Take Back the City
Encyclopedia
"Take Back the City" is a song from alternative rock
band Snow Patrol
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song has positive lyrics, and is about the Lightbody's love for Belfast. The song has been officially remixed once, by Lillica Libertine, and it appeared as a b-side to the single.
The single received mixed reviews, and was generally not considered Snow Patrol's return to form. Critics were generally displeased with how similar the song sounded to the songs on the band's previous album Eyes Open
, when the band was claiming that the new album was a departure from their earlier work. The lyrics, though, were praised for their depth. The single was quite successful in the charts, charting in the Top 5 in Ireland and Top 10 in the UK. The single also appeared in the Top 40 in a further five countries. Furthermore, it topped the Triple A chart in the United States, a feat which would later be achieved by "Crack the Shutters".
. About "Take Back the City", he said that though the song was inspired by Belfast and Northern Ireland in general, it applied to every other city and the relationship its inhabitants have with it. He said that it's "about the reasons why I grew up confused by my country and the reasons now why I love it so". Lightbody, who grew up in Belfast added that our native place has a big hand in what we became. Lightbody has also mentioned that the "rawness of the song came from Hansa and Berlin".
In an interview to Q
in November 2008, Lightbody commented that the song was about his love for the place (Belfast) rather than the conflicts that have taken place. He shed light on the lyrics. The lyric "All these years later and it's killing me/Your broken records and words" refers to the city's past and the phrase "broken records and words" is a metaphor for "the politicians saying no". Lightbody added the after-effects of the past could still be seen in the city, but it's advancing rapidly, and it's a "fully functional, vibrant, European city these days". The phrase "pick a side, pick a fight, but get your epitaph right" is about how Lightbody doesn't understand why the conflict was taking place. He didn't understand why anyone would want to fight. He added that "I'm not fighting anyone for anything, because I don't hate anyone". "I love this city tonight, I love this city always/It bares its teeth like a light, and spits me out after days" is about the city's buzzing music scene. Lightbody revealed that he was always discovering new bands. The lyric "Tell me you never wanted more than this/And I will stop talking now" was a kind of lyric Lighbody said would be present in every song he'd write. He said that the song becomes a "modern love story in the blink of an eye" because of it. He further commented that the whole album was about being in love, and admitted it was a change in style for him.
In another interview for The Sunday Times
, Lightbody stated that the "song's spiky solo and chunky chord work were inspired by old Tom Petty
and Cars
records". He added that though the band preferred to write about current events, they seldom liked to "luxuriate in the past". Bruce Springsteen
was also an influence, as the band were listening to his work at the time of recording the album.
appearing in a video announcing the competition. Videos were to be uploaded to a group specially created for the competition on YouTube
. One person could enter one video only, and to do this, a space of one month was provided - from 10 November 2008 12:01 a.m. PST
to 10 December 2008 11:59 p.m. PST. The band/label selected the winners, who were notified through phone/e-mail.
The single was first played on the air on Zane Lowe
's radio show on BBC Radio 1
. Snow Patrol appeared on Channel 4
's show T4
to perform the song on 5 October. A day after the single was released in the UK, the band appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, to perform a few tracks for the then upcoming album (including "Take Back the City"). The show saw the band appear alongside Tom Jones
, Eliza Carthy
, Norma Waterson
and Friendly Fires
. Additionally, the song made it to BBC Radio 1
and BBC Radio 2
's A list, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. The song was released as a downloadable track for the Rock Band
series. The song has also been featured on the Gossip Girl
episode "Chuck in Real Life", which aired on 20 October 2008. The track featured on the compilation Now That's What I Call Music! 71.
The song was released digitally worldwide through iTunes
, with a digital single released on 5 October. The single was released on the German iTunes on 10 October. Physically, the single was released in Ireland, Germany and Belgium on 10 October, in the UK and Rest of Europe on 13 October, and in Australia on 11 October. The single was released in two formats, CD and 7" Vinyl and saw a limited release. They were made available in shops for a week, and could be purchased from the online SP store or HMV
. The 7" single had two versions, one containing a live version of "Set the Fire to the Third Bar
" and the other containing a "Lillica Libertine Remix" of "Take Back the City" as a b-side. At the SP store, all three singles could be bought as a bundle for £5. The CD single was backed by the previously unreleased b-side "The Afterlife". In the Netherlands, the single was released on 17 October.
in London Docklands, East London
and was produced by Paul Weston. Alex Courtes
, who has previously directed the music video for "Seven Nation Army
" by The White Stripes
, directed it. It premiered on Yahoo! Music
on 24 September 2008. The band invited fans in the age bracket of 18–35 to be a part of the video as extras. Interested people were required to email their details and photograph to the production company Partizan
. The ones chosen were utilized for the pub scene, and scenes were shot on 11 August 2008 after midnight. The video was described by RockTog magazine as a "fast paced, headache inducing visual spectacle", but it criticized it for featuring lead singer Gary Lightbody over the other band members.
