A Dustland Fairytale
Encyclopedia
"A Dustland Fairytale" is a song by American rock band The Killers. The song is about frontman Brandon Flowers
' parents.
, and is one of the four portraits drawn by Paul Normansell for the album.
from the band's third studio album
Day & Age in North America. In the UK, Europe and Australia, the third single released was "The World We Live In
".
It was the fourth single from Day & Age in the UK and was released on August 10, 2009.
UK Digital EP
who also directed Killers videos for "Tranquilize
" and "When You Were Young
". It was released on US iTunes on June 8, 2009.
The video premiered in the UK on June 16 on Channel 4
and 4 Music.
The video shows an old man named Joe White, smoking with a tattoo of the number 7 on one of his fingers. It then reflects on a younger man, "Joey", showing the same 7 on the finger, dressed in a leather jacket, white shirt and leather pants and about to fight a member of another gang, "Billy", for his own gang, the "Sevens". Throughout the video, it shows the boy, Joey, dating a brunette girl, then there is a flashback of Joey looking at the brunette girl through her window, as she turns around and kisses Billy, while it shows the older man going to all the locations shown, reflecting on the memories of his youth. Interspersed with this is a letter that the man has, showing that he has just been released from prison, which gives a clue to the result of the initial fight - he kills Billy. The final shot is of an older Joe visiting a house, ringing the doorbell to find an older brunette woman answer the door, and they embrace.
Brandon Flowers
Brandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, best known as the frontman of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. He has also released a solo album titled Flamingo.-Early life:...
' parents.
Background
The cover art for the single is a portrait of the band's bassist Mark StoermerMark Stoermer
Mark Stoermer is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for alternative rock band The Killers, in 2011 he released his debut solo album Another Life.-Personal life:...
, and is one of the four portraits drawn by Paul Normansell for the album.
Release
The song was released as the third singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the band's third studio album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Day & Age in North America. In the UK, Europe and Australia, the third single released was "The World We Live In
The World We Live In (The Killers song)
"The World We Live In" is the third single from The Killers third studio album Day & Age in the UK and Europe. In North America and the rest of the world, "A Dustland Fairytale" is the third single.-Music video:...
".
It was the fourth single from Day & Age in the UK and was released on August 10, 2009.
Tracklisting
UK 7" Picture Disc- "A Dustland Fairytale" - 3:45
- "Forget About What I Said" - 2:57
UK Digital EP
- "A Dustland Fairytale" - 3:45
- "A Dustland Fairytale - Video" - 5:09
Chart performance
In December 2008, "A Dustland Fairytale" charted in the UK Top 200 on Album Track Downloads alone, at number 158 , in the week of its official release it re-entered at 137.| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
137 |
| US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
36 |
Music video
The video was directed by Anthony MandlerAnthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
who also directed Killers videos for "Tranquilize
Tranquilize
"Tranquilize" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band, The Killers featuring Lou Reed. The song was written by Brandon Flowers and it is featured on the compilation album Sawdust.The song was made available for download on iTunes from October 12, 2007...
" and "When You Were Young
When You Were Young
"When You Were Young" is a song written and performed by The Killers, and is the third track on their second album Sam's Town, released in October 2006. The song was released as the lead single from that album in September 2006. It has proven to be one of their most successful singles, peaking at...
". It was released on US iTunes on June 8, 2009.
The video premiered in the UK on June 16 on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and 4 Music.
The video shows an old man named Joe White, smoking with a tattoo of the number 7 on one of his fingers. It then reflects on a younger man, "Joey", showing the same 7 on the finger, dressed in a leather jacket, white shirt and leather pants and about to fight a member of another gang, "Billy", for his own gang, the "Sevens". Throughout the video, it shows the boy, Joey, dating a brunette girl, then there is a flashback of Joey looking at the brunette girl through her window, as she turns around and kisses Billy, while it shows the older man going to all the locations shown, reflecting on the memories of his youth. Interspersed with this is a letter that the man has, showing that he has just been released from prison, which gives a clue to the result of the initial fight - he kills Billy. The final shot is of an older Joe visiting a house, ringing the doorbell to find an older brunette woman answer the door, and they embrace.
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| World World World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth.... wide |
November 23, 2008 | Digital download | Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... |
| North America North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |
June 9, 2009 | Video download | Island Def Jam |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
August 9, 2009 | Digital EP | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
August 10, 2009 | 7 inch vinyl | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |