"Lightning Bolt" is a song by English singer-songwriter

Jake Bugg Jake Bugg (born Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy on 28 February 1994) is an English singer-songwriter. His self-titled debut album, '' Jake Bugg'', some of which was co-written with songwriter Iain Archer, was released in October 2012 and reached num ...

. It was released on 27 April 2012 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

via digital download, the third from his self-titled debut studio album ''

'' (2012). Released as a single on 24 December 2012, it reached No. 26 in 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 ...

in the week beginning 13 January 2013. It was Bugg's first UK Top 40 single and remains one of his biggest hits and more recognisable songs.

Style and content

The "lightning bolt" of the title represents a sudden and unexpected situation in which the singer finds himself, a burst of fortunate events. The chorus describes the singer as someone who takes everything that has been put on his plate for him: "I just stand by and I wait my time". But he will take the chance when it comes his way: "when I see the signs I jump on that lightning bolt". He doesn't want to be one of those people who "walk with gritted teeth" and "toe the line", those who don't take chances and believe there aren't any answers. The lightning bolt could also represent

love at first sight Love at first sight is a personal experience as well as a common trope in literature: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. Described by p ...

: :"Met her as the angels parted for her :She only brought me torture :That’s what happens :When it’s you that's standing in the path of a lightning bolt." So by "taking chances" the listener could assume "taking chances in love". The song has been described as "reminiscent of early Beatles hits" and "was likened to Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash and early Dylan." Writing for the ''

Sabotage Times James Brown (born 26 September 1965 in Leeds) is a British former journalist, author, radio host and media entrepreneur. His first book, ''Above Head Height: A Five-a-Side Life'', was published in 2017 by Quercus and received positive reviews in ' ...

'', Joe Mardon says:

It chugs along with a quick acoustic beat matched by an instantly classic vocal delivery of fast paced lyrics, recalling "
Subterranean Homesick Blues "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It was the lead track on the album '' Bringing It All Back Home'', released so ...
". You know straight away that Bugg's got something and repeat the song, twice last night, a further three times this morning. The smile returns every time. Quick research reveals that Jake Bugg, bred on one of the UK's largest council estates in Nottingham, has only just turned eighteen. It's a fact that is, quite frankly, ridiculous. He's a wordsmith in the Dylan sense of the word, painting pictures of the estate he grew up in, and the hope of getting out.

Music video

An accompanying music video, lasting two minutes and thirty seconds, was first released on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

on 18 May 2012. By September 2017 it had received over 15 million hits. The video was shot in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, Netherlands, with some scenes in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium, and was directed by Michael Holyk, who also directed the video for Bugg's "

Trouble Town "Trouble Town" is a song by British singer songwriter Jake Bugg. It was released as the lead single from his eponymous debut album (2012). It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2012 and charted in Belgium. "Trou ...

In popular culture

The song gained prominence in the UK after it was used as the backing-track to a recording of the

100m The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

win by

Usain Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay. An eight-ti ...

at the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. Interviewed in October 2012 on

BBC Radio Nottingham BBC Radio Nottingham is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on London Road in Nottingham city centre. According to RAJAR, the station has ...

, Bugg confirmed that the song "had no relevance to the Olympics", but that he thought "it was great that they used it". In April 2013 Bugg performed the song live at the offices of '' Billboard' In 2019 the song was featured in the show ''

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...

'', during the fourth episode of season four.

Track listings

Musicians

* Iain Archer: guitar, drums *

: vocal, guitar

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

Jake Bugg: Lightning Bolt
at discogs.com * {{authority control 2012 singles Jake Bugg songs Songs written by Iain Archer Songs written by Jake Bugg 2011 songs Mercury Records singles