Like a Motorway

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"Like a Motorway"
Like a Motorway.jpg
Single by Saint Etienne
from the album Tiger Bay
B-side
  • "Sushi Rider"
  • "You Know I'll Miss You When You're Gone"
Released16 May 1994 (1994-05-16)[1]
Genre
Length3:38
LabelHeavenly (HVN 40)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne singles chronology
"Pale Movie"
(1994) 		"Like a Motorway"
(1994) 		"Hug My Soul"
(1994)
Music video
"Like a Motorway" on YouTube

"Like a Motorway" is a 1994 song by the British pop group Saint Etienne. The song combines the melody from the nineteenth century folk song "Silver Dagger" with a driving techno beat influenced by Kraftwerk and Snap!.[citation needed] It describes a friend whose lover has mysteriously vanished.[2]

"Like a Motorway" appears on the album Tiger Bay. It was released as a single in May 1994,[3] and reached #47 on the UK Singles Chart. The US release of Tiger Bay also features an "alternate version" with more complex percussion and electric guitar stings. It also appears on the original soundtrack for the 1994 film, Speed, although the single is never heard in the actual film itself.[4]

The cover art for the single features an abandoned car overgrown with foliage. The video consists of a long, slow zoom in Sarah Cracknell as she sings against a black background, intercut with occasional rapid shots of Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley in a car.

Critical reception[]

Dave Thompson from AllMusic described the song as "mysteriously Kraftwerk-ian".[5] Another editor, Tim Sendra said it is "one of Saint Etienne's best songs".[6] Larry Flick from Billboard commented that it "has a nice sing-along chorus. Sarah Cracknell uses her girlish, light voice well, and has grown into a polished front person..."[7] He also noted its "gauzy softness" and added, "DJs will dig the rhythm foundation with its rapid, Giorgio Moroder-esque pattern, though single is also the act's best bet to date for a top 40 breakthrough."[8] Jim Wirth from NME called it "teutonic".[9]

Track listing[]

All tracks written and composed by Stanley and Wiggs; except where indicated.

7": Heavenly / HVN 40 and MC: Heavenly / HVN40C
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Like a Motorway (Radio Edit)" 3:38
2."You Know I'll Miss You When You're Gone"Cracknell, Bund2:57
3."Sushi Rider"Cracknell, Bund2:57
12": Heavenly / HVN 40 12 and CD: Heavenly / HVN40CD
No.TitleLength
1."Like a Motorway (Radio Edit)" (mixed by Rick Smith from Underworld)3:38
2."Like a Motorway (Chekhov Warp Dub)" (mixed by Dust Brothers)9:18
3."Like a Motorway (The David Holmes Mix)"13:01
4."Like a Motorway (Skin Up, You're Already Dead)" (mixed by Autechre)8:47
12": Heavenly / HVN 40 12 P II (UK Promo)
No.TitleLength
1."Like a Motorway (Chekhov Warp Dub)" (mixed by Dust Brothers)9:18
2."Like a Motorway (Chekhov Warp Mix)" (mixed by Dust Brothers)9:03
CD: Warner Bros. / PRO-A-6962 (US Promo)
No.TitleLength
1."Like a Motorway (Alternate Version)" (mixed by Daniel Abraham)5:26
2."Like a Motorway (Alternate Version Edit)" (mixed by Daniel Abraham)3:06
3."Like a Motorway"5:43
4."Like a Motorway (Radio Edit)"3:38

Charts[]

Chart (1994) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 47
UK Dance Singles (Music Week)[10] 13

References[]

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500. Simon & Schuster. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.
  3. ^ "Like A Motorway UK 1994 Heavenly Records". www.saintetiennedisco.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  4. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/song/like-a-motorway-mt0009829833
  5. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Saint Etienne – Tiger Bay". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Saint Etienne – Like a Motorway". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (14 May 1994). "Dance Trax: Jacqueline Won't Let Go; Denise Johnson On Rise" (PDF). Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  8. ^ Flick, Larry (25 June 1994). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 89. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ Wirth, Jim. "ST ETIENNE – London Kentish Town Forum". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 May 1994. p. 26. Retrieved 25 April 2021.



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