A Song for the Lovers

"A Song for the Lovers"
Single by Richard Ashcroft
from the album Alone with Everybody
B-side	"(Could Be) A Country Thing, City Thing, Blues Thing" "Precious Stone"
Released	3 April 2000 (2000-04-03)
Studio	Olympic, Metropolis (London, England)
Length	5:39
Label	Hut Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Richard Ashcroft
Producer(s)	Chris Potter Richard Ashcroft
Richard Ashcroft singles chronology
"A Song for the Lovers" (2000) "Money to Burn" (2000)
Audio
"A Song for the Lovers" on YouTube

"A Song for the Lovers" is the first solo single from English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft, following the break-up of his band The Verve. The opening song off his album, Alone with Everybody; "A Song for the Lovers" was originally written by Ashcroft for the Verve's studio album Urban Hymns. Three different versions were recorded, but the song ultimately did not make the final cut. It was inspired by Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". ^{[1] [2]}

"A Song for the Lovers" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Ashcroft's highest-charting solo single alongside "Break the Night with Colour" (2006). Outside the UK, the song became a moderate hit in Europe and Oceania, peaking at number nine in Italy, number 11 in Ireland, number 42 in New Zealand, and number 59 in Australia. The single also sold well in Canada, peaking at number six on the Canadian Singles Chart.

Music video

The music video for "A Song for the Lovers" premiered in May 2000 and was directed by Academy Award-nominated director Jonathan Glazer ("The Zone of Interest"). The video has a narrative style, shot in real-time with an element of diegetic sound unusual in most music videos. Diegetic sound was used previously by Glazer for "Rabbit in Your Headlights". ^{[3] [4]}

Track listings

• UK CD, 12-inch, and cassette single ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Canadian, Australian, and Japanese CD single ^{[8] [9] [10]}

1. "A Song for the Lovers" (album version)
2. "(Could Be) A Country Thing, City Thing, Blues Thing"
3. "Precious Stone"

• European CD single ^[11]

1. "A Song for the Lovers" (album version)
2. "(Could Be) A Country Thing, City Thing, Blues Thing"

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Alone with Everybody album booklet. ^[12]

Studios

• Recorded and mixed at Olympic and Metropolis Studios (London, England)
• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

• Richard Ashcroft – writing, vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion, production
• Pino Palladino – bass
• Chuck Leavell – piano
• Peter Salisbury – drums
• Steve Sidelnyk – percussion, programming
• Teena Lyle – vibes
• Duncan Mackay – trumpet
• Lucinda Barry – harp
• The London Session Orchestra – strings
• Gavyn Wright – concertmaster
• Wil Malone – string arrangement and conducting
• Chris Potter – production, mixing
• Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [13] 59 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [14] 6 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [15] 17 Germany (GfK) [16] 82 Ireland (IRMA) [17] 11 Italy (FIMI) [18] 9 Italy Airplay ( Music & Media ) [19] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [20] 83 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [21] 42 Scotland (OCC) [22] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [23] 78 UK Singles (OCC) [24] 3

Year-end charts Chart (2000) Position UK Singles (OCC) [25] 101

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [26]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref(s).
Australia	3 April 2000	CD	Hut Virgin	[27]
United Kingdom		CD cassette		[28] [29]
Japan	12 April 2000	CD		[30]
New Zealand	8 May 2000			[31]
United States	6 June 2000	Mainstream rock active rock alternative radio		[32]

References

1. "Richard Ashcroft Draws Inspiration from Joy Division". MTV . Archived from the original on 19 August 2019.
2. "How Richard Ashcroft's Song For The Lovers was inspired by Joy Division". Radio X. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
3. RichardAshcroftVideo (11 September 2011). Richard Ashcroft - A Song For The Lovers . Retrieved 1 July 2025– via YouTube.
4. Richard Ashcroft: A Song for the Lovers (Music), Academy Films, 1 May 2000, retrieved 1 July 2025
5. A Song for the Lovers (UK CD single liner notes). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. HUTCD128.
6. A Song for the Lovers (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. HUTT128.
7. A Song for the Lovers (UK cassette single sleeve). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. HUTC128.
8. A Song for the Lovers (Canadian CD single liner notes). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. 7243 8 96635 2 5.
9. A Song for the Lovers (Australian CD single liner notes). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. HUTCDF128, 7243 8 96710 2 5.
10. A Song for the Lovers (Japanese CD single liner notes). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. VJCP-12132.
11. A Song for the Lovers (European CD single liner notes). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. HUTCDE128.
12. Alone with Everybody (UK CD album booklet). Hut Records, Virgin Records. 2000. CDHUT63, 7243 8 49494 2 6.
13. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 19.
14. "Richard Ashcroft Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 12 September 2019.
15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 17. 22 April 2000. p. 18. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
16. "Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Song for the Lovers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
18. "Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
19. "Major Market Airplay: Italy" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 14. 1 April 2000. p. 23.
20. "Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
21. "Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
23. "Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
25. Zywietz, Tobias (September 2001). "The Top 200 Singles of 2000" (PDF). Chartwatch. Ilminster, Somerset. pp. 41–42. Retrieved 2 August 2025– via Zobbel.
26. "British single certifications – Richard Ashcroft – A Song for the Lovers". British Phonographic Industry. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
27. "Richard Ashcroft". EMI Music Australia. Archived from the original on 8 July 2000. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
28. "Why Richard Ashcroft owes Song for the Lovers to Joy Division". Radio X. 3 April 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
29. "New Releases – For Week Starting April 3, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 1 April 2000. p. 27. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
30. "ソング・フォー・ザ・ラバーズ | リチャード・アシュクロフト" [Song for the Lovers | Richard Ashcroft] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 10 October 2023.
31. "New Releases". netcd.co.nz. 8 May 2000. Archived from the original on 10 May 2000. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
32. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1353. 2 June 2000. pp. 99, 104, 114. Retrieved 27 May 2021.

External links

• Watch the video on IFILM Archived 27 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
• Video entry on mvdbase.com Archived 16 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
• Article about the video on MTV.com