Dirty Harry (song)

This article is about the song by the Gorillaz. "Dirty Harry" is also a song by Adam and the Ants.

"Dirty Harry"
DVD single cover
Single by Gorillaz featuring Bootie Brown & The Children's Youth Choir of San Fernandez
from the album Demon Days
B-side	"Hongkongaton", "All Alone"
Released	November 21, 2005 (2005-11-21)
Format	12", download, CD, Maxi-CD, DVD
Recorded	2004
Genre	Trip-hop, synthpop
Length	3:43 (album version) 3:47 (single version)
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Gorillaz, Bootie Brown
Producer	Gorillaz, Danger Mouse
Gorillaz singles chronology
"Dare" (2005) "Dirty Harry" (2005) "Kids with Guns" / "El Mañana" (2006)

"Dirty Harry" is a song from Gorillaz' second album Demon Days. It was the third single from the album, released 21 November 2005. It peaked at #6 in the UK. It was also released as a promo and onto iTunes earlier that year. An early version of "Dirty Harry" titled "I Need a Gun" was included on Damon Albarn's album Democrazy. On 8 December 2005 it was announced that "Dirty Harry" had been nominated for a Grammy under the category "Urban/Alternative Performance", but was beaten by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock". The song's lyrics contain the line "The war is over so says the speaker with the flight suit on", a reference to George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" televised speech. Dirty Harry is also a 1971 film directed by Don Siegel. One of Gorillaz's earlier singles is the name of the actor who played this film's title character, Clint Eastwood. The single cover is similar to that of the film Full Metal Jacket.

Track listing

CD1

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "All Alone" (Live) (Feat. Roots Manuva & Martina Topley-Bird) - 3:39

CD2

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "Hongkongaton" - 3:34
3. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper Remix) - 3:38

DVD Single

1. "Dirty Harry" (Video) - 4:56
2. "Murdoc Is God" - 2:26
3. "Dirty Harryn" (Animatic With Instrumental) - 3:47

CD Promo

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47

12" Promo

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "Dirty Harry" (Instrumental) - 3:47
3. "Dirty Harry" (Acappella)

Australian Single

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper Remix) - 3:38
3. "Hongkongaton" - 3:34
4. "Dirty Harry" (Video) - 4:56
5. "Dirty Harry" (Animatic)

Japanese CD Single

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "All Alone" (Live) (Feat. Roots Manuva & Martina Topley-Bird) - 3:39
3. "Hongkongaton" - 3:34
4. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper Remix) - 3:38
5. "Dirty Harry" (Video) - 4:56

Itunes E.P

1. "Dirty Harry" - 3:47
2. "Highway (Under Construction)" - 4:20
3. "Hongkongaton" - 3:34
4. "Dirty Harry" (Live In Harlem) - 6:12
5. "Dirty Harry" (Video) - 4:56

Music video

The video was first released on 25 October 2005 to subscribers of the Gorillaz website mailing list.

Like the video for "Clint Eastwood", the video for "Dirty Harry" references the Clint Eastwood film of the same name.

"Dirty Harry" is the only Gorillaz music video other than "Stylo" to be filmed on-location. The band was going to use a computer animated desert, but it turned out simply flying the crew and band to the desert was cheaper and easier.^{[citation needed]} Most of the video features shirtless 2-D and an animated version of the Children's Choir San Fernandez stranded in the middle of a desert, following what appears to have been a helicopter crash. The survivors keep themselves entertained with the song while awaiting the arrival of rescuers, portrayed by Noodle and Murdoc crewing a South African Defence Force Casspir mine-proof vehicle driven by Russel (who wears a Fu Manchu). The song and video feature a guest appearance by Pharcyde rapper Bootie Brown, who leaps out of a sand dune in World War II military fatigues to perform his verse of the song.

In the end of the video the Gorillaz, the children and Bootie Brown depart the crash site in the military vehicle, which breaks down meters away.

The themes in the single, as well as the themes in the entire album are all based on Damon Albarn's observations on the state that the world is in today.^[1]

The helmet which appears on the single cover and the poster for the video (seen in the cinema section of the Gorillaz website) is reminiscent of the Full Metal Jacket film poster.^{[citation needed]}

Chart positions

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	15
Austria Top 75 Singles Chart	69
Belgium Top 50 Singles Chart	8
Denmark Top 20 Singles Chart	20
Dutch Singles Chart	100
Germany Top 100 Singles Chart	86
Irish Singles Chart	19
Italy Top 50 Singles Chart	40
Switzerland Top 100 Singles Chart	88
UK Singles Chart	6

References

1. ^ "Gorillaz-Unofficial Discography - Demon Days". Gorillaz-unofficial.com. http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com/discog/dd.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-18. 

External links

• Rolling Stone article
• MTV news article with confirmation