The Drowners

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title: "The Drowners" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1992-debut-singles", "1992-songs", "music-videos-directed-by-lindy-heymann", "song-recordings-produced-by-ed-buller", "songs-written-by-bernard-butler", "songs-written-by-brett-anderson", "suede-(band)-songs"] description: "1992 single by Suede" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Drowners" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1992 single by Suede ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	The Drowners
cover	The drowners.jpg
type	single
artist	Suede
album	Suede
released
studio	Master Rock (London, England)
* Britpop{{cite web	last
* glam rock<ref name	"pm"/
length	4:10
label	Nude
producer	Ed Buller
next_title	Metal Mickey
next_year	1992
misc
::

| name = The Drowners | cover = The drowners.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Suede | album = Suede | B-side =

• "To the Birds"
• "My Insatiable One" | released = | recorded = | studio = Master Rock (London, England) | genre =
• Britpop
• glam rock | length = 4:10 | label = Nude | writer =
• Brett Anderson
• Bernard Butler | producer = Ed Buller | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Metal Mickey | next_year = 1992 | misc = "The Drowners" is the debut single of English rock band Suede, released on 11 May 1992 on Nude Records. It was later included on the band's debut album, Suede (1993). "The Drowners" charted at number 49 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

Though not a hit at first, it amassed airplay over time and has become one of the band's definitive singles. Two different videos were produced for the song, one on rotation in the UK and the other created for the American market. The cover art features a seventies photo of German model Veruschka body-painted with a man's suit.

Legacy

In a retrospective review of the song, Troy Carpenter of AllMusic wrote: "'The Drowners' itself is a raucous anthem, lassoed by Bernard Butler's punctuated guitar riff. Singer Brett Anderson's ambiguous lyrics ("We kiss in his room/to a popular tune") and high-pitched croon recall Bowie's most theatrical moments, but in a different musical setting." It garnered much acclaim from NME and Melody Maker, who both voted the song single of the year.

In 2014, NME ranked the song at number 104 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "The Drowners" was placed at number 40 in a 2016 poll of "The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s" by music site PopMatters.

Cover versions

The song was covered by Bristol space rock band Flying Saucer Attack. B-side "My Insatiable One", was covered by Morrissey during his 1992 world tour. The song was covered in concert by the Manic Street Preachers. Bernard Butler played two songs at the same gig but contrary to many reports did not join them for The Drowners – a recording was released as a B-side to their single "She Is Suffering" in late 1994.

Track listings

All songs were written by Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler. UK 7-inch single :A. "The Drowners" (radio edit) :AA. "To the Birds"

UK 12-inch and CD single

1. "The Drowners"
2. "To the Birds"
3. "My Insatiable One"

European maxi-CD single

1. "The Drowners"
2. "Where the Pigs Don't Fly"
3. "He's Dead"
4. "My Insatiable One" (piano version) US CD single
5. "The Drowners" – 4:10
6. "My Insatiable One" – 2:57
7. "To the Birds" – 5:23
8. "The Big Time" – 4:27
9. "He's Dead" (live at Glastonbury, June 1993) – 5:31

Japanese CD compilation

1. "The Drowners"
2. "To the Birds"
3. "My Insatiable One"
4. "Metal Mickey"
5. "Where the Pigs Don't Fly"
6. "He's Dead"

Charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1992) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia (ARIA) | 39 | ::

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	United Kingdom	Australia	Japan
11 May 1992		Nude
22 June 1992
21 November 1992	CD
::

References

References

1. Ross, Peter. (6 July 2017). "'Oasis were about as dangerous as Herman’s Hermits': Luke Haines and Louise Wener on Britpop revisited".
2. (January 1994). "Suede: Dream On". Mojo.
3. Carpenter, Troy. "Suede – The Drowners". [[AllMusic]].
4. Davidson, Neil. (21 April 1993). "Suede: The next big thing?". [[jam!]].
5. (31 January 2014). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". [[NME]].
6. Gerard, Chris. (25 July 2016). "The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s".
7. (27 May 1993). "Suede: All That Glitters".
8. (1992). "The Drowners". [[Nude Records]].
9. (1992). "The Drowners". Nude Records.
10. (1992). "The Drowners". Nude Records.
11. (1993). "The Drowners". Nude Records.
12. (1993). "The Drowners". [[Columbia Records]], Nude Records.
13. (1993). "The Drowners". Nude Records.
14. "Suede ARIA Chart history complete to 2024". ARIA.
15. (9 May 1992). "New Releases: Singles".
16. (21 June 1992). "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 22/06/92: Singles".
17. "ドラウナーズ {{!}} スウェード". [[Oricon]].

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