Cannonball (The Breeders song)

"Cannonball" is a song by American alternative rock band the Breeders from their second studio album, Last Splash (1993). It was released as a single on August 9, 1993, on 4AD and Elektra Records, reaching No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart. In November 1993, the single was released in France, where it charted for 30 weeks, peaking at No. 8. The song demo was originally called "Grunggae" as it merged "island riffs and grunge".[1][2] This demo was later included in the 20th anniversary re-release of the album LSXX.[2]

"Cannonball"
Single by the Breeders
from the album Last Splash
B-side
  • "Cro-Aloha"
  • "Lord of the Thighs"
  • "900"
ReleasedAugust 9, 1993 (1993-08-09)
Genre
Length3:36
Label
Songwriter(s)Kim Deal
Producer(s)
  • Kim Deal
  • Mark Freegard
The Breeders singles chronology
"Cannonball"
(1993)		 "Divine Hammer"
(1993)
Music video
"Cannonball" on YouTube

Recording

The rhythm of the introduction is constructed from metallic clicking on a snare rim and cymbal stand, which is tapped out by drummer Jim McPherson.[3] The loud, distorted voice of Kim Deal at the beginning of the song was achieved by singing closely into a harmonica microphone, which can also be seen in most live performances.

Composition

"Cannonball" is an alternative rock,[4] pop rock,[5] indie pop[3] and grunge[3] song that lasts for a duration of three minute and thirty-six seconds,[6] featuring a balance of quirky pop hooks and surging power which support playful, goofball lyrics.[3] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, the song is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast rock tempo of 112 beats per minute[7] and composed in the key of E-flat major (E♭), while Kim Deal's vocal range spans from a low of E♭3 to a high of B♭4.[7] The song has a basic sequence that alternates between the chords of B♭5 and E♭5 during the introduction and verses and follows B♭5–E♭5–A♭5 at the chorus as its chord progression.[7]

The song opens with the distorted voice of singer-songwriter Kim Deal testing a microphone by intoning "Check, check, one, two" against hissing feedback and over similar distorted vocal harmonizing. The track's drum rhythm and trademark bubbling bass line signal the start of the song. A slithering guitar lick skips the above its rhythm section before being overtaken by the high, squealing feedback of crunching guitar. It is nearly a full minute into the song before the introduction of its vocal melody, with Deal slyly cooing humorous lyrics. The band pulls to a brief halt for Deal to proclaim the parent album's title: "I'm the last splash".[3]

During the verses, Kim Deal recites repetitive lines with a seductive shyness.[3] They unleash layers of guitar distortion alongside Deal's distorted, transmitted vocals shouting: "Hey now, hey now/I want you Koo Koo, Cannonball".[3] Its musical arrangement features stuttering, start-and-stop transitions before evening out into an infectious, melodic hook layered with sweet vocal harmonies, with Deal and the band repeating the line: "In the shade/In the shade."[3] "Cannonball" employs a false ending, pausing for a whole measure and then crashing into its chorus and shifting in another full verse and chorus before coming to an abrupt halt.[3]

In a 1996 interview with the Phoenix New Times, Deal stated the song was inspired by, as well as intended to poke fun of, the writings of French revolutionary Marquis de Sade.[8]

Reception

As the lead single from their second album, "Cannonball" went on to become the Breeders' biggest commercial success. NME,[9] Melody Maker[10] and The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop annual year-end critics' poll all named it best single of 1993, which helped propel the album Last Splash to platinum status.[3] AllMusic's Tom Maginnis complimented the single, writing, "the song conveys an effusive energy, balancing quirky hooks with a gushing power, supporting playful, goofball lyrics that perfectly deliver the song's sense of unhinged, freewheeling fun".[3]

In May 2007, NME placed "Cannonball" at No. 22 in its list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever". It ranked No. 83 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". In September 2010, Pitchfork Media included the song at No. 22 on their "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s".[11] In September 2021, "Cannonball" was ranked at No. 489 on the updated list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[12]

Music video

The music video for "Cannonball" was directed by Kim Gordon and Spike Jonze.[13] It features the band in a garage, and the Deal sisters in what seems to be a dressing room trashed with clothes, sitting in a chair together. There are also shots of a cannonball rolling through Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, as well as a shot of Kim Deal singing underwater.

