Bloody Well Right
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Bloody Well Right
| cover = Supertramp Dreamer single cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Supertramp
| album = Crime of the Century
| A-side = Dreamer
| released = December 1974
| format =
| recorded = 1974
| studio =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:32
| label = A&M
| writer = Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
| producer = Supertramp, Ken Scott
| prev_title = Dreamer
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = Lady
| next_year = 1975
| misc = {{Extra track listing
| album = Crime of the Century
| type = single
| tracks =
- "School"
- "Bloody Well Right"
- "Hide in Your Shell"
- "Asylum"
- "Dreamer"
- "Rudy"
- "If Everyone Was Listening"
- "Crime of the Century"
}}
{{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|noSXUmwiF9M|"Bloody Well Right"}}}}
}}
"Bloody Well Right" is a song by English rock band Supertramp from their 1974 album Crime of the Century. It appeared as the B-side of the single "Dreamer" in December 1974.{{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |author-link=Martin C. Strong |title=The Great Rock Discography |year=2000 |edition=5 |publisher= Mojo Books |isbn=9-781841-950174 |page=957}} Listeners in the United States preferred it to the A-side, and "Bloody Well Right" became their breakthrough hit in the country, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lyrical content
Davies consciously linked the song to the album's opening track "School" with the line "So you think your schooling is phoney", helping to perpetuate the false impression that Crime of the Century is a concept album. According to Hodgson, any unifying thread beyond that was left to the listener's imagination.{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC&pg=PA335 |title=The Mojo Collection |page=335|publisher=Canongate Books|date= Nov 2007 |isbn=9781847676436 |accessdate=17 December 2011}} Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso stated "Bloody Well Right" shares the theme with "School" of "questioning the education system."{{cite web|title=Top 10 Supertramp Songs|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock|accessdate=2022-06-08|author=DeRiso, Nick|date=22 July 2013 |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/supertramp-songs/}}
Reception
DeRiso rated it as Supertramp's second best song, praising its "sharp anti-authoritarian streak." Gary Graff of Billboard also rated it as Supertramp's second best song, calling it "an angry indictment of British economic caste systems couched with hard rock, jazz and Music Hall references."{{cite web|title=Supertramp's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks|author=Graff, Gary|accessdate=2022-06-16|publisher=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/supertramp-songs-best-hits-list-7997371/|date=October 10, 2017}}
Live versions
This song appears on Paris, Live '88, It Was the Best of Times, and Is Everybody Listening?.
In June 1975 the song was performed by the band on the American late-night musical variety series The Midnight Special, but was broadcast mostly in negative.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/supertramp-the-midnight-special-bloody-well-right|title=If you can ignore the horrible special effects, the addition of Supertramp's Bloody Well Right to the Midnight Special archive is yet another cause for classic rock celebration|first=Fraser|last=Lewrypublished|date=4 September 2023|website=louder}}
Personnel
- Rick Davies – Wurlitzer electronic piano, acoustic piano, lead vocals, handclaps
- Roger Hodgson – electric guitar, backing vocals, handclaps
- John Helliwell – tenor saxophone, backing vocals
- Dougie Thomson – bass
- Bob Siebenberg – drums
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (1975)
!scope="col"|Peak |
|---|
| {{Single chart|Canadatopsingles|49|chartid=3975a|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2021}} |
| {{Single chart|Billboardhot100|35|artist=Supertramp|rowheader=true|access-date=12 February 2021|refname=Billboardhot100}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{youTube|BjqDAtZdjF0|Bloody Well Right}}
{{Supertramp}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Rick Davies
Category:Songs written by Roger Hodgson