"Teardrop"
Single by Massive Attack featuring Elizabeth Fraser
from the album Mezzanine
Released	27 April 1998
Format	CD, 12", cassette
Recorded	1997
Genre	Trip hop, downtempo
Length	5:31
Label	Virgin
Writer(s)	Robert Del Naja, Grantley Marshall, Andrew Vowles, Elizabeth Fraser
Producer	Massive Attack and Neil Davidge
Massive Attack featuring Elizabeth Fraser singles chronology
"Risingson" (1997) "Teardrop" (1998) "Angel" (1998)
Music video "Teardrop" on YouTube

"Teardrop" is a song by Massive Attack, which was first released on their 1998 album Mezzanine. It was released as a single on 27 April 1998. The song became another UK hit for the group, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The song features vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

The song is also known for its use in numerous TV programs and movies, notably as the theme song, on American TV, of the medical television series House. The instrumental portions of the song at the beginning and the end which feature a bass drum beat reminiscent of a heartbeat are used in the opening theme.

Development [edit]

"Teardrop" was first developed from a simple harpsichord riff picked out in the studio in April 1997. Vowles sent the demo to Madonna as he wanted her to record the vocals for the song (the band had previously worked with her on their 1995 reworking of the song "I Want You"). The two other band members Robert Del Naja and Grantley Marshall wanted Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins to record the vocals, feeling her ethereal style suited the mournful melody and feel of the piece. Madonna was very keen to record the vocals, and was disappointed when the two-to-one vote went in Fraser's favour.^[1]

Fraser wrote the song's lyrics and was recording the song when she got the news of the death by drowning on 29 May 1997 of her once-close friend, Jeff Buckley. "That was so weird ... I'd got letters out and I was thinking about him. That song's kind of about him – that's how it feels to me anyway."^[2]

The single peaked at number 16 in Australia.^[3] It placed number 22 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009, and number 23 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1998, the year of its release.

Music video [edit]

The song's music video featured a plastic fetus in the womb, singing the song. It was directed by Walter Stern.^[4]

Track listing [edit]

1. "Teardrop" (album version) – 5:31
2. "Euro Zero Zero" – 5:24
3. "Teardrop" (Scream Team Remix) – 6:45
4. "Teardrop" (Mad Professor Mazaruni Instrumental Mix) – 6:24

The 12" release contains the same songs but in a different order. The cassette release contains an edited version of the original song, as well as the Scream Team remix and the B-side "Euro Zero Zero", but is missing the remix by Mad Professor.

Covers [edit]

Newton Faulkner [edit]

Newton Faulkner covered the song on his album Hand Built by Robots, which was produced by Mike Spencer. On downloads alone, Faulkner's version reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart in August 2007.^[5] It was released as an official single on 10 December 2007, and reached number 57 on the chart the following week.^[5] The version of the album available from the Australian iTunes Music Store also incorporates an acoustic version.^[6]

O'Hooley & Tidow [edit]

O'Hooley & Tidow covered the song on their album The Fragile. The Guardian described their version of "Teardrop" as "an exquisite reworking"^[7]and it was voted by Guardian music critic Jude Rogers as one of the best tracks of 2012.^[8]

José González [edit]

José González covered "Teardrop" in his second album In Our Nature. The single was released across Europe on 12 November 2007. The single features the non-album instrumental B-side "Four Forks Ache." This version was also featured in the medical drama House M.D. in the episode "Wilson's Heart".

Track listing [edit]

1. "Teardrop" – 3:22
2. "Four Forks Ache" – 5:25

Civil Twilight [edit]

Civil Twilight covered "Teardrop" on their 13 April 2010 release "Live from SoHo", an iTunes-only release. The band, signed to Wind-Up Records, released the studio version of the song as a single on 10 August 2010.

Elbow [edit]

Elbow covered "Teardrop" live at BBC Radio 1. A recorded version was also included as a B-side on their 2004 single "Not a Job".

Red Hot Chilli Pipers [edit]

Celtic rock band Red Hot Chilli Pipers covered the song at the end of their album "Blast" in 2008, a live performance at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. The performance of this piece is instrumental based chiefly on Scottish smallpipes and Highland bagpipes and is merged with a reel titled "Brenda Stubberts".

Simple Minds [edit]

The song was also covered by Scottish rock band Simple Minds and is found on their cover album Searching For The Lost Boy. This album was only released as the bonus second album in the 2-CD Deluxe Edition of their 15th studio album entitled Graffiti Soul, released on 25 May 2009.

The Collective [edit]

"Teardrop"
Single by The Collective featuring Wretch 32, Ed Sheeran, Labrinth, Tulisa Contostavlos, Tinchy Stryder, Rizzle Kicks, Ms. Dynamite, Chipmunk, Mz Bratt and Dot Rotten
from the album We Are the Collective
Released	13 November 2011
Format	CD, digital download
Recorded	2011
Genre	Alternative hip hop, R&B, pop, grime, trip hop, dance
Length	4:04
Label	Polydor
Writer(s)	Robert Del Naja, Grantley Marshall, Andrew Vowles, Elizabeth Fraser
Producer	Gary Barlow, Labrinth[9]
Children in Need singles chronology
"Love You More" (2010) "Teardrop" (2011) "Something New" (2012)
Gary Barlow chronology "Shame" (2010) "Teardrop" (2011) "Sing" (2012) Wretch 32 chronology "Hangover" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Forgiveness" (2011) Ed Sheeran chronology "Lego House" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Drunk" (2012) Labrinth chronology "Earthquake" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Last Time" (2012) Tinchy Stryder chronology "Off the Record" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Bright Lights" (2012) Rizzle Kicks chronology "When I Was a Youngster" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Mama Do the Hump" (2011) Ms. Dynamite chronology "Neva Soft" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Light Up (The World)" (2012) Chipmunk chronology "Take Off" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Reload" (2013) Dot Rotten chronology "Keep It On a Low" (2011) "Teardrop" (2011) "Are You Not Entertained?" (2012) Tulisa Contostavlos chronology "Teardrop" (2011) "Young" (2012)

The song was covered by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow's assembled group named The Collective and released as the official single for Children in Need 2011.^[10] Produced by Labrinth, the performers,^[11] consist of: Chipmunk, Dot Rotten, Ed Sheeran, Ms. Dynamite, Mz. Bratt, Tulisa Contostavlos, Rizzle Kicks, Tinchy Stryder and Wretch 32.

The song was released in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2011^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]} and entered the charts at number 24.^[18]

Track listing [edit]

Chart performance [edit]

Release history [edit]

Media use [edit]

Before the song became the theme for House, it was used in the T.V show "Charmed" in Season 1, Episode 16 name "Which Prue Is It Anyway?". An instrumental portion of it was also featured in the season one episode "Tonight" of the Fox Network show Prison Break. A clip from the song was also used on the show CSI: Miami in Season 2, Episode 23. The song was later sold to the House producers and was thus not used in any other projects. This song also was used in the TV Spot from the video game Assassin's Creed. Robert "3D" Del Naja told The Guardian on 6 February 2010 that the band cut themselves out of a fortune with the licensing of this song to the show. He explained: "We got an email from Bryan Singer saying the entire concept of House was based on Teardrop. We were flattered. We let him have it."^[23]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official "Teardrop" Videoclip on EMI's channel on YouTube