"A&E" was composed as a collaborative effort between Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory in 2007 in a recording studio near Somerset, England.[5][6] Its lyrics were inspired by Goldfrapp's visit to the emergency department of a hospital on a Saturday afternoon. The doctors "pumped [her] up with loads of painkillers" and she described the situation as a "bit surreal."[citation needed]
Writing for Pitchfork, Matthew Perpetua interpreted the song's storyline as "showcase for both her lyrical and vocal strengths...from the perspective of an incredibly lonely woman driven to a suicide attempt while waiting around for a phone call from a man she's not even sure she likes."[7]
In 2023, Goldfrapp commented "it’s so autobiographical. It’s not fantastical at all, it’s kind of [about] what happened. You know, I was in A&E in a hospital gown having a bit of a meltdown. So it does feel slightly odd now when I sing it."[8]
Critical reception
"A&E" received positive reviews from music critics. John Murphy of musicOMH called the song "a beautifully paced ballad, with a memorable hook [...] which buries its way into your head after just a couple of listens".[9]Digital Spy reviewer Nick Levine described "A&E" as "lush, folky and [...] organic" and wrote that Goldfrapp's vocals were "full of longing and slow-burning sexuality".[10]Popjustice described the song as "fucking brilliant".[11] Alex Denney of Drowned in Sound was less impressed, writing that "the sparks [...] fail to fly".[12]
The song appeared at number 73 on Pitchfork's "The 100 Best Tracks of 2008" list.[13]
Commercial performance
"A&E" debuted at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 16 February 2008.[14] The following week the song reached its peak position at number 10 and spent nine weeks on the chart.[15] Elsewhere, the track saw modest chart success. "A&E" debuted and peaked at number 33 on the Irish Singles Chart,[16] while reaching number 38 in Belgium, number 85 in Australia number 98 in Germany.[17][18]
The music video for "A&E" was directed by Dougal Wilson which, in sharp contrast to the song's hospital theming, is more nature-themed.[24] The video is set in a forest and opens with Goldfrapp in a white dress lying in a clearing, looking up at the camera. She is soon joined by several leaf-men who dance around her as she sings. Midway through the video, day turns into night and Goldfrapp is joined by several woodland creatures. The video concludes with Gregory playing a guitar and making tea beside an orange tent.
The video premiered on 12 January 2008 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom.[25] In a review for Drowned in Sound, Alex Denney described the video as "weird" and compared it to music videos by Kate Bush and The Mighty Boosh.[12]Pitchfork reviewer Marc Hogan wrote that the video was a "good fit for Goldfrapp's bright, folksy turn" and praised its "twist ending".[24]
