Greedy Fly

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox song | name = Greedy Fly | cover = Greedy Fly.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Bush | album = Razorblade Suitcase | B-side = Old | released = 26 May 1997<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: singles|magazine=Music Week|date=24 May 1997|page=55}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = * Grunge * hard rock<ref>{{cite news |last1=Piccoli |first1=Sean |title=Bush: America's Band |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1997-03-22-9703210283-story.html+&cd=35&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk |date=22 March 1997 |accessdate=23 January 2020 |work=Sun Sentiel |agency=Sun Senitel }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | length = * 4:29 (album version) * 3:50 (radio edit) | label = * Trauma * Interscope | writer = Gavin Rossdale | producer = Steve Albini | prev_title = Swallowed | prev_year = 1996 | next_title = Bonedriven | next_year = 1997 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = Alternative covers | type = single | cover = bushgreedyflyuk1.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = UK CD 1 cover }} }}

"'''Greedy Fly'''" is a song by alternative rock band Bush, released on 26 May 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, ''Razorblade Suitcase'' (1996).

== Music == "Greedy Fly" was described by Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' to show the band to "have a streak of goth a mile wide".<ref name="sullivan">{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Caroline |title=Briddish rock hunks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2000/mar/03/artsfeatures |access-date=21 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=3 March 2000}}</ref>

==Music video== Bush were one of the early pioneers of the enhanced CD single, with the full video being available as a file on CD 2. The video was directed by Marcus Nispel in December 1996 in Los Angeles. The video was shot in the same building ''Se7en'' was shot in and cost nearly half a million pounds (around £961,0000 in 2024).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://onesecondbush.com/bush/media/videos/ |title=Music Video History at OneSecondBush.com - A Comprehensive Fan Site for the Band Bush |access-date=2012-03-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220231659/http://onesecondbush.com/bush/media/videos |archivedate=20 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Commercial performance== "Greedy Fly" was released as the second single from the album, after "Swallowed". The song became a hit, possibly due to its well-known music video, which clocks in at over 7 minutes (although the song itself is only 4:29 long). The song reached the top 5 on both the US Alternative Songs chart and Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song is also the band's second biggest hit in their native Britain where it peaked at #22 (behind "Swallowed" which peaked at #7).

== Allusions == In 2023, American musician Corey Taylor, best known as the lead vocalist of alternative metal band Slipknot, named "Greedy Fly" the Bush song he wished he'd written.<ref name="rogers">{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Ellie |title=Gavin Rossdale talks us through Bush's platinum hits: "These songs were not written with a view to any degree of success… I had toiled for many years and nothing had worked" |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/gavin-rossdale-talks-us-through-bushs-platinum-hits-these-songs-were-not-written-with-a-view-to-any-degree-of-success-i-had-toiled-for-many-years-and-nothing-had-worked |access-date=4 September 2024 |work=Music Radar |date=9 November 2023}}</ref>

==Track listing== :''All songs written by Gavin Rossdale unless stated.''

*'''UK CD 1 Single''' IND95536 (Cardsleeve) *# "Greedy Fly [Radio Edit]" - 3:50 *# "Old" - 2:51 *# "Insect Kin [Live at the London Forum]" - 4:57 *# "Personal Holloway [Live]" - 3:28 *'''UK CD 2 Single''' INDX95536 *# "Greedy Fly [Video]" - 7:09 *# "Greedy Fly [LP Version]" - 4:27 *# "Greedy Fly [Demo]" - 4:25 *'''AUS CD Single''' IND95536 (Slidecase) *# "Greedy Fly" - 4:28 *# "Swallowed [Toasted Both Sides Please - Goldie Remix]" - 5:49 *# "Cold Contagious [16"oz Demo Version]" - 5:57 *# "Greedy Fly [Video]" - 7:09

==Appearances in the media== - Featured on ''Cold Case'' in the episode "Spiders".

==Chart performance== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" !Chart (1997) !Peak position |- !scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref> |align="center"|78 |- {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|29|artist=Bush|chartid=3196|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2021}} |- {{single chart|Canadarock|6|artist=Bush|chartid=3175|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2021}} |- !scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1997/MM-1997-06-14.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=14|issue=7|page=16|date=June 14, 1997|access-date=September 2, 2020}}</ref> |align="center"|88 |- {{single chart|Scotland|21|artist=Bush|date=1997-06-07|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2021}} |- {{single chart|UK|22|artist=Bush|date=1997-06-07|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2021}} |- {{single chart|UKrock|3|artist=Bush|date=1997-06-07|rowheader=true|access-date=9 April 2021}} |- {{single chart|Billboardradiosongs|41|artist=Bush|rowheader=true|access-date=11 March 2017}} |- {{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|3|artist=Bush|rowheader=true|access-date=11 March 2017}} |- {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|5|artist=Bush|rowheader=true|access-date=11 March 2017}} |- |}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{youtube|6FExyoAh6Ng|"Greedy Fly" Official music video}}

Category:1996 songs Category:1997 singles Category:Bush (British band) songs Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Albini Category:Songs written by Gavin Rossdale Category:Grunge songs Category:Music videos directed by Marcus Nispel Category:Interscope Records singles Category:Trauma Records singles