# Greedy Fly

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Greedy_Fly
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Greedy_Fly.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greedy_Fly
> Source revision: 1332096268
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/Bush_(British_band))
| album      = [Razorblade Suitcase](/source/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](/source/Grunge)
* [hard rock](/source/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](/source/Trauma_Records)
* [Interscope](/source/Interscope_Records)
| writer     = [Gavin Rossdale](/source/Gavin_Rossdale)
| producer   = [Steve Albini](/source/Steve_Albini)
| prev_title = [Swallowed](/source/Swallowed_(song))
| prev_year  = 1996
| next_title = [Bonedriven](/source/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](/source/alternative_rock) band [Bush](/source/Bush_(British_band)), released on 26 May 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, ''[Razorblade Suitcase](/source/Razorblade_Suitcase)'' (1996).

== Music ==
"Greedy Fly" was described by Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' to show the band to "have a streak of [goth](/source/gothic_rock) 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](/source/Marcus_Nispel) in December 1996 in Los Angeles. The video was shot in the same building ''[Se7en](/source/Seven_(1995_film))'' was shot in and cost nearly half a million [pounds](/source/Pound_(currency)) (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](/source/Swallowed_(song))". 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](/source/Alternative_Songs) chart and [Mainstream Rock Tracks](/source/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](/source/Corey_Taylor), best known as the lead vocalist of [alternative metal](/source/alternative_metal) band [Slipknot](/source/Slipknot_(band)), 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==
:<small>''All songs written by [Gavin Rossdale](/source/Gavin_Rossdale) unless stated.''</small>

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

==Appearances in the media==
- Featured on ''[Cold Case](/source/Cold_Case_(TV_series))'' in the episode "Spiders".

==Chart performance==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (1997)
!Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([ARIA](/source/ARIA_Charts))<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](/source/European_Hot_100_Singles))<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](/source/Music_%26_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}}

{{Bush}}
{{Authority control}}

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

{{1990s-rock-song-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Greedy Fly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greedy_Fly) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greedy_Fly?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.