4 Timeless Songs from The Verve’s ‘Urban Hymns’

In 1997, Urban Hymns arrived as Britpop faded.

Some view The Verve’s third album as Britpop’s swan song; others, as the next chapter in British rock history. The Verve existed alongside Britpop, playing shows with Oasis in the early ’90s. (Noel Gallagher wrote “Cast No Shadow” and dedicated it “to the genius of Richard Ashcroft.”)

But Urban Hymns is also a closing chapter of another kind. It ended The Verve. They created one of their generation’s defining albums and then they imploded.

It took several years, multiple producers, and many aborted studio sessions to finish Urban Hymns. What began as a Richard Ashcroft solo album ended up as the pinnacle of The Verve’s tumultuous career.

 “Come On” is a fitting ending to Urban Hymns. It’s a stormy jam where Ashcroft shouts “f–k you” to anyone who’ll listen. The final track is more than six minutes of intense and roaring bombast. If you must break up, this is the way to do it. Drop a masterpiece, scream “f–k you,” and walk.

The sound advice is to play the entire album. But if you’re short on time, here are four timeless songs from The Verve’s outstanding Urban Hymns.

Come on!

“Sonnet”

It’s no secret Richard Ashcroft is an ambitious man. His biggest song is called “Bitter Sweet Symphony” on an album called Urban Hymns. “Sonnet” follows “Bitter Sweet Symphony” in the track listing with a romantic ode that’s both poetic and dramatic. Guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, drummer Peter Salisbury, and multi-instrumentalist Simon Tong are crucial to the drama and emotional heights of Ashcroft’s songwriting. The singer’s solo albums are glaring examples of what his songs sound like without his extraordinary band. The true magic of Urban Hymns is the collective. Here, Ashcroft confronts life and music with a chip on his shoulder—a man against the world. But symphonies require an orchestra. “Sonnet” beautifully showcases the importance of his band—turning a soft rock soliloquy into communal soul music.

“The Drugs Don’t Work”

Ashcroft talked about using drugs to escape boredom and frustration. “The Drugs Don’t Work” acknowledges the dark results of addiction, yet he couldn’t stop. It’s a tender ballad and features one of Ashcroft’s most emotional vocal performances. Tracks like “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Sonnet” pushed The Verve’s deep groove bliss into self-reflection. On past albums, hazy jams defined the Wigan, England, band, occasionally punctuated by ballads like “History” and “On Your Own.” But on Urban Hymns, the opposite happened. Acoustic hymns like “The Drugs Don’t Work” drive an album dotted with psych-jams like “The Rolling People” and “Catching the Butterfly.”

“Lucky Man”

Though “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is The Verve’s signature song, “Lucky Man” may be Ashcroft’s definitive track. It fits with the singer’s shamanic tendencies—transcendental, freeing, traveling to some destination. The destination might be Haigh Hall, romance, implosion, or peace. Still, The Verve always existed on rocky ground. They broke up at the height of success. And that was the second time they’d split up and it wouldn’t be the last. But when Ashcroft sings Oh, my, my over McCabe’s cascading, hallucinatory guitars, it’s a sonic and emotional portrayal of the things that matter most to him.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony”

The Verve’s biggest hit. Britpop’s last great anthem. However you think of “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” it’s a towering song befitting its name. The iconic video features Ashcroft walking down a London street, crashing through pedestrians en route to his destination. Somewhere. Anywhere. It’s the same swagger responsible for his nickname, “Mad Richard.”

On “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” Ashcroft sampled an orchestral version of “The Last Time” by The Rolling Stones. He wrote what Coldplay’s Chris Martin called “probably the best song ever written.” For years, The Verve didn’t receive royalties from “Bitter Sweet Symphony” because the Stones sample wasn’t cleared properly—adding to the bittersweetness of life’s hard realities. In 2019, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards returned the rights to Ashcroft.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” details the struggle. But most of the album offers reflections on the sunny side of life. The Verve became a metaphor for living while you can because eventually the sun always sets.

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