"Shiver" is a song by British rock band Coldplay which appeared on the band's debut album Parachutes (2000), and was released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom and second single in the United States following "Yellow". As a single it reached number 35 on the UK Singles Chart, number 26 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, and 57 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. Its critical reception has been generally positive.
The song's lyrics are a reference to an unrequited love of lyricist Chris Martin. There was media speculation regarding which "specific" woman is the focus in the lyrics - Martin has denied it was about Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia. The song contains influences attributed to American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, who was an early influence on Coldplay. British record producer Ken Nelson and Coldplay produced the track.
The single also features two B-sides, "For You" and "Careful Where You Stand". Both B-sides are featured as the only bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of Parachutes.
Production and composition
"Shiver" was written two years before its release. Martin allegedly wrote the song about Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia, a woman he was romantically linked with at the time, but he later denied it was about her. Other accounts have claimed that Imbruglia was not the inspiration for the lyrics. Instead, Martin appeared to have been inspired by girlfriends in his teenage years and early 20s. Martin wrote the song on a "glum" day, when he felt he would never find the right woman for him. He described it as something of a "stalking song", admitting he wrote it for a specific woman. In addition, Martin wrote the song while listening to music of Buckley, and had claimed it is their "most blatant rip-off song".
"Shiver" was recorded in Rockfield Studios in Wales, United Kingdom, where the band was booked by A&R representative Dan Keeling to begin working on the band's debut album, Parachutes. Keeling was disappointed with the early demos presented to him, "Shiver" has been perceived to have influences of Buckley, whom Coldplay's early song influences were drawn from. Martin later said of the song that it was "a blatant Jeff Buckley attempt, not quite as good, that's what I think".
The song is written in B major with a tempo of 78 beats per minute.
Release
"Shiver" is one of the older songs in Coldplay's catalogue, and had been performed at their early concerts in 1999. Later, it was initially released as an EP in the spring of 2000. It was released as the album's lead single in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2000, months before the release of the album. The single had been picked up for B-play lists on some European prominent radio stations. In the United States, the song was released as the second single, following "Yellow", on 9 April 2001. Website IGN posted a video at the 2008 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, revealing "Shiver" to be part of the song list on Guitar Hero World Tour.
Critical reception
Reviews
"Shiver" was met with praise from music critics. Adrian Denning wrote that the song "has a vocal that could be Jeff Buckley influenced, the soaring vocals are a joy over a reasonably guitar rock-based instrumental track". Hybrid David DeVoe said "'Shiver' is a delightfully laid back tune, full of that great guitar sound that I have come to appreciate this band for". Spencer Owen of Pitchfork noted "It's the only truly decent song on Parachutes, but simultaneously, it's the only one that blatantly shows its influences".
Rankings
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+List of critic rankings
! scope="col" |Publication
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Description
! scope="col" |Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
! scope="row" |NME
| 2016
| style="text-align:left;" |Best Tracks of 2000
| 43
|
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="rowgroup" |Radio X
| 2010
| style="text-align:left;" |
| Placed
|
|-
| 2026
| style="text-align:left;" |Best of British 500
| 356
|
|-
! scope="row" |Spin
| 2020
| style="text-align:left;" |
| 24
|
|}
Music video
The music video for "Shiver" was directed by English film director and cinematographer Grant Gee.
Track listing
Personnel
- Chris Martin – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Jonny Buckland – lead guitar
- Guy Berryman – bass guitar
- Will Champion – drums
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Shiver"
! Chart (2000–2001)
! Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)
| 57
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}