because of that British groups have more power and flexibility with their music. Now this is a generalization as there's a lot of groups and artists in America who break the mold but in a Britain there is just more variety and less monetary pressure to perform a specific style.
Can I offer you a little advice if you want to target the British audience....
Start a Brit pop reaction day.
Seriously you will get major respect if you did that and probably a big boost in subscribers too.
I'm sure there are many brits who are fans of yours who can give you good groups to react too.
If you want I can compile a huge list for you and you can put it to the trash talkers to see which ones are voted the top to react to, I will also give you some hidden gems that many won't think to suggest.
I was a teen in the late 80s amd most of the 90s so thats my era, I'm also a huge music fan and musician with an extremely varied musical taste.
Just give me the go ahead and I'll compile that list for you.
Ps Ren does his own version of bittersweet symphony and it's fire.
Oh just for giggles check this youtube video out as your both fans of Ren. Its not Ren but it made me smile and it's nuts, totally off the wall.
Don't react to it as I'm not sure if it will go down well but watch it on your own time. I found it very refreshing and highly humorous.
ua-cam.com/video/gF9iKy_5tSM/v-deo.html
'Sonnet' was the other good one off this album.
(I quite liked 'History' off their previous album too.)
Great song, fun video.
The string section was lifted from a Rolling Stones track, the video 'borrows heavily' from Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy.
THIS SONG WAS THE SOUNDTRACK OF A MOVIE WITH REESE WHITERSPOON AND SELMA BLAIR... GREETINGS FROM VENEZUELA
Lucky Man of them, love it
One of my fav bands of the 90's - Ren's cover of this is pretty cool - The guy from the Verve loved it so much he sent Ren a guitar - There's a video of Ren receiving it ❤
Loove this song , and love U doing the " older stuff " ! Plz do " Drugs Dont Work " by the Verve , just as beautiful / deep , as this one , Richard has such an comforting , smooth , and amazing voice ! Tyvm for reacting to this . Btw deff not a one hit wonder ! Awesome trip down memory lane
I love how you guys can read each other's minds.
This was an epic album and you should do some more songs from it.
It's funny. I went to a show in Atlanta around this time and it turned out to be Verve Pipe (we were merely freshmen) and Collective Soul concert. I was hoping to see these guys! LOL.
You guys caught the same groove I feel whenever I listen to it. "That's iconic", gave me chills because that's perfect.
I watched an entry March at a high school grad dance to this song in '98. I still have memories of all that. Damn, I thought I was witnessing the coolest thing ever at a grad.
I couldn't make it to live but these guys didn't get paid for this song for A very long time the beat came from an orchestral version of a rolling stone song
I loved being a 90s teen 🤩
Ren does a great retake of this (hint hint 😏)
Wondering if this is why they're doing this one in the first place to have context for it 🤔
@@Apollo.Risingall day!!! Watched so many ren reactions,thought they went there,🤦
I wondered if this was a hint also! 🤔😀
They did🤣🤣🤣
Tomorrow?
Drugs don’t work is my favourite song of theirs.
The Verve sampled this from The Rolling Stones, it became a big hit and the Stones claimed copyright and took all of their money. A couple of years ago they gave the money back to the Verve, because duh, it’s iconic.
No. The stones manager claimed royalties after the Verve had already asked for, and received, permission from their record label. Richard Ashcroft thought they had permission until that manager got involved. Mind you he also screwed over George Harrison and the Stones as well. Interestingly, or not, the Stones song itself very heavily sampled a much older song.
The walk represents him going through life. He pushes some attractive women out of the way, ignores other people, brushes against others who are indifferent to him, some see him/ feel him but ignore him, others turn and take a look. He pushes one woman to the ground and injures her - like they were in a relationship. Then he walks over the top of a woman's car and she fights him, but she eventually gives up on him. Then the woman rushes by but doesn't acknowledge him or give him the time of day. It's deep meaning
My mother, who's in her eighties, absolutely loves this video!
