Heavyweight Champion of the World (song)

"Heavyweight Champion of the World"
Single by Reverend and The Makers
from the album The State Of Things
Released 2007
Format CD
Recorded 2006
Genre Dance-rock, indie rock
Length 6:58
Label Wall of Sound
Reverend and The Makers singles chronology
"Heavyweight Champion of the World"
(2007)		 "He Said He Loved Me"
(2007)

"Heavyweight Champion of the World" is the "top ten" debut single by Reverend and The Makers, as well as the first single from their debut album The State Of Things. The single was released on May 6, 2007 on download only and was subsequently released on CD and 7" vinyl on May 28 that year. The single was also released on a white label which was limited to 800 copies, the track list for this is the same as the standard vinyl. The song has since peaked at #8 on the UK Singles Chart.

Inspiration

"Heavyweight Champion Of The World" tells a story of not just under-achievers, but the majority who are trapped within repetitive lives, with the ironic hook "just be like everybody else". Many songs by the band centre on the downward spiral of somebody's life. The song title is taken from a line of Barry Hines book 'A Kestrel For A Knave.' Like the song, the book's main character is an under-achieving young boy growing up in Yorkshire. The song has received rave reviews, and appeared as Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record In The World Today', and is equally liked by Radio 1 DJs Nick Grimshaw and Greg James. The single is accredited to Jon McClure, Ed Cosens and Alan Smyth, acknowledging the work that Smyth did towards the demo of the song.

In addition to the reference to Barry Hines, the song's chorus includes another pugilistic reference, from the movie On the Waterfront. The line, "I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody" spoken by Marlon Brando in the movie is closely paraphrased in the song's lyrics as "I could've been a contender/Could've been a someone."

Trivia

On both vinyls, the inscription "sleep beneath the stars. MO!" is scratched in the run off as well as the catalogue numbers. In the inside of the CD's booklet, the lyrics to 'Stamping', a song by Jon McClure for his previous band 1984 ("Heavyweight Champion Of The World" even borrows the first verse of the song). When performed live the band frequently include alternate verses from "Stamping" and extend the ending to include the hook from Pixeltan song 'Get Up/Say What' ("You can say what you want but it doesn't mean that it's true") which McClure admits in a blog that he admires. The song 'Get Up/ Say What' was also included as the second track on a recent Mixtape compiled by McClure. The Mixtape entitled "And Whilst the World Was Asleep We Were Listening To..." opens with an alternative version of "The Last Resort" featuring only McClure's verses and a synth backing.

The song also features on the compilation 'Top Gear: Seriously Cool Driving Music'.

Track listing

  • A. "Heavyweight Champion Of The World"
  • B1. "18-30"
  • B2. "The Last Resort" (with John Cooper Clarke)
  1. "Heavyweight Champion Of The World"
  2. "18-30" (extended version)
  3. "Heavyweight Champion of the World" (Club Mix)

Peak Chart positions

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