You're Beautiful

Single infobox
Name = You're Beautiful


Artist = James Blunt
from Album = Back to Bedlam
Length = 3:34 (Album Version)3.22 (Single Edit)
Released = flagicon|United Kingdom May 30 2005
flagicon|World May 2005
flagicon|United Statesflagicon|Canada September 2005
Format = CD single (worldwide)
7" single (UK)
Digital download (U.S.)
Recorded =
Genre = Pop rock, folk rock
Label = Atlantic records
Producer = Tom Rothrock
Writer = James Blunt
S. Skarbek
A. Ghost
Certification = Platinum (BPI)
Platinum (RIAA)
Reviews =
Last single = "Wisemen"
(2005)
This single = "You're Beautiful"
(2005)
Next single = "High" (re-release)
(2005)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate covers


Lower caption = Maxi coverExtra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate covers


Lower caption = Alternate cover"You're Beautiful" is a pop rock song co-written by British singer James Blunt, Sasha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost [http://www.bucksmusicgroup.com/composers/details/det4.html?Show=News] for Blunt's debut album "Back to Bedlam" (2004). The publishing splits are registered as Blunt (66%), Skarbek (24%) and Ghost (10%). It was released as the third single from the album in 2005. In the UK and Australia the song reached number one and number two respectively. When released as the debut single from "Back to Bedlam" in Canada and the U.S., it reached number one on both charts and received widespread airplay. In 2006, the song won an Ivor Novello Award for airplay, [ [http://www.britishacademy.com/awards/ivorsmenu/ivorshome.html Ivors Rediredt ] ] and it holds the honour of being the only song by a British artist to top the Latin America Top 40.

Writing and inspiration

Newspapers have claimed that "You're Beautiful" is about a former girlfriend of Blunt's, Dixie Chassay, [cite web | title="Varsity"| work=Dixie Chassay, Page 22 | url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/archive/645.pdf |accessmonthday=October 1 | accessyear=2008] casting director for the "Harry Potter" films, although Blunt refuses to confirm or deny this. On March 8, 2006 episode of the Oprah Winfrey program, Blunt said of the song, "It's kind of miserable. It was about seeing my ex-girlfriend on the Underground in London with her new man, who I didn't know existed. She and I caught eyes and lived a lifetime in that moment, but didn't do anything about it and haven't seen each other since."cite web | title=Oprah.com| work=Blunt: It's kind of miserable| url=http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200603/20060308/slide_20060308_350_104.jhtml|accessdate=September 23|accessyear=2006] Several versions of the song exist. One lyrical version has explicit lyrics which were released on "Back to Bedlam" and most of the "You're Beautiful" singles. The radio edit of the song replaces the explicit lyrics. Acoustic, live and DVD versions have also been released.

When asked about the song, James Blunt responded, "It's probably one of the least meaningful songs on the album and by no means people's favourite. The album is like a book covering various aspects of life in a specific order."cite web | title=ContactMusic.com| work=Blunt: "You're Beautiful" not meaningful| url=http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/music/audioandvideo/s/159/159996_watch_james_blunts_youre_beautiful_video.html | accessmonthday=March 11 | accessyear=2006]

In a poll conducted by the Rolling Stone to identify the 10 most annoying songs, this song was ranked seven. [ [http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/jul/03songs.htm Annoying songs] ]

The music video for "You're Beautiful" was directed by Sam Brown. The video shows Blunt committing suicide as he follows the modern Japanese manner of removing ones shoes and contents of clothing prior to jumping from a great height. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20060117wh.html] cite web | title=BlogCritics.org| work=Keep an Eye on James Blunt| url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/12/07/042837.php | accessmonthday=March 11 | accessyear=2006] Blunt removes the upper portion of his clothing in a cold, bare, snowy setting and places all of his personal belongings on the ground. Whilst he does this, seagulls circle overhead like buzzards. [cite web | title=ManchesterOnline.co.uk| work=Watch James Blunt's "You’re Beautiful" video — what it's about| url=http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/music/audioandvideo/s/159/159996_watch_james_blunts_youre_beautiful_video.html|accessmonthday=March 11 |accessyear=2006] At the end of the video, he jumps off a cliff and lands into the depths of icy water while he sings the lyrics: "But it's time to face the truth, I will never be with you".

Polly and the Pockets version

A remake of this song was made by Polly And The Pockets. This cover is the first single of "Polly and the Pockets" second studio album "Pocket" (the album will be released on November 12,2008). The single was released on August 1,2008.

Chart performance

"You're Beautiful" accomplished a feat rarely seen on the modern UK Singles Chart at the time by ascending the chart following its début. Released on May 30, 2005, it entered at number twelve on June 5th and reached number one six weeks later where it remained for five consecutive weeks. The last song to debut outside of the top ten and climb to number one was The Outhere Brothers' "Boom Boom Boom" (1995). The song reached #1 in several other countries, and was in the top-10 on most major charts.