The video is stop-motion shots of London
skyscrapers and Gary Lightbody walking through the city streets, taken by the band's photographer Cedric, which are interspersed with scenes of the band performing the song on their instruments, filmed in the Millennium Mills. In a 'making of' video, Lightbody is heard saying that it "may be their best video yet".
Live track featuring Miriam Kaufmann recorded at Mencap
's Little Noise Sessions
at the Union Chapel
, London
on 25 November 2007.
". He criticized the hook for being "average" and called the lyrics bland. He also called Lightbody's vocals banal and "more grating than usual". Yahoo! Music
's Julian Marszalek wasn't too pleased either, calling the band "daddies of glum-rock". He noted the song was a faster-paced song than the band's previous work, and declared that "Gary Lightbody discovers his guitar can still be played in a vaguely meaningful manner while making a distorted noise." He went on to say the band "have discovered the majesty of rock", though "not in a Metallica kind of way", and "certainly not in the kind of way that'll clear the dinner party this will end up inevitably soundtracking, but in a nice, sensible, tuneful and tasteful way." He awarded the single 5 stars out of 10. Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy
gave the single 3 stars out of 5. He wrote "it attempts to unite the group's new-found love for all things epic and U2-ish with their scruffier indie roots." He felt the guitar was predictable, but praised the lyrics for their depth, citing "It bares its teeth like a light and spits me out after days" as an example. musicOMH's Ryan Helfland was generally pleased with the song, though he had his criticisms. He felt the track was "a continuation of, as opposed to a departure from, the band's commercially viable (yet, at times, predictable) material on über-hit Eyes Open." But he also felt that "it conjures images of fans a-plenty bouncing along with the tune's pulsating rhythm, which should be gracing arena scoreboards shortly." He also said the single would likely be succeeded by "a fit-for-primetime television ballad", and "Snow Patrol are likely on the precipice of spectator domination."
However, there were reviewers that welcomed the song. Billboard
s Sven Phillip reviewed the single very positively. He said that the "guitar-driven anthem begins humbly, with Bowie-ish vocals dancing over a new wave-infused folk-rock beat." He praised the build up to the refrain, and felt that it was "delivered with the kind of understatement that makes melody-focused U.K. acts so exciting." NME
reviewed the single positively as well, awarding it 7 stars out of 10. It called the song "pleasing" for being "more of a glammy power-rock ballad in the vein of ’80s unit-shifters Starship or Roxette", rather than being "their typical dewy-eyed simperer." It also said that "you won’t admit to liking it". The Sunday Mail
's Avril Cadden reviewed the single positively as well, awarding it 3 stars out of 5, but called it "nothing new or unexpected". But she felt it had "a good tune that will keep their star shining brightly and get lots of radio play." She called the chorus "big" and felt that Gary Lightbody's vocals were "affective".
The single was successful on the charts, charting in ten countries around the world. Its highest peak was #4 in Ireland, where it spent a total of one week. Additionally, it spent ten weeks on the Irish Charts. In the UK, the single hit #6 as their fifth UK Top 10 single and stayed in the charts for eight weeks. The single is also notable for topping the Triple A chart in the United States. The next single taken from the album, "Crack the Shutters" would go on to achieve the same feat. The single hit the Top 40 in a further five countries: Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Austria and Sweden. Till date, the single has spent a total of sixty-seven weeks on record charts around the world.
Other personnel
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns is the fifth album by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album was written by Snow Patrol and was produced by long time producer Jacknife Lee who has previously produced albums for Bloc Party, R.E.M., and U2. The songs were recorded through the summer of 2008 in Hansa...
. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song has positive lyrics, and is about the Lightbody's love for Belfast. The song has been officially remixed once, by Lillica Libertine, and it appeared as a b-side to the single.
