"Coffee & TV" | ||||||||
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Single by Blur | ||||||||
from the album 13 | ||||||||
Released | 28 June 1999 | |||||||
Format | 12" vinyl, cassette, 2 x CD | |||||||
Recorded | 1998 | |||||||
Genre | Alternative rock, art rock | |||||||
Length | 5:03 (radio edit) 5:18 (single edit) 5:58 (album version) |
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Label |
Food (UK) EMI |
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Writer(s) |
Graham Coxon (Lyrics) Albarn / Coxon / James / Rowntree. (Music) |
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Producer(s) | William Orbit | |||||||
Blur singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Coffee & TV" is a 1999 song by the Britpop band Blur. It was written by the band's guitarist, Graham Coxon, who also sang lead vocals, as opposed to frontman Damon Albarn. The song appears on Blur's sixth studio album, 13 and was the second single released from the album. The lyrics describe Coxon's struggle with alcoholism and the song's video, featuring a sentient milk carton searching for Coxon, won several awards.
The song was recorded, along with the rest of the material for 13 in late 1998, with producer William Orbit. Coxon wrote the song about his struggle from alcoholism, and how he would unwind by watching television over a cup of coffee instead, and writing songs. This experience also contributed to his first solo album, The Sky Is Too High.
The song's musical style is an anomaly in comparison with the rest of 13, appearing similar to Blur's earlier, Britpop days. Despite featuring heavy guitar distortion and feedback during the instrumental break, major characteristics of 13, the track generally features subdued, calm lyrics and vocals. The edit of the singles cuts off the instrumental part after the fade out and runs about 40 seconds shorter than the album version. This instrumental part is a hidden track, which, though officially untitled, is known as "Coffee & TV Exitlude".
To promote the single, the band recruited Hammer & Tongs to direct and produce a suitable video. The result featured a sentient milk carton known as "Milky" searching for Coxon, who appeared as a missing person's face on its side.
The video won several awards in 1999 and 2000 including Best Video at the NME Awards and the MTV Europe Awards. In 2002, the video was ranked the fourth best video of all time by VH1. In 2005, it was voted the 17th greatest pop video of all time in a poll by Channel 4. In 2006, Stylus Magazine ranked it No. 32 in their list of the Top 100 Music Videos Of All Time. In a similar poll, NME ranked it the 20th greatest music video of all time. In addition the video received heavy rotation on MTV in the US.