"The Bucket" is the first single taken from the Aha Shake Heartbreak album by the American rock band Kings of Leon. It is one of the band's most successful singles, reaching number 16 in the UK Singles Chart (making it their most successful UK release at the time) and number 23 in the U.S. Modern Rock chart.

"The Bucket"
Single by Kings of Leon
from the album Aha Shake Heartbreak
B-side
  • "Where Nobody Knows"
  • "Slow Night, So Long"
  • "Wicker Chair" (live)
  • "Trani" (live)
ReleasedOctober 25, 2004 (2004-10-25)[1]
GenreGarage rock, Southern rock
Length2:55
LabelHandmedown
Songwriter(s)Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill
Producer(s)Ethan Johns, Angelo Petraglia
Kings of Leon singles chronology
"California Waiting"
(2003)
"The Bucket"
(2004)
"Four Kicks"
(2005)

In Australia, the song was ranked number 31 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.

The song is written about bassist Jared Followill, who is the youngest member in the band, dealing with the band's fame at the age of 17. The song was written by Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill and Matthew Followill. In the music video, the word "legs" (as part of "I'll swing my legs") is censored due to the line meaning to hang oneself.

In October 2011, NME placed it at number 38 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[2]

Track listing edit

All songs written by Kings of Leon except where noted.

CD single edit

  1. "The Bucket" – 2:55
  2. "Where Nobody Knows" – 2:23

10" vinyl edit

  1. "The Bucket" – 2:55
  2. "Slow Night, So Long" – 3:53
  3. "Wicker Chair" (Live) (Angelo Petraglia, Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill) – 3:31
  • The track "Wicker Chair" was recorded live at the Roskilde Festival on July 3, 2004 in Denmark and mixed by Brent Rawlings.

7" vinyl edit

  1. "The Bucket" – 2:55
  2. "Trani" (Live) (Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Angelo Petraglia) – 5:09

iTunes download edit

  1. "The Bucket" – 2:55
  2. "Slow Night, So Long" – 3:54
  3. "Wicker Chair" (Live) (Angelo Petraglia, Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill) – 3:34
  • The track "Wicker Chair" was recorded live at the Roskilde Festival on July 3, 2004 in Denmark and mixed by Brent Rawlings.

Chart performance edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] Gold 400,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 23, 2004. p. 23.
  2. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.com. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  3. ^ "British single certifications – Kings of Leon – The Bucket". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 8, 2024.

External links edit