Lucky Man

"Lucky Man"
Single by The Verve
from the album Urban Hymns
Released	24 November 1997
Format	CD
Genre	Britpop, rock
Length	4:53
Label	Hut
Producer	Youth, The Verve
The Verve singles chronology
"The Drugs Don't Work" (1997) "Lucky Man" (1997) "Sonnet" (1998)

"Lucky Man" is a song by the rock band The Verve and is featured on their third album, Urban Hymns. It was released 24 November 1997 as the third single from the album, charting at #7 in the UK Singles Chart (see 1997 in British music). The song was also the band's second, and so far last Top 20 hit in the USA.

Background

The final b-side on CD 2 of the UK release, "Happiness More or Less", was a remix of the title track made by guitarist Nick McCabe after another b-side was needed for the release. All of the guitar and most of the vocal parts were taken out, leaving the drums, bass and strings. Another b-side on CD 2, "MSG", was an alternate version of Bitter Sweet Symphony, which featured the percussion and bass line from that song, with psychedelic soundscapes added.

An earlier single from the band, "History" was included as a b-side on CD 1. U2 frontman Bono recognized "Lucky Man" as one of six songs that he wished he had written from the last 20 years of music.^[1]

Music videos

The UK version of the video was directed by Andy Baybutt and sees the band in the Thames Wharf complex; this is situated near Hammersmith, West London in post code W6 9HA. Richard Ashcroft sings the song whilst playing an acoustic guitar; the rest of the band look on. The Thames Wharf Complex designed by Sir Richard Rogers. The US version was shot in New York, featuring the band in an apartment and then travelling to a mountain top.

The Verve did not allow the video for this single to be played on the UK music show The Chart Show. The show had recently been re-designed and attracted much criticism; the band also criticized it, and refused to allow the song to be played unless the show was re-designed again just for the band, as the message claimed, and/or if the show played the video clean without any graphics overlaying it.^{[citation needed]} The Chart Show didn't agree to this and in the Top Ten and Indie Chart, a message appeared explaining why the video wasn't shown. The show maintained a lighthearted approach to the situation by saying such things as "In the words of Vanilla... No Way, No Way, Ma Numma Nah".^{[citation needed]}

Track listings

• CD1 HUTDG92

1. "Lucky Man" (4:57)
2. "Never Wanna See You Cry" (4:31)
3. "History" (5:08)

• CD2 HUTDX92

1. "Lucky Man" (4:57)
2. "MSG" (7:00)
3. "Longest Day" (7:21)
4. "Lucky Man (Happiness More Or Less)" (4:57)

Uses in Other Media

• Anastacia "borrowed" the melody and hook of this song for her hit "Cowboys & Kisses" in 2001, but Richard Ashcroft received no credit for it.
• Fox used the song as background music in a Super Bowl pregame piece on New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin
• In the NBC series, Journeyman, the song was featured in the seventh episode, "Double Down".
• The track featured prominently in the prom scene at the climax of the 2004 film The Girl Next Door.
• The song was also used in the movie Marley & Me.
• The track was used in a trailer for the film For Love of the Game.
• The song was featured near the end of the first episode of the sixth season of Entourage.

References

• U2's website. http://www.u2.com/stream/article/display/id/2003