She watches it all the time 😆
This song presented itself at the end of the 90s movie Cruel Intentions fyi and I've loved it ever since. Thanks guys 👍👍
Good stuff! Despite "marketing/video flow" BS, you guys went on for almost 8 minutes before the song I came for started...and I was entertained the whole time! You guys are hilarious and Smokey knows his music.
British invasion in the 60s: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Yardbirds, to name a few... 70s: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Genesis... 80s: too many to mention....
Bowie: 70's, 80's, 90's. :D
When 99x was hinting at coming back, the radio station played this song on repeat for days. We accidentally stumbled upon it one day and thought we had lost our minds lol
Morning fellas! I was looking forward to watching this one! I love this song! Idk why I just always have. Maybe it's the violin..idk. lol. ❤️🤓
Muse came along a little too late to be grouped with The Verve, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, etc.
The Verve are from Wigan which is the town next to me and there's a former strip club with a bunch of bands from Greater Manchester painted on the front like The Verve, Oasis, the buzzcocks and the charlatans.
They're not a one hit wonder, Drugs don't work and lucky man are great songs too.
This video gives me such nostalgia growing up in the North West of England in the 90s, the streets looked just like that and every guy looked and dressed like that... until the green parkas came along.
This was my ringtone back in the day
Yeah, he’s talking about life in the big city but in the bigger picture, he’s talking about life in general. It’s a bitter Sweet Symphony for all of us, and we’re stuck in our modes and most of us just work until we die and that’s it. He’s trying to get out of that mode. That there’s more to life than that but most of us are stuck. That’s how I interpret it. 💗💗
Yall need to do "Found Out About You" by the Gin Blossoms and "You" by Candlebox. Two of the most definitive songs/bands of the '90s
The Verve was not a one hit wonder but they were short lived. Richard Ashcroft (singer) did some great solo work after they broke up.
I had to walk the length of Princes Street, Edinburgh each day and it was packed. The trick was to look up. Everyone moved out of the way.
it took me decades to realize that he wasn't talking about his mole. you know, some deep metaphorical shit with his mole in the mix.
The early 80's had a British invasion because when MTV started there weren't many American groups with music videos............but the UK already did, so they played a lot of British songs due to that
First comment beat me to it. Maybe the filming of this video was influential to Sam and Ren? Wonder if they ever saw the Beastie Boys rolling live down the street and coming to a stage on the Letterman Show. That's Iconic!
I think I was in like 3rd grade or something when i first heard the graduation song and it hit in a different kind of way. That was the first time I felt that kind of nostalgic sad separation sort of feeling that you might feel at a graduation. lowkey mastapiece
When you're stuck in a contract, 'I can't change my phone...'
You guys need to check out the video that this song is based on "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack. Regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time and at the time one of the best music videos. Massive Attack is a band you should look at closely they are amazing and sit with great bands like Tool and Radiohead from the nineties.
Ah! Classic 90s.Great reaction 😊
Smokey hitting that brittish accent was funny as fuck. 😂😂
Iconic music video (filmed on Hoxton Street, North London).
Freddy Mercury was from Zanzibar, Tanzania, not the UK. what did I win?
The 70'/80's had the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Queen, Hawkwind, Budgie, Bad Company, Status Quo, Nazareth, Motorhead...
Lmfao, add this to the movie Beverly Hills cop. Eddie Murphy hey hey hey! Talk to the hand 🤣
My take away is, the million different people line is, he’s basically saying he’s gotta be someone different for each person he meets, in attempt to try to please everyone and keep everyone happy, but the bittersweet was of it all is, while trying to make everyone else happy, he forgets to make himself happy, and instead he’s just numb, and going through life on auto pilot or whatever.
This is quality 👌
This is one of the finest albums of the 90s, the other overlooked masterpiece is "This Is Hardcore" by Pulp
Verve “lucky man” “the drugs don’t work”🔥🔥🔥
If you want to hear the verve at their best, listen to - slide away,this is music or blue. They were the first band I ever saw live, supporting the smashing pumpkins in 1993,in Leeds. Best gig ever. 🤘🎸
This song is an anthem in England now, the whole 1990's was a vibe similar to the 1960's ...note Post Grunge USA which was influential
I love their later song, 'Love is Noise'
They closed the movie "CRUEL INTENTIONS" with this song 🎵, great movie, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, acted so well, I haven't been able to STAND her, ever since!
