Song for Whoever

"Song for Whoever"
"Song for Whoever"
Single by the Beautiful South
from the album Welcome to the Beautiful South
B-side	"Straight in at 37"; "You and Your Big Ideas";
Released	1 June 1989
Length	6:10 (album version); 4:00 (single version);
Label	Go! Discs
Composer(s)	Paul Heaton; Dave Rotheray;
Lyricist(s)	Paul Heaton
Producer(s)	Mike Hedges
The Beautiful South singles chronology

"Song for Whoever" is a song by English music group the Beautiful South, written by band members Paul Heaton and David Rotheray. The first and highest-charting single from their debut album, Welcome to the Beautiful South, it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in July 1989 and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in August 2024. Considered typical of the band's gently subversive, self-reflexive signature style,^[2] it is sung from the point of view of a cynical songwriter who romances women solely to get material for love songs.

Music video

The music video for the song features a blancmange as the main character. Heaton said, "The blancmange is probably the best thing that's happened to the band so far. The idea is that there's this conveyor belt and all these pop stars come down it and get rejected by the record company people that then choose a blancmange. The blancmange goes on to be a big star but it all pretty much ends up in blancmange misery."^[3]

Track listings

All lyrics are written by Paul Heaton; all music is composed by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray

7-inch, cassette, and mini-CD single^[4]^[5]^[6]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Song for Whoever"
2.	"Straight in at 37"

12-inch and CD single^[7]^[8]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Song for Whoever"	4:00
2.	"Straight in at 37"	4:25
3.	"You and Your Big Ideas"	4:15

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989–1990)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[9]	30
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[10]	22
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[11]	87
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[12]	8
Ireland (IRMA)^[13]	5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[14]	17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[15]	22
UK Singles (OCC)^[16]	2
West Germany (GfK)^[17]	21

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
UK Singles (OCC)^[18]	47

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[1]	Gold	400,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ ^a ^b "British single certifications – Beautiful South – Song for Whoever". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
^ "1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear, Part 1: Love". The Guardian. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
^ Blackie, Victoria (10 June 1989). "Beauty Without Cruelty" (PDF). Record Mirror.
^ Song for Whoever (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GOD 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Song for Whoever (UK cassette single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GOD MC 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Song for Whoever (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs, London Records. 1989. P00L 40018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Song for Whoever (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GODX 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Song for Whoever (UK CD single liner notes). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GODCD 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9099." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 28. 15 July 1989. p. IV. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Song for Whoever". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
^ "Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 3 March 1990. p. 16.

[bpi-1] "British single certifications – Beautiful South – Song for Whoever". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 August 2024.

[2] "1000 Songs Everyone Must Hear, Part 1: Love". The Guardian. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.

[3] Blackie, Victoria (10 June 1989). "Beauty Without Cruelty" (PDF). Record Mirror.

[4] Song for Whoever (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GOD 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[5] Song for Whoever (UK cassette single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GOD MC 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[6] Song for Whoever (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs, London Records. 1989. P00L 40018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[7] Song for Whoever (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GODX 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[8] Song for Whoever (UK CD single liner notes). The Beautiful South. Go! Discs. 1989. GODCD 32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Austria_The_Beautiful_South-9] "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_Flanders_The_Beautiful_South-10] "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-11] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9099." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[12] "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 28. 15 July 1989. p. IV. Retrieved 20 July 2020.

[sc_Ireland2_-13] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Song for Whoever". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_Dutch40_-14] "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 33, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_Dutch100_The_Beautiful_South-15] "The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_UK_-16] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[sc_West_Germany_The_Beautiful_South-17] "Offiziellecharts.de – The Beautiful South – Song for Whoever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 March 2019.

[18] "Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 3 March 1990. p. 16.

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v t e The Beautiful South
Paul Heaton Dave Hemingway Sean Welch Dave Stead David Rotheray Briana Corrigan Jacqui Abbott Alison Wheeler
Studio albums	Welcome to the Beautiful South Choke 0898 Beautiful South Miaow Blue Is the Colour Quench Painting It Red Gaze Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs Superbi
Compilation albums	Carry On Up the Charts Solid Bronze – Great Hits Gold Soup Live at the BBC
Singles	"Song for Whoever" "You Keep It All In" "I'll Sail This Ship Alone" "A Little Time" "Old Red Eyes Is Back" "36D" "Everybody's Talkin'" "Dream a Little Dream" "Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)" "Don't Marry Her" "Perfect 10" "How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?" "Livin' Thing" "This Old Skin" "Manchester"
Related articles	Discography The Housemartins