"Cannonball" is a song by American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

band

the Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherso ...

from their second studio album, '' Last Splash'' (1993). It was released as a single on August 9, 1993, on 4AD and

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

, reaching 44 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in France in on 9 November 1993, where it charted for 30 weeks, peaking at . The song demo was originally called "Grunggae" as it merged "island riffs and grunge". This demo was later included in the 20th anniversary re-release of the album ''LSXX''.

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. 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

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

and

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...

song that lasts for a duration of three minute and thirty-six seconds, featuring a balance of quirky pop

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

s and surging power which support playful, goofball lyrics. According to the

sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed books or pamphlets in English, ...

published at Musicnotes.com by

EMI Music Publishing EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by parent company Sony Corporation of America. In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pendi ...

, the song is written in the

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...

of common time, with a moderately fast rock

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 112 beats per minute and composed in the key of

E-flat major E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...

(E), while Kim Deal's

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...

spans from a low of E₃ to a high of B₄. The song has a basic sequence that alternates between the chords of B₅ and E₅ during the

introduction Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to: General use * Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music * Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...

and verses and follows B₅–E₅–A₅ at the chorus as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. The song opens with the distorted voice of singer-songwriter Kim Deal testing a microphone by intoning "Check, check, one, two" against hissing

feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...

and over similar distorted vocal harmonizing. The track's drum rhythm and trademark bubbling

bass line Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some ...

signal the start of the song. A slithering

guitar lick The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

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". During the verses, Kim Deal recites repetitive lines with a seductive shyness. The song intensifes at the jubilant chorus, which is signaled by pelting

snare roll A drum roll (or roll for short) is a technique used by percussionists to produce a sustained sound for the duration of a written note.Cirone, Anthony J. (1991). Simple Steps to Snare Drum', p.30-31. Alfred. . "The purpose of the roll is t ...

s. They unleash layers of guitar

distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signa ...

alongside Deal's distorted, transmitted vocals shouting: "Hey now, hey now/I want you Koo Koo, Cannonball". 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." "Cannonball" employs a

false ending A false ending is a device in film and music that can be used to trick the audience into thinking that the work has ended, before it continues. The presence of a false ending can be anticipated through a number of ways. The medium itself might bet ...

, 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.

Reception

As the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from their second album, "Cannonball" went on to become the Breeders' biggest commercial success. '' NME'', ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' and ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

''s Pazz & Jop annual year-end critics' poll all named it best single of 1993, which helped propel the album '' Last Splash'' as well as their follow-up single "

Divine Hammer Divine Hammer is a fantasy novel set in the ''Dragonlance'' campaign series and is the second of a trilogy about a Kingpriest of Istar, Beldinas Pilofiro, and is set during his reign of Istar. Plot summary The book begins with Nusendaran (And ...

" to

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

status.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

'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". In May 2007, ''NME'' placed "Cannonball" at in its list of the "50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever". It ranked on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s". In September 2010, ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

'' included the song at on their "Top 200 Tracks of the 90s". In September 2021, "Cannonball" was ranked at on the updated list of

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine '' Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 i ...

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Cannonball" was directed by

Kim Gordon Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the bassist, guitarist, and vocalist of alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Born in Rochester, New York, she was raised in Los Angeles, Califor ...

and

Spike Jonze Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze began his ca ...

. 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 down suburban streets, as well as a shot of Kim Deal singing underwater.

Track listings

CD single # "Cannonball" – 3:33 # "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15 CD and 12-inch maxi # "Cannonball" – 3:33 # "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15 # "

Lord of the Thighs "Lord of the Thighs" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by frontman Steven Tyler, and released on the band's 1974 album '' Get Your Wings''. Drummer Joey Kramer has said it is his favorite song to perform live. ...

" (

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...

) – 3:58 # "900" (Wiggs) – 4:27 Cassette # "Cannonball" – 3:33 # "Lord of the Thighs" – 3:58 # "Cro-Aloha" – 2:15 "Cro-Aloha" is a demo version of " No Aloha" from '' Last Splash''.

Personnel

* Guitars and lead vocals:

Kelley Deal Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician and singer. She has been lead guitarist and co-vocalist of the alternative rock band The Breeders since 1992, and has formed her own side-projects with bands such as R. Ring and The Kelle ...

and Kim Deal * Bass and vocals:

Josephine Wiggs Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs (born 26 February 1963) is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect Disaster. She has also formed mult ...

* Drums: Jim MacPherson * Artwork by Paul McMenamin * Design by

Vaughan Oliver Vaughan Oliver (12 September 1957 – 29 December 2019) was a British graphic designer based in Epsom, Surrey. Oliver was best known for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with ...

* Photography by Jason Love * Recorded at Coast Recorders, San Francisco; Cro-Magnon, Dayton; Refhaze, Dayton

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

Usage in media

"Cannonball" was featured in a preview for '' South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut'', the film ''

Moonlight and Valentino ''Moonlight and Valentino'' is a 1995 comedy-drama film directed by David Anspaugh starring Elizabeth Perkins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kathleen Turner, Whoopi Goldberg and Jon Bon Jovi. The screenplay, by Ellen Simon, is based on her semi-autobiographica ...

'', the start of ''

A Walk to Remember ''A Walk to Remember'' is a 2002 American coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Adam Shankman and written by Karen Janszen, based on Nicholas Sparks' 1999 novel of the same name. The film stars Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote an ...

'' as well as in the heist scene of ''

Sugar & Spice ''Sugar & Spice'' is a 2001 American teen black comedy film directed by Francine McDougall and starring Marley Shelton, Marla Sokoloff and Mena Suvari. The plot follows a group of high school cheerleaders who conspire and commit armed robbery ...

''. It was the original televised score to a skit on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's sketch comedy show ''

The State A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "sta ...

,'' 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 Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

'' and in the season six finale of ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The ser ...

''. The band

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...

covered the song during their May 7, 1994, concert in Dallas, Texas, which was later released commercially as ''

Live Phish Volume 18 ''Live Phish Vol. 18'' is an album by Phish. It was recorded live at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas on May 7, 1994. The show is sometimes referred to as "Tweezerfest" because of a seamless second set that features elements of the song "Tweez ...

''. In 2000,

Nissan , trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun bra ...

used the song in a commercial for the Sentra.

Courtney Barnett Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Calle ...

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''.html" ;"title="Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit">'Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit''">Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit">'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".

References

External links

* {{Authority control 4AD singles 1993 debut singles 1993 songs The Breeders songs CSS (band) songs Music videos directed by Spike Jonze Songs written by Kim Deal