The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count
"The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" is a song by the Divine Comedy. Written by Neil Hannon,[1] it was originally recorded for the Liberation album and was issued as the B-side of "Lucy".
The Best of the Divine Comedy version
The song was re-recorded for the 1999 compilation album A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy.[1] It was released as a single from that album and peaked at number 17 in the UK singles chart and number 24 on the Irish singles chart.[2][3]
Track listing
All tracks written by Neil Hannon; except where indicated.
CD single #1
Setanta Records / SETCDA070
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" | 3:53 | |
| 2. | "With Whom to Dance" | Stephin Merritt | 2:39 |
| 3. | "Eric the Gardener (acoustic)" | 4:34 |
CD single #2
Setanta Records / SETCDB070
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" | 3:53 | |
| 2. | "This Side of Paradise" | 3:56 | |
| 3. | "Vapour Trail" | Ride | 3:23 |
Cassette single
Setanta Records / SETMC070
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" | ||
| 2. | "Jackie" | Jacques Brel, Gérard Jouannest, Mort Schuman |
Critical reception
In an AllMusic album review of Liberation, critic Ned Raggett said the song was influenced by the English rock band XTC. He also noted is "slipping in as much wry humor as he does gentle pathos and reflection – plenty of all three."[4]
References
- ^ a b c A Secret History – The Best of the Divine Comedy (CD booklet). Setanta. 1999. SETCD100.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company - The Divine Comedy - The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count". Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Liberation – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
