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Neighborhood 3 (Power Out)
Encyclopedia
"Neighborhood #3" is an indie rock
song by Canadian
rock band Arcade Fire. It was the third single
released from the band's debut album, Funeral
.
The single was released on May 22, 2005, on the Rough Trade Records
label. The single peaked at #26 on the UK Singles Chart
, and it remained on the chart for two weeks. Arcade Fire won the 2006 Juno Award
for "Songwriter of the Year" for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", along with two other tracks from Funeral, and the song's music video
was nominated "Video of the Year".
and his wife Régine Chassagne
along with former Arcade Fire member Josh Deu. The song's lyrics take place in Montreal
during the North American ice storm of 1998
, which left the city in darkness for over a week. Chassagne was living in Montreal at the time, and her experience gave the two the initial inspiration
to write the song.
The lyrics
are mostly metaphor
ical and ambiguous
, which has led to speculation as to what message they convey. The lyrics are dark ("Kids are dying out in the snow") and have a theme
of hopelessness ("Don't have any dreams / Don't have any plans"). Butler acknowledges that the two used the outage "as a basis to start from, to talk about other stuff", and so there are many ideas addressed in the song.
Despite the pessimistic atmosphere, Butler has indicated that there are "two sides" to the lyrics, and it can be interpreted as "uplifting", noting the lyrics "And the power's out / In the heart of man / Take it from your heart / Put it in your hand." Says Butler: "If there's something fucked up in your heart, you're going to put it in your hand as a sword
."
The lyrics also refer to Butler's idea that it is impossible to completely hide one's secrets. "A lot of people have [the idea] that there are aspects of your life that are hidden or secret … But I think that people are pretty much open book." He adds that the song can be interpreted politically, as current political figures
have been accused of acting with hidden motives.
music video
was produced for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" by Plates Animation, who also produced the animated video for The Shins
' "So Says I
". The video depicts several youths wearing hooded jackets
cutting the power lines to a snowy 1920s steampunk
city, while several old men chase them.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
song by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock band Arcade Fire. It was the third single
Single (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...
released from the band's debut album, Funeral
Funeral (album)
Funeral is the debut full-length album by the Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on September 14, 2004 in North America by Merge Records and on February 28, 2005 in Europe by Rough Trade Records...
.
The single was released on May 22, 2005, on the Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
label. The single peaked at #26 on the 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 ...
, and it remained on the chart for two weeks. Arcade Fire won the 2006 Juno Award
Juno Awards of 2006
The Juno Awards of 2006 were held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on the weekend of 31 March to 2 April 2006. These ceremonies honour music industry achievements in Canada during the previous year....
for "Songwriter of the Year" for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", along with two other tracks from Funeral, and the song's music video
Music 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...
was nominated "Video of the Year".
Background
The song was written by singer Win ButlerWin Butler
Win Butler is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire. His wife Régine Chassagne and his brother William Butler are both members of the band.-Life and career:...
and his wife Régine Chassagne
Régine Chassagne
Régine Chassagne is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist musician and singer, and a founding member of the band Arcade Fire. She is married to co-founder Win Butler.-Life and career:...
along with former Arcade Fire member Josh Deu. The song's lyrics take place in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
during the North American ice storm of 1998
North American ice storm of 1998
The North American ice storm of 1998 was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms which combined to strike a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada, and bordering areas from northern New York to central Maine in the...
, which left the city in darkness for over a week. Chassagne was living in Montreal at the time, and her experience gave the two the initial inspiration
Artistic inspiration
Inspiration refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavour. Literally, the word means "breathed upon," and it has its origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The Greeks believed that inspiration came from the muses, as well as the gods Apollo and...
to write the song.
The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
are mostly metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
ical and ambiguous
Ambiguity
Ambiguity of words or phrases is the ability to express more than one interpretation. It is distinct from vagueness, which is a statement about the lack of precision contained or available in the information.Context may play a role in resolving ambiguity...
, which has led to speculation as to what message they convey. The lyrics are dark ("Kids are dying out in the snow") and have a theme
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
of hopelessness ("Don't have any dreams / Don't have any plans"). Butler acknowledges that the two used the outage "as a basis to start from, to talk about other stuff", and so there are many ideas addressed in the song.
Despite the pessimistic atmosphere, Butler has indicated that there are "two sides" to the lyrics, and it can be interpreted as "uplifting", noting the lyrics "And the power's out / In the heart of man / Take it from your heart / Put it in your hand." Says Butler: "If there's something fucked up in your heart, you're going to put it in your hand as a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
."
The lyrics also refer to Butler's idea that it is impossible to completely hide one's secrets. "A lot of people have [the idea] that there are aspects of your life that are hidden or secret … But I think that people are pretty much open book." He adds that the song can be interpreted politically, as current political figures
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
have been accused of acting with hidden motives.
Video
A 3D computer-animated3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
music video
Music 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...
was produced for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" by Plates Animation, who also produced the animated video for The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
' "So Says I
So Says I
So Says I is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, the third track of their second album Chutes Too Narrow. It was released as a single, one of three from the album, on 21 September 2003 on Sub Pop Records....
". The video depicts several youths wearing hooded jackets
Hoodie
A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket...
cutting the power lines to a snowy 1920s steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
city, while several old men chase them.
Track listings
CD single (UK)
- "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (album version)
- "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (August Session)
Clear vinyl 7″ (UK)
- "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (album version)
- "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (August Session)
Black 7″ (UK)
- "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (live from the Great American Music HallGreat American Music HallThe Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater...
in San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
) - "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (featuring David ByrneDavid Byrne (musician)David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
, live from Irving PlazaIrving PlazaIrving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
)