"Grateful Days" is the fourth maxi single

Maxi single

A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...

 by Japanese group Dragon Ash

Dragon Ash

are a Japanese Rap metal group founded in 1996 by Furuya "Kj" Kenji and Sakurai Makoto. They are an icon in Japan and were one of the first groups to popularize hip hop in Japan. They brought a western flavor to Japanese music and helped to turn rap music mainstream, with a mixture of reggae, rap,...

, released in 1999. It was released on the same day as "I Love Hip Hop

I Love Hip Hop

"I Love Hip Hop" is the fifth maxi single by Dragon Ash, released in 1999. It was released on the same day as "Grateful Days" and both singles quickly gained popularity in Japan....

", and both singles quickly gained popularity in Japan.

The title track, "Grateful Days", samples the opening of "Today" by The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...

 and features fellow Japanese hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 artist Zeebra

Zeebra

, real name , is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE...

 and "The Queen of Japanese Lady Soul" Aco

ACO (musician)

Aco is a female Japanese singer. She made her debut in 1995 with the pop single Fuan nano . She is a part of Sony Music Japan. She explores different musical styles, with the albums absolute ego and material displaying Electronica influences...

. The song quickly became a huge hit in Japan, reaching No. 1 on the Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

 charts, and remains a favorite among Dragon Ash fans.

The track also samples Pachelbel's Canon in the style of Coolio

Coolio

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...

's "C U when U get there" and a live version of this track actually changes the chorus to the chorus of said track.

Track listing

1. "Grateful Days (Original Edit)" - 4:57
2. "Grateful Days (Remix)" - 5:00
3. "Grateful Days (Live Version)" - 6:07
4. "Grateful Days (Unplugged Mix)" - 4:41