Zebra (The John Butler Trio song)
| "Zebra" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The John Butler Trio | ||||
| from the album Sunrise Over Sea | ||||
| Released | 1 December 2003 | |||
| Length | 3:56 | |||
| Label | Jarrah | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Butler | |||
| Producer(s) | John Butler | |||
| The John Butler Trio singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Zebra" is a song by Australian band John Butler Trio, released as the first single from their third studio album, Sunrise Over Sea (2004). It features the Sunrise lineup of John Butler on guitar and vocals, Shannon Birchall on double bass and Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion. "Zebra" became a top-30 hit in both Australia and New Zealand, reaching numbers 22 and 27, respectively. In the United States, it peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Triple-A chart in April 2005.
Inspiration[edit]
According to John Butler, the song began as a riff that he had stuck in his head for several years, but had difficulty recalling when he had a guitar.[1] The lyric pattern of "I could be da da, I could be da da" originated from Butler scat singing the riff to his baby daughter, while the opposites in each line of the lyrics led Nicky Bomba to the idea of a zebra asking itself if it was white with black stripes or black with white stripes, from which the song's title is derived.[1]
Music video[edit]
The music video for "Zebra" features Butler and the band recording the song in a studio which seems like a small, worn-out backyard shed. It is also interspersed with footage of Butler on his skateboard.
Track listings[edit]
All tracks were written by John Butler.[2]
- "Zebra" – 3:56
- "Media" (Live at the Wireless for Triple J) – 7:10
- "Losing My Cool" (previously unreleased) – 8:10
Personnel[edit]
John Butler Trio
- John Butler – Amplified 11-string acoustic guitar, banjo, lead vocals
- Shannon Birchall – Double bass, electric bass, backing vocals
- Nicky Bomba – Drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Michael Barker – cookie spoons, congas (Track 1)
- Michael Caruana – Hammond organ (Track 1)
- Dave Pensabene – backing vocals (Track 1)
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Release history[edit]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 December 2003 | CD | Jarrah | [8] |
| United States | 18 January 2005 | Triple-A radio | [9] | |
| 28 March 2005 | Alternative radio | [10] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Scatena, Dino (13 January 2008). "Single minded". The Sun-Herald (Sunday Life section). Fairfax Media. p. 14.
- ^ "Australasian Performing Right Association". APRA. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
- ^ "The John Butler Trio – Zebra". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "The John Butler Trio – Zebra". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard. 16 April 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Triple-A Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 57.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 1st December 2003" (PDF). ARIA. 1 December 2003. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1589. 14 January 2005. p. 21.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1599. 25 March 2005. p. 23.