Track listings

All songs were written by Kim Deal except where noted.

Standard CD and 12-inch single[14][15][16]

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15
  3. "Lord of the Thighs" (Steven Tyler) – 3:58
  4. "900" (Josephine Wiggs) – 4:27

US cassette single[17]

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Lord of the Thighs" (Tyler) – 3:58
  3. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15

French CD and cassette single[18][19]

  1. "Cannonball" – 3:33
  2. "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15

Personnel
  • Guitars and lead vocals: Kelley Deal and Kim Deal
  • Bass and vocals: Josephine Wiggs
  • Drums: Jim MacPherson
  • Artwork by Paul McMenamin
  • Design by Vaughan Oliver
  • Photography by Jason Love
  • Recorded at Coast Recorders, San Francisco; Cro-Magnon, Dayton; Refraze, Dayton

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
France (SNEP)[32] Gold 250,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom August 9, 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 4AD [33]
France November 9, 1993
  • CD
  • cassette
 [32]

Usage in media

"Cannonball" was featured in a preview for South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the film Moonlight and Valentino, the start of A Walk to Remember as well as in the heist scene of Sugar & Spice. It was the original televised score to a skit on MTV's sketch comedy show The State, but due to music licensing issues had to be re-recorded with a sound-alike song for the DVD. The song was also featured in the third season in episode 3 in Misfits and in the season six finale of True Blood. The band Phish covered the song during their May 7, 1994, concert in Dallas, Texas, which was later released commercially as Live Phish Volume 18. In 2000, Nissan used the song in a commercial for the Sentra.[34] Courtney Barnett performed the song on The A.V. Club in 2014 for their Undercover live music web series and during her 2015 US tour. On The A.V. Club performance, Barnett stated "I chose it 'cause I love that album, and when we went to make [Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit] recently, I put that song on for the first day of recording - just to psych me up".[35]

References
  1. "The Quietus | Features | Anniversary | 20 Years On: The Breeders' Last Splash Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  2. "Interview: The Breeders - SantaCruz.com". www.santacruz.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  3. Maginnis, Tom. "The Breeders Cannonball – Song Review by Tom Maginnis". AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  4. Yglesias, Matthew (May 21, 2007). "The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  5. Sutton, Terri (September 1993). "Platter du Jour". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 115. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  6. Deal, Kim. "The Breeders "Cannonball" Guitar Tab in E Major - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing.
  7. Deal, Kim. "The Breeders "Cannonball" Sheet Music in Eb Major - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing.
  8. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/raw-deal-6424025
  9. "NME End Of Year Lists 1993". Rocklist.net. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  10. "Rocklist.net...Melody Maker End of year Lists - The '90s ..." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  11. "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Page 3". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  12. "Cannonball ranked #489 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  13. "The Breeders - Cannonball". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  14. Cannoball (US CD single liner notes). The Breeders. 4AD, Elektra Records. 1993. 66279-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Cannoball (Canadian & UK CD single liner notes). The Breeders. 4AD. 1993. BAD 3011 CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. Cannoball (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Breeders. 4AD. 1993. BAD 3011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. Cannoball (US cassette single sleeve). The Breeders. 4AD, Elektra Records. 1993. 4-64566.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. Cannoball (French CD single liner notes). The Breeders. 4AD. 1993. 922482.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. Cannoball (French cassette single sleeve). The Breeders. 4AD. 1993. 922484.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  21. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 16. April 16, 1994. p. 13.
  22. "The Breeders – Cannonball" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  23. "Tipparade-lijst van week 42, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  24. "The Breeders – Cannonball" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  25. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  26. "The Breeders Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  27. "The Breeders Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  28. "The Breeders Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  29. "The Breeders Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  30. "Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-39.
  31. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1994" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  32. "French single certifications – Breeders – Cannonball" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  33. "Single Releases". Music Week. August 7, 1993. p. 21.
  34. Connell, John; Gibson, Chris (September 2, 2003). Sound Tracks: Popular Music Identity and Place. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-69912-4.
  35. "Watch Courtney Barnett cover The Breeders' 'Cannonball'".
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