The Universal

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1995 single by Blur

title: "The Universal" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1995-songs", "1995-singles", "blur-(band)-songs", "emi-music-japan-singles", "food-records-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-jonathan-glazer", "parlophone-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-stephen-street", "songs-written-by-alex-james-(musician)", "songs-written-by-damon-albarn", "songs-written-by-dave-rowntree", "songs-written-by-graham-coxon"] description: "1995 single by Blur" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Universal" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1995 single by Blur ::

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

FieldValue
nameThe Universal
coverBlur - The Universal front single cover.jpg
typesingle
artistBlur
albumThe Great Escape
released
* Britpop{{Cite webtitle
length3:59
lyricistDamon Albarn
producerStephen Street
prev_titleCountry House
prev_year1995
next_titleStereotypes
next_year1996
misc{{Audio sample
typesingle
fileTheUniversal.ogg
description"The Universal"
::

::callout[type=note] the Blur song ::

| name = The Universal | cover = Blur - The Universal front single cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Blur | album = The Great Escape | B-side =

In keeping with the song's science fiction theme, the single's cover art is an allusion to the opening shot of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer, is a tribute to the film A Clockwork Orange, with the band dressed up in costumes similar to Alex and his droogs. Both films were directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Critical reception

Simon Williams from NME named the song Single of the Week and praised it as "rather brilliant", writing, "A ludicrously grandiose ballad that weeps spiritual buckets and sweeps the same swish floor as 'This Is a Low'. It's exotic! It has strings and things! It will turn your hard bastard spine into vodka jelly when they play it in an arena near you at Crimbo! And — crucially — it ends like 'The Orinoco Song' by The Wombles. As all songs should." David Cavanagh from Select said, "'Universal' (considered at one time as a possible album title) is a grandiose and sublime ballad that looks in on the citizens of the 21st century. Musically, 'Universal' is this album's 'To the End' — strings, brass, girl singers, languid vocal lines and a sweeping, epic feel. The song and the overall performances are breathtaking."

Gill Whyte from Smash Hits named it Best New Single, writing, "Blur-limey! How many people are on this record exactly? There's the string section, brass band, ladies' choir and very probably Uncle Tom Cobbly on zimmer. Ooh, and what a big noise it is! The thing's a colossus! A huge end-of-concert lighter-waving anthem all about..." In a separate review, the magazine added, "Sounds like a waltz your mum would glide around to. Best heard with the light off, so you can think about life and that."

Music video

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Blur_the_universal_video.jpg" caption="Alex DeLarge]]."] ::

A music video for the song was directed by English film director and screenwriter Jonathan Glazer. The band is presented in imitation of the opening scenes from the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, in the Milk Bar. Blur star as the quasi-Droogs, complete with Damon Albarn wearing eyeliner similar to the character Alex DeLarge. They perform in the bar in all-white. Though the band do not engage in their usual vibrant stage demeanour, Damon Albarn frequently turns to the camera and gives a sly, crooked smile. Graham Coxon spends the majority of the video sitting against the wall, while playing his guitar. They also spend some time during the video sitting at a table, watching the people around them.

The bar patrons consist of different groups; a male with two females are openly kissing. The man has lipstick all over his face; a lone female entertains male business colleagues by exploiting their sexual interest in her; two men, one identified as a 'red man' (dressed entirely in red) who used to be 'blue', conduct a stilted (subtitled) conversation; two other men – one of them wearing a vicar's clerical collar – become increasingly drunk on cocktails, laughing more and more hysterically until the clergyman tells his friend something to which the viewer is not privy, causing his friend to withdraw into stunned silence (a device similar to that used in Radiohead's promotional video for the song "Just" in the same year). There are also two old men who make a few comments (again subtitled) marvelling at the scene. Blur then walk down the aisle to exit the building. Damon Albarn stops them, then the clergyman moves in to kiss his friend. There are also scenes outside, showing high rise buildings, where people are gathered around a golf ball speaker atop a roof, listening.

A full back-to-film restoration was undertaken by renowned post-production facility, Vanderquest, in 2025 by re-scanning the original 16mm film negatives and was released in 4K Ultra HD in November that year to celebrate its 30 year anniversary.

Track listings

All music was composed by Albarn, Coxon, James, and Rowntree. All lyrics were written by Albarn.

  • UK CD1 and Australian CD single
  1. "The Universal" – 4:00
  2. "Ultranol" – 2:42
  3. "No Monsters in Me" – 3:38
  4. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix) – 7:19
  • '*UK CD2: *The Universal II – Live at the BBC'''''
  1. "The Universal" – 4:11
  2. "Mr Robinson's Quango" – 4:17
  3. "It Could Be You" – 3:17
  4. "Stereotypes" – 3:12
  • UK cassette single and European CD single
  1. "The Universal" – 3:53
  2. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix) – 7:14
  • Japanese CD single
  1. "The Universal" – 4:00
  2. "It Could Be You" (live at the BBC) – 3:17
  3. "Stereotypes" (live at the BBC) – 3:12
  4. "Entertain Me" (The Live It! remix) – 7:19

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position | Australia (ARIA) | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Europe (European Hit Radio) | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 104 | | | | | | | 31 | | | | | | | 24 | | | | | | | 12 | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1995)PositionUK Singles (OCC)
86
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.United KingdomAustraliaJapan
13 November 1995
20 November 1995CDEMI
20 December 1995
::

Cover version

References

References

  1. Mccall, Tris. (2011-10-25). "Song of the Day: 'The Universal,' Blur".
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. (May 4, 2024). "The 25 most essential Blur songs".
  3. "From Blur To Bowie, 18 Ingenious Music Moments Inspired By Stanley Kubrick Movies". NME.
  4. Williams, Simon. (11 November 1995). "Singles".
  5. Cavanagh, David. (October 1995). "New Albums". [[Select (magazine).
  6. Whyte, Gill. (8 November 1995). "Singles: Best New Single". [[Smash Hits]].
  7. (13 September 1995). "Albums: Best New Album". [[Smash Hits]].
  8. ["Blur – "The Universal version 1]"". mvdbase.com.
  9. (1995). "The Universal". [[Food Records]], [[Parlophone]].
  10. (1995). "The Universal". [[EMI Records]].
  11. (1995). "The Universal". Food Records, Parlophone.
  12. (1995). "The Universal". Food Records, Parlophone.
  13. (1995). "The Universal". Food Records, Parlophone.
  14. (1995). "The Universal". Food Records, [[EMI Music Japan]].
  15. "Blur chart history, received from ARIA on 16 February 2022". Imgur.com.
  16. (2 December 1995). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
  17. (23 December 1995). "EHR Top 40".
  18. (9 December 1995). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (9.12. '95 – 15.12. '95)". [[DV (newspaper).
  19. (13 January 1996). "Top 100 Singles 1995".
  20. (11 November 1995). "New Releases: Singles".
  21. (19 November 1995). "New Releases – Product Available from : 20/11/95: Singles".
  22. "ユニバーサル {{!}} ブラー". [[Oricon]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1995-songs1995-singlesblur-(band)-songsemi-music-japan-singlesfood-records-singlesmusic-videos-directed-by-jonathan-glazerparlophone-singlessong-recordings-produced-by-stephen-streetsongs-written-by-alex-james-(musician)songs-written-by-damon-albarnsongs-written-by-dave-rowntreesongs-written-by-graham-coxon