View source for A Small Victory

{{Short description|1992 single by Faith No More}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = A Small Victory
| cover      = A Small Victory.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Faith No More]]
| album      = [[Angel Dust (Faith No More album)|Angel Dust]]
| B-side     =
* "Let's Lynch the Landlord"
* "Malpractice"
| released   = {{start date|1992|08|03}}
| recorded   =
| studio     = Coast Recorders, Brilliant (San Francisco, California)
| genre      =
* [[Alternative metal]]
* [[alternative rock]]
| length     = {{Duration|m=4|s=57}}
| label      =
* [[Slash Records|Slash]]
* [[London Records|London]]
* [[Reprise Records|Reprise]]
| writer     =
| composer   =
* [[Mike Bordin]]
* [[Roddy Bottum]]
* [[Billy Gould]]
* [[Mike Patton]]
| lyricist   = * Mike Patton
| producer   = [[Matt Wallace (record producer)|Matt Wallace]]
| prev_title = [[Midlife Crisis (song)|Midlife Crisis]]
| prev_year  = 1992
| next_title = [[Everything's Ruined]]
| next_year  = 1992
}}
"'''A Small Victory'''" is the 10th track and the second single from American rock band [[Faith No More]]'s fourth studio album ''[[Angel Dust (Faith No More album)|Angel Dust]]'', released as a single on August 3, 1992. The song was later remixed by [[Martin Glover|Youth]] of [[Killing Joke]] and released later the same month. It was their last single to chart on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Modern Rock Tracks|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart, peaking at number 11, and reached the top 30 in Finland and the United Kingdom.
When asked about the song's meaning, [[Mike Patton]] said:
{{cquote|It's kind of about, well my dad was a coach, so I grew up and I always wanted to win. And well, I found out that I just can't win every game… darn it.<ref>[http://www.fnm.com/faq/#30 fnm.com], FAQ page q30</ref>}}
==Artwork==
The cover features a [[World War II]] photograph of a soldier loading shells, which originally featured on the cover of ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' in September 1939.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.originallifemagazines.com/product/life-magazine-september-18-1939/|title=LIFE Magazine September 18, 1939 |website=Originallifemagazines.com|access-date=June 7, 2023}}</ref>
==Music video==
At the time it was described as their "most radio-friendly song"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://negele.org/db/index.php3?band=2&year=1993&month=1&day=27&id=815 |title=Talking music and zoning with Roddy Bottom of Faith No More |access-date=August 7, 2008 |author=Nathan Ammons |author2=Tim Newman |date=January 27, 1993 |publisher=Public News, Houston, Texas |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716191647/http://negele.org/db/index.php3?band=2&year=1993&month=1&day=27&id=815 |archive-date=July 16, 2012 }}</ref> and stylistically more of a "dance song" than their other works.<ref name="dustyroad">{{cite web|url=http://negele.org/db/index.php3?band=2&year=1992&id=1285 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415093916/http://negele.org/db/index.php3?band=2&year=1992&id=1285 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |title=Faith No More: The Long & Dusty Road |access-date=July 25, 2008 |author=Marina Zogbi |year=1992 }}</ref> For this reason the band wanted a music video "visual to complement it."<ref name="dustyroad"/>
The video was directed by [[Marcus Nispel]], known for his work with [[C+C Music Factory]]. On September 2, 1993, the music video was nominated for the [[MTV Video Music Awards]] for [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]], but lost to [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s song "[[Rain (Madonna song)|Rain]]" off her album ''[[Erotica (Madonna album)|Erotica]]''.<ref>[http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1993/mtvvmas.htm rockonthenet.com], page on the 1993 [[MTV Video Music Awards]], retrieved on January 6, 2008</ref>
==Track lists==
{{tracklist
|collapsed=	|headline=Standard track list
|title1=A Small Victory	|music1=Bordin, Bottum, Gould, Patton	|lyrics1=Patton	|length1=4:23
|title2=A Small Victory	|music2=Bordin, Bottum, Gould, Patton	|lyrics2=Patton	|length2=4:58
|title3=[[Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables|Let's Lynch the Landlord]]
|music3=Biafra	|lyrics3=[[Jello Biafra|Biafra]]	|length3=2:58
|title4=Malpractice	|music4=Patton	|lyrics4=Patton				|length4=4:03
|note1=Video edit
}}
{{tracklist
|collapsed=		|headline=Remix track list
|title1=A Small Victory		|length1=4:58
|title2=A Small Victory		|length2=7:21
|title3=Malpractice		|length3=4:03
|title4=A Small Victory		|length4=5:27
|title5=A Small Victory		|length5=6:05
|title6=A Small Victory		|length6=3:53
|note1=
|note2=R-evolution 23 (Full Moon) Mix
|note3=
|note4=Sundown Mix
|note5=Sundown Instrumental
|note6=R-evolution 23 Edit
}}
==Personnel==
{{div col}}
* [[Mike Patton]] – vocals
* [[Jim Martin (musician)|Jim Martin]] – guitars
* [[Billy Gould]] – bass
* [[Roddy Bottum]] – keyboards
* [[Mike Bordin]] – drums
* [[Martin Glover]] – remixes
* [[John Brough]] – engineer on remixed tracks
* Green Ink – sleeve artwork
* [[Ross Halfin]] – band photo
{{div col end}}
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Chart (1992–1993)
! Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>
| 84
|-
! scope="row"| Finland ([[The Official Finnish Charts]])<ref>{{cite book|first=Jake|last=Nyman|year=2005|title=Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja|edition=1st|publisher=Tammi|location=Helsinki|isbn=951-31-2503-3|language=fi}}</ref>
| 17
|-
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|29|artist=Faith No More|artistid=24681|rowheader=true|access-date=November 26, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|11|artist=Faith No More|rowheader=true|access-date=November 26, 2016}}
|}
==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Version
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|rowspan="4"|Original
|rowspan="2"|August 3, 1992
|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|rowspan="6"|{{hlist|[[Slash Records|Slash]]|[[London Records|London]]}}
|align="center"|<ref name="fnmdisco">{{cite web|url=http://www.fnm.com/discography/FNMDiscog1.pdf|title=The fnm.com Faith No More Discography|website=fnm.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204061529/http://www.fnm.com/discography/FNMDiscog1.pdf|archive-date=December 4, 2003|access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=19|date=August 1, 1992}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Europe
|align="center"|<ref name="fnmdisco"/>
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|August 17, 1992
|12-inch vinyl
|align="center"|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=August 15, 1992}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|August 19, 1992
|Mini-CD
|align="center"|<ref name="fnmdisco"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/139293/products/203967/1/|title=ア・スモール・ヴィクトリー {{!}} フェイス・ノー・モア|trans-title=A Small Victory {{!}} Faith No More|publisher=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|access-date=September 10, 2023}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|rowspan="3"|[[Martin Glover|Youth]] remix
|August 31, 1992
|rowspan="2"|{{hlist|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|align="center"|<ref name="fnmdisco"/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=17|date=August 29, 1992}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Europe
|September 1, 1992
|rowspan="2" align="center"|<ref name="fnmdisco"/>
|-
!scope="row"|United States
|October 29, 1992
|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}
|{{hlist|Slash|[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]}}
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Faith No More}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small Victory}}
[[Category:1992 songs]]
[[Category:1992 singles]]
[[Category:Faith No More songs]]
[[Category:London Records singles]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Marcus Nispel]]
[[Category:Reprise Records singles]]
[[Category:Slash Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Billy Gould]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jim Martin (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Mike Bordin]]
[[Category:Songs written by Mike Patton]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roddy Bottum]]