In November 2005, "You're Beautiful" was released in North America where it achieved widespread success. In Canada, it ascended to number one (where it remained for four consecutive weeks) twenty-two weeks following its début on the BDS Airplay chart. In the United States, it débuted at number eighty-eight before reaching number one seventeen weeks later. It replaced Beyoncé's "Check on It" and itself was replaced by Ne-Yo's "So Sick". [cite web | title="Billboard"| work=Ne-Yo Completes Chart Takeover With "So Sick"| url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002155677 | accessmonthday=March 12 | accessyear=2006] This also became the first single by a British artist to reach number one since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997). [cite web | title="Billboard"| work=Blunt Leapfrogs Beyoncé to Claim No. 1 | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002114916|accessmonthday=March 11 |accessyear=2006] It achieved success on the "Billboard" Pop 100, Hot Digital Songs, Adult Contemporary, and Adult Top 40 formats.

It was certified sixfold platinum in the U.S. for digital sales of 1,200,000 copies before the RIAA changed their guidelines for certification in June 2006. It is now certified one-fold platinum. [cite web | title=RIAA.com| work=Recording Industry Association of America Searchable Gold & Platinum Database| url=http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp | accessmonthday=March 11 | accessyear=2006] As of early 2007 the song had sold almost 2 Million digital singles in the US alone.

"You're Beautiful" debuted at #35 [ [http://www.toplatino.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=118Ranking del 16 de Octubre del 2005 (Semana 41)] ] in October 2005 in the Latin America Top 40 and kept ascending, entering the Top 10 four weeks later. It reached number one after 14 weeks in the Top 10, where it remained for two consecutive weeks and four weeks total. [ [http://www.toplatino.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=141 Top Latino] ] The single was the 5th most played song of 2006 in Latin America, the highest ranking by an international artist. [ [http://www.toplatino.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=219 TOP LATINO DEL AÑO 2006] ]

Awards

At the 2007 Grammy Awards this single received three nominations: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance [http://www.rockonthenet.com/grammy/popmale.htm] winning none. For the video the singer won the MTV Award for Best Male Video and Best Cinematography.

Parodies

A parody of the song was made by the British sketch-show "Dead Ringers". Entitled "It's Bloody Cold", it featured Jon Culshaw as Blunt sitting in the snow and jumping into a swimming pool in an attempt to be seen as cool by the other major British singers (Robbie Williams, Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Morrissey and Craig David are explicitly named among these). It also claimed that the name "James Blunt" is Cockney rhyming slang.

"Weird Al" Yankovic composed and recorded a parody of "You're Beautiful" entitled "You're Pitiful", intended for release on his twelfth album. Yankovic had done so with permission from Blunt himself. However, Blunt's label, Atlantic Records, chose to forbid Yankovic from releasing his parody. Yankovic removed the song from his album to avoid conflict with the record label, and in June of 2006 posted it as a free download on [http://weirdal.com his own website] . [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5482774]

The Internet Sketch Comedy show "Moron Life" did a parody of the song entitled " [http://moronlife.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=374&Itemid=100 My Testicles] ".

The song and video were parodied on the sketch show, "MADtv". Nicole Parker played James Blunt and wore a prosthetic male torso when it came time to strip off her shirts during the song. "MADtv" renamed the song to "I'm Beautiful".

The song has also been parodied in an office setting: "My Cubicle", created by comedy website Morning Sidekick. Several versions are circulating, one audio-only, one with a video showing the lyrics on a blank background, and several fan-created music videos in which an actor acts out the actions in the lyrics. [http://www.lifeaftercoffee.com/2006/04/27/cube-farm-the-song/]

Amateur Transplants released a version on their DVD entitled "Beautiful Song"

Jared Leto and Shannon Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars joked around with the song in a clip for MTV2 while inside a car. Jared sang the song as " [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnmGrypc4nw I'm Beautiful] "

Blunt has recorded an appearance for Season 38 of Sesame Street, in which he sings a parody entitled " [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Z6tDSb6c8 My Triangle] ."

Music video by Kevin Sage named "She Was Beautiful" is a parody of the song.

A parody of the song titled 'You're Beauteous' appeared on Cartoon Network. It uses scenes from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.

Formats and track listings

multi-listen item
filename=James blunt - you're beautiful.ogg|title="You're Beautiful"
description= "You're Beautiful," Blunt's breakout hit was the third UK single and first U.S. single from "Back to Bedlam".
format=OggThese are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "You're Beautiful".
* UK CD1
# "You're Beautiful"
# "Fall at Your Feet" (Acoustic)
* UK CD2 / Australian/New Zealand CD single
# "You're Beautiful" (Clean Edit)
# "High" (Acoustic)
# "You're Beautiful" (CD-Rom Making of Video)
# "You're Beautiful" (CD-Rom Video)
* UK 7"
# "You're Beautiful"
# "So Long Jimmy" (Acoustic)

Cover versions

* Maria Lawson performed the song on Series 2 of The X Factor and also made a studio version of it for her debut album Maria Lawson. X Factor judge Simon Cowell went on to say that he loved her version of the song and predicted she could have a hit record with it.

* Beverley Trotman sang the song on Series 4 of The X Factor.

* Kenny G recorded a cover for his album I'm in the Mood for Love...The Most Romantic Melodies of All Time in 2006

* The song was covered by the company Wavegroup for the game .

Charts

References

Notes

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