Join Me in Death
Encyclopedia
"Join Me in Death" is the first single by the Finnish
band HIM taken from their second studio album Razorblade Romance
. It was also released as "Join Me", since they weren't allowed to include "Death" in the title for the US version. The song is the band's best-known song in Europe
. It was featured in the end title crawl of the European version of the sci-fi movie The Thirteenth Floor
(The US version featured The Cardigans
' Erase/Rewind
instead.)
exist: three "lazer versions", two of which includes different scenes from the Thirteenth Floor movie, and the fourth - "ice version", with a vague Romeo and Juliet
theme also attributed to the song. This has met with controversy regarding its subject matter. "A couple of people blamed me for a suicide someone committed over here saying that 'Join Me' is an invitation to kill yourself," HIM frontman Ville Valo
told the European magazine Metal Hammer
in 2003. "What I was trying to do was sort of rip-off 'Don't Fear the Reaper' by Blue Öyster Cult
, making a rock track of Romeo And Juliet." Lyrics such as "Would you die tonight for love?" have contributed to the misconception that the song is about suicide, which Valo denies, claiming the lyrics refer to giving things up for the sake of love. "It's not about suicide, that song. It's about giving it all away," Valo told the magazine Modern Fix.
In addition to its release on Razorblade Romance and in the film The Thirteenth Floor (though not on its soundtrack), "Join Me" was included on the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack in 2004. The band Gregorian
covered "Join Me" with Sarah Brightman
on their album Masters of Chant: Chapter III
and on Brightman's Limited Edition The Harem Tour album. Another Gregorian version exist with vocals performed by Amelia Brightman.
HIM performed this song for the (first time) in Ilosaarirock
, Finland
on the 12th of September, 1998, which featured a whole extra verse which is not included in the studio versions.
|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|Austrian Singles Chart
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|Belgian Singles Chart
|align="center"|37
|-
|align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart
|align="center"|33
|-
|align="left"|Finnish Singles Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|align="left"|German Singles Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|align="left"|Italian Singles Chart
|align="center"|30
|-
|align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
|align="center"|52
|-
|align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
|align="center"|8
|-
|}
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
band HIM taken from their second studio album Razorblade Romance
Razorblade Romance
Razorblade Romance is the second studio album by HIM, released on 19 December 1999 in Finland and 24 January 2000 in the rest of Europe - except for the UK, where it was released 15 May 2000. It was produced by John Fryer and recorded at Rockfield recording studios in Wales by John Fryer and Paul...
. It was also released as "Join Me", since they weren't allowed to include "Death" in the title for the US version. The song is the band's best-known song in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It was featured in the end title crawl of the European version of the sci-fi movie The Thirteenth Floor
The Thirteenth Floor
The Thirteenth Floor is a 1999 science fiction film directed by Josef Rusnak and loosely based upon Simulacron-3 , a novel by Daniel F. Galouye...
(The US version featured The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
' Erase/Rewind
Erase/Rewind
"Erase/Rewind" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' 1998 album Gran Turismo. The song is the album's second track, and was released as its second single. It was also featured in The Thirteenth Floor during the ending credits...
instead.)
Overview
Four versions of the song's videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
exist: three "lazer versions", two of which includes different scenes from the Thirteenth Floor movie, and the fourth - "ice version", with a vague Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
theme also attributed to the song. This has met with controversy regarding its subject matter. "A couple of people blamed me for a suicide someone committed over here saying that 'Join Me' is an invitation to kill yourself," HIM frontman Ville Valo
Ville Valo
Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 by the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo has a baritone vocal range. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Paraders Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time...
told the European magazine Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
in 2003. "What I was trying to do was sort of rip-off 'Don't Fear the Reaper' by Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, making a rock track of Romeo And Juliet." Lyrics such as "Would you die tonight for love?" have contributed to the misconception that the song is about suicide, which Valo denies, claiming the lyrics refer to giving things up for the sake of love. "It's not about suicide, that song. It's about giving it all away," Valo told the magazine Modern Fix.
In addition to its release on Razorblade Romance and in the film The Thirteenth Floor (though not on its soundtrack), "Join Me" was included on the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack in 2004. The band Gregorian
Gregorian (band)
Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment.- Band history :...
covered "Join Me" with Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
on their album Masters of Chant: Chapter III
Masters of Chant Chapter III
Masters of Chant III is the fourth album by Gregorian.- Track listing :# "Join Me" – 4:10 # "Be" – 5:20...
and on Brightman's Limited Edition The Harem Tour album. Another Gregorian version exist with vocals performed by Amelia Brightman.
HIM performed this song for the (first time) in Ilosaarirock
Ilosaarirock
The Ilosaarirock Festival is an annual rock festival held on the second weekend of July in Joensuu, Eastern Finland. Founded in 1971, Ilosaarirock is the second oldest rock festival in Finland still active, and one of the oldest in Europe. In 2007 the event had 21,000 daily visitors...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on the 12th of September, 1998, which featured a whole extra verse which is not included in the studio versions.
International release
- "Join Me" – 3:39
- "Join Me" (13th Floor Mix) – 3:39
- "It's All Tears" (Unplugged) – 3:48
- "Rebel YellRebel Yell (song)"Rebel Yell" is the first song on the Billy Idol album of the same name. When first released in 1984, it charted outside the UK Top 40, but a re-issue in 1985 reached #6. It did not fare as well in the US, only reaching #46...
" (live) – 5:12
German release
- "Join Me in Death" – 3:39
- "It's All Tears" (Unplugged) – 3:48
- "Rebel Yell" (live) – 5:12
- "Dark Sekret Love" Limited Edition bonus track – 5:17
Charts
{| width="0%"|- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="center"|Peak
position
|-
|align="left"|Austrian Singles Chart
|align="center"|2
|-
|align="left"|Belgian Singles Chart
|align="center"|37
|-
|align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart
|align="center"|33
|-
|align="left"|Finnish Singles Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|align="left"|German Singles Chart
|align="center"|1
|-
|align="left"|Italian Singles Chart
|align="center"|30
|-
|align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
|align="center"|52
|-
|align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
|align="center"|8
|-
|}