Zebra (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Zebra
Type = CD, 12"
Artist = The John Butler Trio
from Album = Sunrise Over Sea


Released = December 1, 2003
Recorded = Track 1 & 3: Woodstock Studios (July 2003)
Track 2: Triple J, Live @ The Wireless (December 10, 2001)
Genre = Alternative, Roots, Funk
Length = 19:16
Label = Jarrah
Producer = John Butler
Reviews =
Last single = "JBT EP"
(2000)
This single = "Zebra"
(2003)
Next single = "What You Want"
(2004)

"Zebra" is the first single released from the John Butler Trio's album Sunrise Over Sea. Featuring the Sunrise lineup of John Butler on guitar/vocals, Shannon Birchall on double bass and Nicky Bomba on drums/percussion, it blends the genres of roots, funk, rock, and a bit of blues.

Zebra is exceptionally known for its catchy refrain and lyrics which are entirely about opposites, for example "I can be alive, man, or be the walking dead" or "I can be black or I can be white".

Inspiration

According to John Butler, the song began as a riff that he had stuck in his head for several years, but had difficulty recalling when he had a guitar.cite news |first=Dino |last=Scatena |title=Single minded |work=The Sun-Herald (Sunday Life section) |publisher=Fairfax Media |page=p. 14 |date=2008-01-13 ] The lyric pattern of "I could be "da da", I could be "da da" originated from Butler scat singing the riff to his baby daughter, while the opposites in each line of the lyrics led Nicky Bomba to the idea of a zebra asking itself if it was white with black stripes or black with white stripes, from which the song's title is derived.

Music Video

The music video for Zebra features Butler and the band recording the song in a studio which seems like a small, worn out back shed. It is also interspersed with footage of Butler on his skateboard.

Track listing

All tracks written by John Butler. [cite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch |publisher=APRA |title=Australasian Performing Right Association |accessdate=2007-11-25 ]

# "Zebra" - 3:56
# "Media" (Live at the Wireless for Triple J) - 7:10
# "Losing My Cool" (previously unreleased) - 8:10

Personnel

*John Butler - Amplified 11-string acoustic guitar, banjo, lead vocals
*Shannon Birchall - Double bass, electric bass, backing vocals
*Nicky Bomba - Drums, percussion, backing vocals
*Michael Barker - Cookie Spoons, congas (Track 1)
*Michael Caruana - Hammond organ (Track 1)
*Dave Pensabene - Backing vocals (Track 1)

Trivia

*At the 2005 Big Day Out, John Butler changed part of the lyrics of the song from "I could lead my life man or I could be led" to "Be like John Howard, a big dickhead".
*The single was released as a 'super rare' limited edition 12" vinyl record of 1,500 copies.

References