The Girl You Lost to Cocaine

"The Girl You Lost to Cocaine"
Single by Sia
from the album Some People Have Real Problems
B-side	"Blame It on the Radio"
Released	27 March 2008 (2008-03-27)[1]
Recorded	2007
Genre	Pop Chamber pop
Length	2:40
Label	Hear Music
Songwriter(s)	Sia Furler Rob Allum Phil Marten Eddie Myer
Producer(s)	Jimmy Hogarth
Sia singles chronology
"I'll Forget You" (2008) "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (2008) "Soon We'll Be Found" (2008)

"The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (sometimes titled "The Girl You Lost") is a song by Australian singer Sia. It was released on 27 March 2008 as the second single from her studio album Some People Have Real Problems.

Background

Sia said the album Some People Have Real Problems was an easy album to write, except for, "The Girl You Lost" which took longer to pen than the other tracks. She explained: "It's like a bath. It's a big bath. I can sit down with my friends and play three chords or whatever or we'll hunt around and find the right three chords. Then they'll tell me what the song's about. Usually a sentence or a feeling will come or I can even just say to the person I'm with to tell me what it's about and give me a theme. Then eight minutes later, there it is. 'Academia' took eight minutes. 'Little Black Sandals' was five minutes. Then there are other songs that might take longer. 'The Girl You Lost to Cocaine' took a bit longer, but I don't remember why. I think I listened to it too much. It's different every time, but usually if it's a good one, it's like a bath."^[2]

Lyrics

Despite describing herself as having "stuck around, through thick and through thin", the speaker leaves a relationship. She states that she does not need drama and that there is nothing the other can do to get her to stay.

Reception

Huw Jones of GigWise gave the song 7/10, saying; "With no room for pleasantries or compromises, her latest release is strong, confident, infectiously melodic and immensely hummable romp through the highs and lows of Sia’s unique character and up beat independence. And as always Sia’s vocal brings with it a much needed and long overdue burst of sunshine that will warm even the stoniest of hearts".^[3]

A staff writer of The Mirror said; "With its pumping brass arrangement and over-expressive, too-keen-to-please vocals, this is the sort of declamatory record more suited to the US market than the British one. File under the bull-in-a-china-shop approach to pop."^[4]

Flak of Behind the Hype said, "I’m not sure if "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" is literal in its meaning, but the song talks about her fail whale of a lover, who she is about to leave. Being fed up with someone in a relationship is something I’ve seen happen time and time again, but to leave that person is easier said than done, so this song felt good to me, on principle alone."^[5]

Amber Henson of The Red Alert considered the song to be "intensely addictive and heartfelt".^[6]

Track listing

CD single ^[7]

1. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine - 2:40
2. Blame It on the Radio - 2:31

Digital Download Remixes ^[8]

1. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (StoneBridge Edit) - 3:09
2. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (Sander Van Doorn Edit) - 3:00
3. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (Mark Pichiotti Edit) - 3:11
4. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (StoneBridge Remix) - 7:50
5. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (Sander Van Doorn Remix) - 7:09
6. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (Mark Picchiotti Remix) - 6:58
7. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (StoneBridge Dub) - 6:50
8. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine (Mark Picchiotti Drama Dub) - 7:28

Vinyl/ 12" ^[9]

• A1 "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (Sander Van Doorn Remix) - 7:09
• B1 "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (Stonebridge Vocal Remix) - 7:50
• B2 "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (Stonebridge Dub) - 6:50

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2008) Peak position Hungary (Dance Top 40)[10] 30 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 14 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 11 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[13] 12 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[15] 8

Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 85 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 63

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Netherlands	27 March 2008	Digital download	Doorn Records	[18]
United Kingdom	21 April 2008	CD single	Monkey Puzzle Records	[19]
North America	6 May 2008	Digital Download	Ultra Records	[20]

References

1. "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine". 7digital (BE). Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
2. "Sia - The Girl You Lost to Cocaine". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
3. "Sia - The Girl You Lost". www.gigwise.com. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
4. "Review - Sia - The girl You Lost". mirror.co.uk/. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
5. "Sia Some People Have Real Problems - review". www.behindthehype.com. 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
6. "Some People Have Real Problems - Sia". www.theredalert.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
7. "Sia: The Girl You Lost". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
8. "Sia: The Girl You Lost - The Mark Pichiotti Mixes". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
9. "Sia: The Girl You Lost to Cocaine". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
10. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sia" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
12. "Sia – The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
13. "Sia – The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
14. "Sia – Chart history: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
15. "Sia Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 August 2015^[14].
16. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2008". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
17. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2008". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
18. "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine". 7digital (BE). Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
19. "Sia - The Girl You Lost (UK)". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
20. "Sia – The Girl You Lost to Cocaine - Remixes". iTunes CA. Retrieved 4 August 2015.

External links

• "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" music video on YouTube