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"High" is a song by Feeder, released as the fourth and final single from their 1997 debut album, '' Polythene''. This track was not included on the album until its re-issue in October of the same year and is seen as a fan anthem.


Reception

It was the first Feeder single to be playlisted on
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, reaching number 24 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 ...
making it their first top 40 hit. It also got extensive radio play, and made the B-list. Frontman Grant Nicholas was once quoted saying that the song is about friendship and the drawbacks of relationships. It's been strongly hinted that the line "I'm going out for a while, so I can get high with my friends" is a reference to marijuana. It also is regarded as the song that kept the band in the United States for 11 months during 1998, touring with Everclear. The track was featured in the film '' Can't Hardly Wait'' in 1998, and reached numbers 24 and 36 on the '' Billboard''
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and Modern Rock Tracks charts, respectively. Because of ''Billboard'' chart rules at the time, the song was ineligible to chart on the Hot 100 due to a lack of commercial single release. The soundtrack album of "Can't Hardly Wait", was however certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000 units shipped, and "High" was one of the most requested tracks on US college radio during the summer of 1998. Before the single's release, ''
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'' rated the single with three out of five stars, saying that "while Feeder probably couldn't write a duff track if their orange jumpsuits depended on it, "High" certainly isn't as shiny or effervescent as the likes of "
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" or " Tangerine", although they commented that it had a "large and graceful chorus" and that the song "could be the one to finally get them some airplay." By 2005, the magazine's opinion of the song had become much more favourable, including the song in an eight-song list of the band's "Past Glories"−a list of "classic feeder moments" that would provide an alternative to '' Pushing the Senses''. They noted that the song became "their first real taste of success" and said the song was " Today" "by
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done in Brit-style". In 2006, Sputnikmusic said the song is an "uplifting summer anthem" and "a great single with catchy chorus" which "showed early on the potential of Feeder's quieter side".


Legacy

Two days after drummer Jon Lee committed suicide at his home in
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, on 7 January 2002
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DJ Steve Lamacq broadcast a tribute show to him, as part of his then show titled ''The Evening Session''. Many fans earlier on in the day contacted Steve to play "High" as a tribute to Jon at the end of his show, which he did. When the band returned to the live stage in August of that year, all live performances of "High" saw Grant Nicholas play an acoustic guitar instead of an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
as with all performances prior to this. Touring guitarist
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played all the electric parts of the song. This was the only year the song was performed with this arrangement. The band's appearance at the
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saw them play the second stage, to reflect the low-key profile to their shows. The second stage to this festival at the time was called ''The Evening Session Stage'', the same name as Steve Lamacq's show at the time.


Track listings and formats

* UK 7-inch single # "High"  – 4:32 # "Wishing for the Sun"  – 3:30 * UK CD 1 # "High"  – 4:32 # "Wishing for the Sun"  – 3:30 # "Women in Towels"  – 2:30 # "
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" (video) * UK CD 2 # "High"  – 4:32 # "High" (Acoustic) – 3:49 # "Sweet Sixteen"  – 3:30 # "
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" (video) * Japanese EP # "High"  – 4:33 # "Crash" (radio mix) – 3:47 # "My Perfect Day"  – 4:37 # "Change"  – 3:24 # "Pictures of Pain"  – 3:47 # "Sweet Sixteen"  – 3:34 # "Forgive" (acoustic session) – 4:01


Charts


References

{{Authority control 1997 singles 1997 songs The Echo Label singles Feeder songs Song recordings produced by Chris Sheldon Songs written by Grant Nicholas