The single received mixed reviews, and was generally not considered Snow Patrol's return to form. Critics were generally displeased with how similar the song sounded to the songs on the band's previous album Eyes Open
Eyes Open
Eyes Open is the fourth album by Northern Irish/Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released in the UK on 1 May 2006, and 9 May 2006 in the US. The first European single, "You're All I Have", was released on 24 April 2006; the first U.S. single was "Hands Open" and the first...
, when the band was claiming that the new album was a departure from their earlier work. The lyrics, though, were praised for their depth. The single was quite successful in the charts, charting in the Top 5 in Ireland and Top 10 in the UK. The single also appeared in the Top 40 in a further five countries. Furthermore, it topped the Triple A chart in the United States, a feat which would later be achieved by "Crack the Shutters".
Background
At the time of the release of the album, SP.com posted a section featuring lead singer and lyricist Gary Lightbody discussing the new songs, which was initially a Lightbody interview to RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
. About "Take Back the City", he said that though the song was inspired by Belfast and Northern Ireland in general, it applied to every other city and the relationship its inhabitants have with it. He said that it's "about the reasons why I grew up confused by my country and the reasons now why I love it so". Lightbody, who grew up in Belfast added that our native place has a big hand in what we became. Lightbody has also mentioned that the "rawness of the song came from Hansa and Berlin".
In an interview to Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
in November 2008, Lightbody commented that the song was about his love for the place (Belfast) rather than the conflicts that have taken place. He shed light on the lyrics. The lyric "All these years later and it's killing me/Your broken records and words" refers to the city's past and the phrase "broken records and words" is a metaphor for "the politicians saying no". Lightbody added the after-effects of the past could still be seen in the city, but it's advancing rapidly, and it's a "fully functional, vibrant, European city these days". The phrase "pick a side, pick a fight, but get your epitaph right" is about how Lightbody doesn't understand why the conflict was taking place. He didn't understand why anyone would want to fight. He added that "I'm not fighting anyone for anything, because I don't hate anyone". "I love this city tonight, I love this city always/It bares its teeth like a light, and spits me out after days" is about the city's buzzing music scene. Lightbody revealed that he was always discovering new bands. The lyric "Tell me you never wanted more than this/And I will stop talking now" was a kind of lyric Lighbody said would be present in every song he'd write. He said that the song becomes a "modern love story in the blink of an eye" because of it. He further commented that the whole album was about being in love, and admitted it was a change in style for him.
In another interview for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, Lightbody stated that the "song's spiky solo and chunky chord work were inspired by old Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
records". He added that though the band preferred to write about current events, they seldom liked to "luxuriate in the past". Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
was also an influence, as the band were listening to his work at the time of recording the album.
Promotion and release
The band organized a competition for fans in the United States to make a video about their city, with guitarist Nathan ConnollyNathan Connolly
Nathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
appearing in a video announcing the competition. Videos were to be uploaded to a group specially created for the competition on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. One person could enter one video only, and to do this, a space of one month was provided - from 10 November 2008 12:01 a.m. PST
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
to 10 December 2008 11:59 p.m. PST. The band/label selected the winners, who were notified through phone/e-mail.
The single was first played on the air on Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
's radio show on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Snow Patrol appeared 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...
's show T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
to perform the song on 5 October. A day after the single was released in the UK, the band appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, to perform a few tracks for the then upcoming album (including "Take Back the City"). The show saw the band appear alongside Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Eliza Carthy
Eliza Carthy
Eliza Carthy is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson.-Life and career:...
, Norma Waterson
Norma Waterson
Norma Christine Waterson is an English musician, best known as one of the original members of The Watersons, a premier English traditional group. Other members of the group included her brother Mike Waterson and sister Lal Waterson, and in later incarnations of the group her husband Martin...
and Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires...
. Additionally, the song made it to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's A list, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. The song was released as a downloadable track for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series. The song has also been featured on the Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
episode "Chuck in Real Life", which aired on 20 October 2008. The track featured on the compilation Now That's What I Call Music! 71.
The song was released digitally worldwide through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, with a digital single released on 5 October. The single was released on the German iTunes on 10 October. Physically, the single was released in Ireland, Germany and Belgium on 10 October, in the UK and Rest of Europe on 13 October, and in Australia on 11 October. The single was released in two formats, CD and 7" Vinyl and saw a limited release. They were made available in shops for a week, and could be purchased from the online SP store or HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
. The 7" single had two versions, one containing a live version of "Set the Fire to the Third Bar
Set the Fire to the Third Bar
"Set the Fire to the Third Bar" is a song from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open, featuring Martha Wainwright on vocals. The song was released as a single on the 13 November 2006.- Background :...
