Weak (Skunk Anansie song)
 | This article needs more citations. (October 2020) |
| "Weak" | ||||
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| Single by Skunk Anansie | ||||
| from the album Paranoid & Sunburnt | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 15 January 1996[1] | |||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label | One Little Indian | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Skunk Anansie singles chronology | ||||
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"Weak" is a song by British rock band Skunk Anansie, released on 15 January 1996, by One Little Indian, as the fourth and final single from their debut album, Paranoid & Sunburnt (1995). It reached number two in Iceland and became a top-20 hit in Sweden and on the UK Singles Chart. At many of her solo gigs, lead singer Skin performs a slower, more ballad-like version.
Composition
[edit]Skin wrote the core of the song based on a past abusive relationship experience. The band helped build this out.[2]
Recording
[edit]The song was produced by the band with Sylvia Massy. The band 'made a kind of “battle zone” in the studio for Skin, with all these banners and placards all over the place. She’d put on war paint.'[2]
Critical reception
[edit]Roy Wilkinson from Select wrote, "'Weak' could be their 'Under the Bridge', an understated, casually memorable verse leading into a chorus thas has as much to do with Heart as Metallica."[3]
Music video
[edit]The music video for "Weak" was directed by duo Hammer & Tongs. It is filmed primarily (with cutaways to third party views) from the point of view of a collapsed cameraman in what appears to be a restaurant carpark (Route 66). The cameraman collapses behind a car which then drives off to show Skin and the band forming to perform for the offset camera. The recording is interrupted by a little boy who, after being pulled out of the way of the camera abruptly, decides to run off with it and the band gives chase after him.
Track listings
[edit]- CD single – CD1
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Weak" | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Selling Jesus" | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Tour Hymn" | 3:18 |
| Total length: | 10:35 | |
- CD single – CD2
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Weak" (Ackee and Saltfish mix) | 3:56 |
| 2. | "Charity" (Clit Pop mix) | 4:34 |
| 3. | "100 Ways to Be a Good Girl" (Anti Matter mix) | 4:32 |
| 4. | "Rise Up" (Bonhamoon mix) | 5:00 |
| Total length: | 18:02 | |
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- 1 2 Yates, Henry; Yates, Interview by Henry (6 September 2021). "Skunk Anansie: how we made Weak" – via The Guardian.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Roy (October 1995). "New Albums". Select. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 September 2016". ARIA. Retrieved 6 February 2026 – via Imgur.
- ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 6. 10 February 1996. p. 15. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (6.4. – 12.4. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 3 April 1996. p. 60. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 17, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Skunk Anansie – Weak" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 27/1/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Skunk Anansie – Weak". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 27/1/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ↑ "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 25. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ↑ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Skunk Anansie – Weak". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Weak Skunk Anansie in the "Search:" field.
