Wikipedia

Greek Tragedy (song)

"Greek Tragedy" is a song from indie rock band the Wombats. The track was released in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2015 as the lead single from the band's third studio album, Glitterbug (2015).[1] "Greek Tragedy" was written and produced by band members Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis, and Tord Øverland Knudsen, with Mark Crew also producing.[2] The track received its premiere on BBC Radio 1 when it featured as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on 14 January.[3] An official remix of the track by British band Bastille was released on 27 January 2015.[4] In 2020, Swedish music producer Oliver Nelson released a remixed version on the social media platform TikTok. This remix became a viral sleeper hit, renewing popularity for the original 2015 version on streaming platform, Spotify. In January 2021, the Wombats released an official music video for the remix, the video was created by Australian animator Jamie Mac.

"Greek Tragedy"
Single by the Wombats
from the album Glitterbug
Released14 January 2015
Recorded2014
Genre
Length3:29
Label14th Floor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Wombats singles chronology
"Your Body Is a Weapon"
(2013) 		"Greek Tragedy"
(2015) 		"Give Me a Try"
(2015)
Music video
"Greek Tragedy" on YouTube

Music video edit

Directed by Finn Keenan, the accompanying music video for "Greek Tragedy" premiered on YouTube on 15 January 2015. The video follows a young woman, portrayed by April Pearson, who becomes obsessed with the Wombats, culminating in her stalking and eventually murdering all of them. She then takes them to a warehouse and sets their corpses up like marionettes.[5][6] The band credited Keenan for imagining the concept of the video.[7] Knudsen said "it is refreshing sometimes to get a different sight on the song ... the video is not really what the song is about",[8] and Haggis elaborated that "It’s not actually about a stalker – fortunately that’s not reality."[7]

Track listing edit

Digital download[1]
No.TitleLength
1."Greek Tragedy"3:29

Charts edit

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 61
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[10] 62
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[11] 64
Finland Airplay (Radiosoittolista)[12] 97
Hungary (Single Top 40)[13] 34
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[14] 158
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[15] 32
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[16] 47

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history edit

Region Date Format
Worldwide 14 January 2015[1] Digital download

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "iTunes - Music - Glitterbug (Deluxe Edition) - The Wombats". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. ^ "The Wombats premiere new single "Greek Tragedy" - Listen". NME. 14 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Zane Lowe - The Wombats - Greek Tragedy". BBC Radio 1. 14 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Bastille remix The Wombats "Greek Tragedy" - Listen". Ear Milk. 27 January 2015.
  5. ^ Davidson, Amy (15 January 2015). "The Wombats premiere music video for new song 'Greek Tragedy'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  6. ^ Mack, Emmy (15 January 2015). "Watch The Wombats' Murderous Video For New Single 'Greek Tragedy'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b Vargas, Emily (10 February 2015). "INTERVIEW: The Wombats aim for new heights on 'Glitterbug'". GroundSounds. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  8. ^ Eberhart, Lisa (16 April 2015). "Getting Geeky: The Wombats Talk Their Musical Evolution". Nothing but Hope and Passion. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  9. ^ "The Wombats – Greek Tragedy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  10. ^ "The Wombats – Greek Tragedy" (in Dutch). Ultratip. 14 February 2015 Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  11. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201510 into search. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Wombats, The: Greek Tragedy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  14. ^ "Chart Update 7.03.2015 (wk9)". zobbel.de. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  15. ^ "The Wombats Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  16. ^ "The Wombats Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  17. ^ "British single certifications – Wombats – Greek Tragedy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – The Wombats – Greek Tragedy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
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