"Growing on Me" is a song by British rock band the Darkness from their 2003 debut album, ''

Permission to Land ''Permission to Land'' is the debut studio album released by British glam rock band the Darkness. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003 and in the United States on 16 September 2003. The album topped the UK Albums Chart an ...

''. It was released as the second single on 16 June 2003, peaking at number 11 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. It also charted at number 42 and 46 in Ireland and Australia, respectively.

Background

Despite rumours surrounding the song's meaning, lead singer

Justin Hawkins Justin David Hawkins (born 17 March 1975) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and YouTube personality best known for being the founder, lead singer, and lead guitarist of The Darkness. He was influenced by rock bands of the 1970s and 1 ...

has refuted suggestions that the lyrics pertain to

pubic lice Pediculosis pubis (also known as "crabs" and "pubic lice") is an infestation by the pubic louse, ''Pthirus pubis'', a wingless insect which feeds on blood and lays its eggs (nits) on mainly pubic hair. Less commonly, hair near the anus, armp ...

sexually transmitted infection Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

s: "People have said it's about pubic lice, but that's obviously wrong because pubic lice don't grow on you, do they?" Hawkins has also commented on the song's true meaning: "A sweet lady woman that you will never fully fathom or understand, but you love her so much that after a while it doesn't matter."

Music video

The video opens with the reoccurring spaceship seen in later singles, the ship gets mounted by a Pterodactyl attempting to mate with the structure, the ship eventually lands over a large riverbank and dispenses four pods containing each band member as a child. The children all enter a helicopter flying towards a much larger estate and the band members exit the helicopter fully grown. Eventually the band begin performing the song around the Estate including various moments of humor as Justin Hawkins is singing naked from a bathtub or

Dan Hawkins Danny Clarence Hawkins (born November 10, 1960) is an American football coach at UC Davis. A former player and sportscaster, he served as the head football coach at Willamette University (1993–1997), Boise State University (2001–2005), and ...

is able to fire missiles out of his

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype ...

Track listings

* UK CD and digital single, Australian CD single # "Growing on Me" # "How Dare You Call This Love?" # "Bareback" * UK 7-inch single :A. "Growing on Me" :B. "How Dare You Call This Love?" * UK DVD single # "Growing on Me" (video + out-takes) # "Growing on Me" (audio)

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the ''

'' album booklet. Studios * Recorded at Chapel Studios (

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England) * Additional vocals recorded at Paul Smith Music Studios (London, England) * Mixed at Roundhouse Recording Studios (London, England) * Mastered at The Exchange (London, England) Personnel * Justin Hawkins – writing, vocals, guitar, synthesizer, piano * Dan Hawkins – writing, guitar *

Frankie Poullain Francis Gilles Poullain-Patterson (born 15 April 1967), better known as Frankie Poullain, is the bassist, bass player for rock band The Darkness (band), The Darkness. He was raised in Milnathort then Edinburgh, Scotland. He attended the Royal H ...

– writing, bass *

Ed Graham Edwin James Graham (born 20 February 1977) is an English musician who is best known as the original drummer of the rock band the Darkness, as well as the subsequent successor band Stone Gods fronted by guitarist and singer Richie Edwards. ...

– writing, drums * Pedro Ferreira – production, mixing, engineering * Will Bartle – recording assistant * Nick Taylor – mixing assistant * Mike Marsh – mastering

Charts

Release history

In popular culture

The song is featured in the soundtrack to the film ''

School of Rock ''School of Rock'' (titled onscreen as ''The School of Rock'') is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman. Bl ...

'', despite not actually appearing in the motion picture. The film itself contains another song by the Darkness, "Black Shuck". This change is likely due to the strong language in "Black Shuck"; changing the song on the released soundtrack would avoid an advisory sticker on the release and allow members of the target audience—namely children—to widely purchase the album. It was also featured in the 2004 film '' Going the Distance''.

References

{{Authority control 2003 singles 2003 songs Atlantic Records singles The Darkness (band) songs Songs written by Dan Hawkins (musician) Songs written by Ed Graham Songs written by Frankie Poullain Songs written by Justin Hawkins