A few little facts about this song and video,
This song had a dubious copyright strike against it due to the strings used at the start. It is one of the musical travesties of recent years that the band lost the case and never got anything from the sale and royalty plays of this track up until this day.
The woman who gets in his face after jumping on the car was his girlfriend at the time.
The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony
1998 Great song for me....
Have you done “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life”? “Kryptonite”? Any Sugar Ray? “Mr. Brightside”?
MUST do My Morning Jacket. Google any video of a live performance. “I Will Sing You Songs,” “One Big Holiday,” “Dondante,” “Touch Me,” “the Bear” . . . And about two dozen more.
Pulp is another of those British invasion 90s bands. Check out Common People
Freddy was Born in Tanzia. Anypwayz, you fellas are really entertaining, love the channel 🔥
here Richard appears being rude to people while walking down the streets... years later he did the opposite in a video for his song 'Music Is Power' being kind and polite to people who crossed his path...I love this man...
Doves - First two LPs. Start with “Pounding.” GREAT stuff.
"Praise You" was another Verve hit. Happens to be wonderfully covered by The Big Push. Hint hint. 😂😂❤❤
Big hint! Huge hint! @Renmakesmusic hint! 🙂🙃😎
Is it not Praise You by Fatboy Slim that The Big Push covered 🤔?
@@Lulubelle123doh! Haha, thanks 😂
@@djandersen2745 👍🤣
I can go on a sidewalk without crashing into someone. The trick is to look away, but it won't work with phone addicted smombies 😂
I'm walkin' here!
I'm like hollywood. I don't change for nobody EVER. 😊
I think the video is about life in general. The busy high street he is walking down is equitant to walking your own path in life. Don't let other people get in your face or their opinions effect you. You only have one journey...LIFE. Don't let anyone de-rail you.
Urban Hymns was a class album and while it's understandable to react to The Drugs don't work/Sonnet/Luck Man i'd like to give a shout to Velvet Morning, Catching the Butterfly, Space and Time, Weeping Willow, The Rolling People and Come On (i remember some looked down on those last two songs but i really enjoyed the cocky, aggressive swagger of those ones as much as the perhaps more tuneful, and technical artistry of the others i listed).
Regardless, hope you do more from this album, i don't think there is a bad song there and it is a total classic album of the time - i remember singing the songs from it in the car with friends, while waiting for food at a youth camp, probably other places too - everyone knew the words to the singles, and a lot to the other tracks too.
Here are some British Invasion bands from different decades:
60s: Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, Small Faces, The Kinks, The Yardbirds
70s: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Procol Harum, The Moody Blues, Genesis, Queen
80s: Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tears for Fears, The Human League, The Cure
90s: Blur, Oasis, Radiohead, Pulp, The Verve, Keane, Starsailor, Travis, Supergrass
Bitter Sweet Symphony was The Verve's only hit in the US, here in Europe they had more hits: Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work (#1 in the UK) or Lucky Man are highly recommended as well.
It always makes me laugh when americans define oasis with wonderwall and champagne supernova like that was it lol, oasis were the biggest band of the 90's in most of the western world, japan and even south america were crazy for them at the time, the energy of a live oasis gig at that time was incredible, even now liam and noel are killing it with their solo careers!
Best song ❤
This shoots me straight back to high school. I don't know if I should thank you or reach through YT and slap you both. 😅
One of the best songs ever written. Lots of history behind this song. Because he took a small sample from The Rolling Stones, they prevented him from ever making money on this song and took the rights. Only in the last couple years did mick release the song and give it back to Ashcroft
It wasn’t just mick. It was the old manager Alan ?
And now I want a Smokey 90s cover album...
Band- Dropkick Murphy's, song/Video- The Boys are Back