"Cold Contagious" is the fourth and final single from the band

Bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...

's second studio album, ''

Razorblade Suitcase ''Razorblade Suitcase'' is the second studio album by English rock band Bush, released on 19 November 1996 by Trauma and Interscope Records. The follow-up to their 1994 debut ''Sixteen Stone'', it was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with ...

'' (1996). Along with "Bonedriven", "Cold Contagious" is the only Bush single from 1994-1999 not to be included on the band's 2005 greatest hits compilation, ''

The Best of '94–'99 ''The Best of '94–'99'' is a greatest hits album, greatest hits double album by British rock music, rock band Bush (British band), Bush. Disc one consists of the band's hit songs, while disc two is their performance at Woodstock '99. The coll ...

''.

Style and lyrics

"Cold Contagious" features a sharp distorted sound and a heavy, dark drumbeat. The lyrics seem to be about a relationship breaking up, accompanied by a desire for revenge. "Cold Contagious" is unusually long among Bush songs—at about six minutes, it is the longest track Bush ever released, except for the song "Distant Voices," also on ''Razorblade Suitcase'', and "Alien" on ''

Sixteen Stone ''Sixteen Stone'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Bush, released on 6 December 1994 by Trauma and Interscope Records. It became the band's most popular album, peaking at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and boasting numero ...

'', which is the same length musically but has about thirty seconds of silence at the end. "Distant Voices" contains two hidden tracks. The radio edit of "Cold Contagious" is much shorter. Steve Morse of ''

Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single y ...

'' opined "Cold Contagious" displays a "

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

influence".

Music video

Directed by Mark Lebon in March and April 1997, the video was shot in

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

at the Days Inn Hotel (Hotel room used was 211),

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.

and in

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Dave Parsons David Guy Parsons (born 1964) is a British rock musician who is best known as the original bassist for English grunge band Bush. Life and career Before joining the grunge band Bush, was a member of punk band The Partisans, and alternative rock ...

' girlfriend is also in the video.

Chart performance

While ''Razorblade Suitcase'' initially reached the top spot on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, its sound proved not to be as radio-friendly as that of Bush's debut album, ''

''. "Cold Contagious" was not a big hit, peaking at No. 18 on the

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart and No. 23 on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart, although it was more successful than the third single from the album, "

Bonedriven "Bonedriven" is a song by the British rock band Bush, released on 16 April 1997. It is the third single from the band's second album ''Razorblade Suitcase'' (1996). It followed the band's hit singles "Swallowed" and " Greedy Fly." "Bonedriven" a ...

", which failed to chart at all in the U.S. The single reached No. 4 on Canada's alternative rock chart.

Track listing

*AUS CD Single IND95548 (Digipak) *#"Cold Contagious (Radio Edit)" - 3:55 *#"

Swallowed Swallowing, sometimes called deglutition in scientific contexts, is the process in the human or animal body that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. Swallowing i ...

(

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in th ...

Remix)" - 5:50 *#"Synapse (My Ghost in the Bush of Life Remix)" - 6:29 *#"In a Lonely Place" - 6:00

Charts

References

External links

* 1996 songs 1997 singles Bush (British band) songs Song recordings produced by Steve Albini Songs written by Gavin Rossdale Interscope Records singles Trauma Records singles Grunge songs {{1990s-rock-song-stub