Alfie (Lily Allen song)

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"Alfie"
File:LilyA AlfieEPJapanOnly.jpg
Single by Lily Allen
from the album Alright, Still
A-side"Shame for You"
Released
  • 5 March 2007 (UK)
  • 11 July 2007 (Japan)
GenreSka
Length2:46
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Kurstin
Lily Allen singles chronology
"Littlest Things"
(2006) 		"Shame for You" / "Alfie"
(2007) 		"Oh My God"
(2007)
Music video
"Alfie" on YouTube

"Alfie" is a song by British singer-songwriter Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still (2006). Written by Allen and Greg Kurstin, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the album, on 5 March 2007, by Regal Recordings. In the United Kingdom, it was marketed as a double A-side single, along with "Shame for You". While the melody incorporates a sample of Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String", the lyrics directly describe Allen's real life younger brother (aged 20 at the time of the single's release), actor Alfie Allen, criticising him for laziness. Contemporary critics gave the song mixed reviews, some complimenting the production, while others considered it fell flat as the album's last song. The single peaked inside the top 20 of the charts in New Zealand and on the UK Singles Chart, where it became her third single to do so. The accompanying music video portrayed Allen's brother as a puppet while the storyline follows the lyrical meaning of the song. The song was performed live by Allen during her 2007 concert tour, as part of the encore.

Background

The song is set in common time and has a tempo of 120 beats per minute.[1] While it is played in the key of C major and has backing piano and guitar sounds,[1] "Alfie" also uses a sample from Sandie Shaw's 1967 Eurovision Song Contest winning song "Puppet on a String".[2] In an interview with Pitchfork Media, Allen stated that the song's lyrics describe her younger brother, Alfie Allen. She further explained:

When I wrote "Alfie", nobody really knew who I was. At first he was really upset about it, because he thought that I was just pointing out all of his bad points and attacking him. I thought it was really flattering [Laughs]. I thought he'd be really, really happy because it proved to him how much I loved him, that I care about him, and I want him to do something with his life. I suppose his paranoia — induced by smoking so much weed — made him think, "Why are you trying to be mean?"[3]

In the song, she tries to persuade him to emerge from his room and stop wasting his life away, while complaining that he is spending too much time stuck in his room smoking weed, watching television, and playing video games. The cover of the single released in the United Kingdom is different from the EP one used in Japan, as it also shows "Shame for You" written on it.[4] "Alfie" was performed live, as part of the setlist of Allen's 2007 concert tour.[5]

Critical and commercial reception

Rosie Swash from The Guardian described the song's sound as "fairground pomp". She then suggested that Allen has fused together a "uniquely acidic brand of pop", with the icing on the cake being "that brutally barbed tongue".[6] Rob Webb from Drowned in Sound considered that "Alfie" rescued the lack of wit and imagination of some previous tracks on the album,[7] while Blender reporter Jon Dolan thought that the "silly waltz-rap" of the song is an example at how Allen "casually and wittily blurs the line between fan and friend".[8] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine praised the production of "Alfie", as well as "Shame for You", with "plenty of catchy melodies and clever samples", but claimed that Allen lacks charisma.[9] Heather Phares of Allmusic gave a negative review for the song, claiming it "falls especially flat as the album's final song", with the album losing steam at the end,[10] and NME's Priya Elan considered that if "the pop dreams get slightly tarnished by the graffiti put-downs of 'Not Big' and 'Alfie', then that's not too worrying, as with a personality this size, this isn’t the last time you’ll be hearing from [Allen]".[11] It was considered by reviewer Ronan Hunt-Murphy from Two Way Monologues that the song could be used for a children's TV show, if the swearing and drug references were cut.[2] The single failed to achieve commercial success. It debuted at 44 and peaked inside the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, at number 15 for only one week, where it charted as the double A-sided single, "Alfie"/"Shame for You".[12] Other moderate chart peaks include Ireland, at 31, and New Zealand at 15.[13] In Japan, "Alfie" was only released as an extended play, made exclusively for that country.[14] In Europe, it reached position 55 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles compiled by Billboard.[15]

Music video

File:Lily-allen-alfie.png
Alfie trying to get back the water pipe from Allen in the music video for "Alfie".

Track listing and formats

Credits and personnel

  • Lead vocals — Lily Allen
  • Written by — Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin
  • Produced by — Greg Kurstin
  • Mastered by — Tim Burrell, Tim Debney
  • Audio mixing — Greg Kurstin

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 55
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 31
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[12][B] 15

Notes:

Certifications

Certifications for "Alfie/Shame For You"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lily Allen Sheet Music". Music Notes. Alfred Music Publishing. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hunt-Murphy, Ronan (21 July 2006). "Lily Allen - Alright, Still - Indie Music Review". Two Way Monologues. Archived from the original on 14 July 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  3. ↑ Plagenoef, Scott (6 November 2006). "Interview:Lily Allen". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lily Allen - Shame for You/Alfie - CD, Single". Discogs. Zink Media, Inc. 5 March 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  5. ↑ Miller, Alex (13 November 2006). "Lily Allen/New Young Pony Club: Leadmill, Sheffield, Saturday, October 28". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  6. ↑ Swash, Rosie (16 July 2006). "CD: Lily Allen -Alright, Still". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  7. ↑ Webb, Rob (18 July 2006). "Alright, Still Review". Drowned in Sound. Silentway. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Dolan, Jon (30 January 2007). "Alright, Still - Blender". Blender. Alpha Media Group. Retrieved 4 September 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (28 December 2006). "Lily Allen: Alright, Still - Musical Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  10. ↑ Phares, Heather. "allmusic ((( Alright, Still > Overview )))". allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Elan, Priya (17 July 2006). "Lily Allen: Alright, Still -Album Reviews". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "The Official Charts Company - Lily Allen - Alfie". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Lily Allen - Alfie - Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "EMI Music Japan 商品情報". EMI Music Japan. EMI. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Lily Allen Album & Song chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Alfie Tracklisting". Lily Allen Music. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  17. ↑ "British single certifications – Lily Allen – Alfie/Shame For You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 September 2022.

External links

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