10 Songs You Didn't Know Were About Heroin
8. "Beetlebum" (Blur)
The year was 1997. Harry Potter mania gripped Great Britain. Arsenal reigned supreme on the football pitch. And Blur and Oasis waged an alt-rock civil war in the cutthroat "if-it-bleeds-it leads" tabloids.
Regardless of one’s allegiance in the Battle of Britpop, "Beetlebum" emerged as an undeniable banger, landing #1 on the UK singles chart. Persistent rumors still linger that the song was written as a cheeky jab at Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher for his infatuation with The Beatles.
But in the 2010 Blur documentary, No Distance Left To Run, lead singer Damon Albarn set the record straight with a reluctant confession, "Well that whole period of a lot of people's lives was fairy muddied by heroin for a lot of people.” Settled.
Additionally, “Beetles” are slang for the dotted black residue left on tin foil sheets when inhaling opiates. The lyrics' dour tone also reflect Albarn’s relationship struggles with then-girlfriend Justine Frischmann of Elastica, evoking the verse, “Just get numb, now what you've done, beetlebum?”