| Carnival | |
| Cover: | Carnival natalie merchant.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Natalie Merchant |
| Album: | Tigerlily |
| B-Side: | I May Know the Word |
| Studio: | Bearsville (Bearsville, New York) |
| Length: |
|
| Label: | Elektra |
| Producer: | Natalie Merchant |
| Next Title: | Wonder |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Carnival" is a song written and produced by American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant and was the lead single from her debut solo album, Tigerlily (1995). In the lyrics, the protagonist describes a street scene as a carnival. Merchant was inspired to write the song after visiting New York City for the first time when she was 16, claiming she was fascinated with the residents' unusual lifestyles, as she grew up in rural areas.[1]
The single was released in the United States in June 1995 and reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Merchant's highest-charting solo single in the US. It is also her most successful hit in Australia, peaking at number 24 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and reached number 17 in Canada. The single received a radio edit cutting the song down from the six-minute LP version. The video for the song, directed by Melodie McDaniel, shows scenes of Merchant walking the streets of New York City taking street photographs with a Leica M3.
US CD single[2]
US cassette single[3]
A. "Carnival" (album version) – 5:59
B. "I May Know the Word" (album version) – 8:07
European and Australian CD single[4]
Credits are lifted from the US CD single liner notes.[2]
Studios
Personnel
| Chart (1995) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[6] | 28 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 60 | |
| US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[8] | 18 |
| Chart (1996) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[9] | 29 | |
| US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[10] | 68 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | June 5, 1995 | Elektra | [11] | |
| July 1995 | Cassette | [12] |
