| "I'm a Cuckoo" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Belle & Sebastian | ||||
| from the album Dear Catastrophe Waitress | ||||
| Released | 16 February 2004 | |||
| Studio | Sarm Hook End (Checkendon, Oxfordshire)[1] | |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 5:26 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Songwriters | Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke, Chris Geddes, Stevie Jackson, Bobby Kildea, Sarah Martin, Stuart Murdoch, Robert Chater, Darren Seltmann | |||
| Producer | Trevor Horn | |||
| Belle & Sebastian singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I'm a Cuckoo" is the second single from Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian's sixth studio album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003). Produced by Trevor Horn, the track was released as a single on 16 February 2004. B-side "Stop, Look and Listen" merges into "Passion Fruit" at the end of a song—an instrumental piece which was performed live prior to its release. The front cover features Shantha Roberts.
"I'm a Cuckoo" fared better on the UK Singles Chart than previous single "Step into My Office, Baby", reaching number 14. It is the only Belle & Sebastian song to chart in Spain, peaking at number 19, and was their most recent hit in Sweden, reaching number 59. A Japanese version of the song was released as a B-side to the Japanese version of Belle & Sebastian's subsequent EP, Books.
An AllMusic reviewer described the track as being "like the indie pop version of Thin Lizzy",[2] who are also mentioned in the lyrics.
Reviewing the remix, PopMatters said, "the Avalanches’ remake draws out a more organic side with casual wind instruments and warm percussion. The samples of hustling, bustling chit-chat strike a note of extroverted gregariousness that shy, retiring types like Belle and Sebastian sometimes need someone else to bring out of 'em."[3]
The video for "I'm a Cuckoo" features Scottish Olympic 100m gold medallist Allan Wells as a running coach and lead singer, Stuart Murdoch, as an aspiring runner.
UK 7-inch single[6]
UK DVD single[7]
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scotland (OCC)[8] | 11 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9] | 19 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 59 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[11] | 14 |
| UK Indie (OCC)[12] | 2 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 16 February 2004 |
|
Rough Trade | [13] |
| Japan | 25 February 2004 | CD | [14] |
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