" and the other containing a "Lillica Libertine Remix" of "Take Back the City" as a b-side. At the SP store, all three singles could be bought as a bundle for £5. The CD single was backed by the previously unreleased b-side "The Afterlife". In the Netherlands, the single was released on 17 October.
Music video
The music video was filmed in the now derelict Millennium MillsMillennium Mills
The Millennium Mills is a derelict turn-of-the-century flour mill in West Silvertown on the south side of the Royal Victoria Dock, between the Thames Barrier and the ExCel exhibition centre alongside the newly built Britannia village, in Newham, London, England...
in London Docklands, East London
North East (London sub region)
The North East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and the City of London. The sub region was established in 2008 and replaced the larger East sub region that had been...
and was produced by Paul Weston. Alex Courtes
Alex and Martin
Alex and Martin were a music video directing duo consisting of Alex Courtes and Martin Fougerol. They directed several music videos with artists such as The White Stripes and U2....
, who has previously directed the music video for "Seven Nation Army
Seven Nation Army
"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...
" by The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, directed it. It premiered on Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
on 24 September 2008. The band invited fans in the age bracket of 18–35 to be a part of the video as extras. Interested people were required to email their details and photograph to the production company Partizan
Partizan Midi-Minuit
Partizan Midi-Minuit is a French company, which produced videos such as the multi-award winning Cog television advertisement for the Honda Accord, the 2004 ads for 7-Up, featuring Fido Dido, and music video for U2's Vertigo....
. The ones chosen were utilized for the pub scene, and scenes were shot on 11 August 2008 after midnight. The video was described by RockTog magazine as a "fast paced, headache inducing visual spectacle", but it criticized it for featuring lead singer Gary Lightbody over the other band members.
The video is stop-motion shots of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
skyscrapers and Gary Lightbody walking through the city streets, taken by the band's photographer Cedric, which are interspersed with scenes of the band performing the song on their instruments, filmed in the Millennium Mills. In a 'making of' video, Lightbody is heard saying that it "may be their best video yet".
Track listing
- CD Single:
- "Take Back the City" – 4:40
- "The Afterlife" – 4:03
- UK 7" Vinyl #1:
- A: "Take Back the City" – 4:40
- B: "Take Back the City" (Lillica Libertine Remix) – 6:07
- UK 7" Vinyl #2:
- A: "Take Back the City" – 4:40
- B: "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" (Live) (feat. Miriam Kaufmann) – 4:19
- iTunes Digital Download:
- "Take Back the City" – 4:42
- Europe/Australian CD:
- "Take Back the City" – 4:40
- "The Afterlife" – 4:03
- "Take Back the City" (Lillica Libertine Remix) – 6:07
- "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" (Live) (feat. Miriam Kaufmann) – 4:19
- UK Promo CD:
- "Take Back the City" (Radio Edit) – 4:16
- US Promo CD:
- "Take Back the City" (Radio Edit) – 4:16
- "Take Back the City" – 4:40
Live track featuring Miriam Kaufmann recorded at Mencap
Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
's Little Noise Sessions
Little Noise Sessions
The Little Noise Sessions is a series of acoustic charity concerts held annually at the Union Chapel, London, England in November, although one was held in Exeter in December 2009. The proceeds of ticket sales are donated to the charity, Mencap...
at the Union Chapel
Union Chapel, Islington
The Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 25 November 2007.
Reception
"Take Back the City" received generally mixed reviews. Daily Music Guide's James Brindle reviewed the single negatively and gave it 2 stars out of 5. He wrote that (the song) feels like Snow Patrol has run out of ideas, and the song sounded like a "re-hash" of "You're All I HaveYou're All I Have
"You're All I Have" is the first single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was released 24 April 2006. It was used by RTÉ sport to promote the return of The Sunday Game for the 2006 GAA championships...
