Hourglass (Squeeze song)
"Hourglass" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Squeeze | ||||
from the album Babylon and On | ||||
Released | July 1987 (UK) | |||
Length | 3:16 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Songwriter(s) | Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford | |||
Producer(s) | Eric "ET" Thorngren & Glenn Tilbrook | |||
Squeeze singles chronology | ||||
|
"Hourglass" is the first
Background
"Hourglass" was written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook together in one room; traditionally, the two had written the lyrics and music, respectively, to their songs individually, but, at Tilbrook's suggestion, the two collaborated more directly for "Hourglass". Difford recalled, "I went to Glenn's house and within an hour we'd written 'Hourglass.' Glenn counteracted some lyrical ideas and I added some musical ideas, then he demoed it and made some changes, and finally the band got hold of it and changed it some more."[2]
Difford stated that the song "doesn't mean much" lyrically, while Tilbrook described the chorus' lyrics as "nonsense words". Musically, Tilbrook wrote the chorus; he explained, "I loved the idea of rapid delivery, which is what the chorus required."[2] Originally written as a more dance-style number, the song took on, in the words of Tilbrook, a typical "Squeeze sound". The song's break and sound effects were contributed by producer Eric "ET" Thorngren.
Release
"Hourglass" was released as the debut single from Babylon & On and became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching number 15 in the US and number 16 in the UK. The single remains the band's highest-charting single in the US. Tilbrook argued that the negative lyrics were "ironic considering it went on to be a chart hit".[2]
The single's success was bolstered by a music video directed by
Track listing
- 7"
- "Hourglass" (3:16)
- "Wedding Bells" (2:22)
- 12"
- "Hourglass" (3:16)
- "Splitting into Three" (3:33)
- "Wedding Bells" (2:22)
Charts
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] | 90 |
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 16[citation needed] |
United States (Billboard Hot 100) | 15[citation needed] |
References
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c d Tilbrook, Glenn; Difford, Chris; Drury, Jim. Squeeze: Song by Song. Sanctuary.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
External links