". He criticized the hook for being "average" and called the lyrics bland. He also called Lightbody's vocals banal and "more grating than usual". Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
's Julian Marszalek wasn't too pleased either, calling the band "daddies of glum-rock". He noted the song was a faster-paced song than the band's previous work, and declared that "Gary Lightbody discovers his guitar can still be played in a vaguely meaningful manner while making a distorted noise." He went on to say the band "have discovered the majesty of rock", though "not in a Metallica kind of way", and "certainly not in the kind of way that'll clear the dinner party this will end up inevitably soundtracking, but in a nice, sensible, tuneful and tasteful way." He awarded the single 5 stars out of 10. Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave the single 3 stars out of 5. He wrote "it attempts to unite the group's new-found love for all things epic and U2-ish with their scruffier indie roots." He felt the guitar was predictable, but praised the lyrics for their depth, citing "It bares its teeth like a light and spits me out after days" as an example. musicOMH's Ryan Helfland was generally pleased with the song, though he had his criticisms. He felt the track was "a continuation of, as opposed to a departure from, the band's commercially viable (yet, at times, predictable) material on über-hit Eyes Open." But he also felt that "it conjures images of fans a-plenty bouncing along with the tune's pulsating rhythm, which should be gracing arena scoreboards shortly." He also said the single would likely be succeeded by "a fit-for-primetime television ballad", and "Snow Patrol are likely on the precipice of spectator domination."
However, there were reviewers that welcomed the song. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Sven Phillip reviewed the single very positively. He said that the "guitar-driven anthem begins humbly, with Bowie-ish vocals dancing over a new wave-infused folk-rock beat." He praised the build up to the refrain, and felt that it was "delivered with the kind of understatement that makes melody-focused U.K. acts so exciting." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
reviewed the single positively as well, awarding it 7 stars out of 10. It called the song "pleasing" for being "more of a glammy power-rock ballad in the vein of ’80s unit-shifters Starship or Roxette", rather than being "their typical dewy-eyed simperer." It also said that "you won’t admit to liking it". The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
's Avril Cadden reviewed the single positively as well, awarding it 3 stars out of 5, but called it "nothing new or unexpected". But she felt it had "a good tune that will keep their star shining brightly and get lots of radio play." She called the chorus "big" and felt that Gary Lightbody's vocals were "affective".
The single was successful on the charts, charting in ten countries around the world. Its highest peak was #4 in Ireland, where it spent a total of one week. Additionally, it spent ten weeks on the Irish Charts. In the UK, the single hit #6 as their fifth UK Top 10 single and stayed in the charts for eight weeks. The single is also notable for topping the Triple A chart in the United States. The next single taken from the album, "Crack the Shutters" would go on to achieve the same feat. The single hit the Top 40 in a further five countries: Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Austria and Sweden. Till date, the single has spent a total of sixty-seven weeks on record charts around the world.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Rock FM The Rock (New Zealand) The Rock is a New Zealand rock music radio station. It currently holds the #1 ratings spot out of the music stations nationwide. The station is known to broadcast material of a controversial nature, and The Rock has in the past had some issues with the Broadcasting Standards Authority with a number... |
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
The Hottest 100 | 2009 | 17 |
| The Rock 1000 | 647 |
Chart performance
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
35 |
| ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
31 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
95 |
| Dutch Tipparade | 3 |
| Dutch Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Single Top 100 |
36 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
42 |
| Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
40 |
| Swiss Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
46 |
| New Zealand Top 40 Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
33 |
| 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 ... |
6 |
| Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... ) |
32 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ultratip (Wallonia) | 9 |
| US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 32 |
| US Billboard Triple A Tracks Adult album alternative Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats.... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot Canadian Digital Singles | 52 |
| US Billboard European Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
15 |
| US Billboard Euro Digital Tracks | 9 |
| US Billboard Euro Digital Songs | 11 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart | 48 |
| Ultratop 50 (Flanders) | 37 |
Personnel
Snow Patrol- Gary LightbodyGary LightbodyGary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
– vocals, guitar, backing vocals - Nathan ConnollyNathan ConnollyNathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
– guitar, backing vocals - Paul WilsonPaul Wilson (musician)Paul "Pablo" Wilson is a Scottish musician, who is best known as the bass guitarist for Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He previously played guitar in Glasgow band Terra Diablo from 2000–2005. In March 2005, he replaced bassist Mark McClelland in Snow Patrol and switched...
– bass guitar, backing vocals - Jonny QuinnJonny QuinnJonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...
– drums - Tom SimpsonTom Simpson (musician)Tom Simpson is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the keyboardist of the Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1997 and became a permanent one in 2005. In 2007, he was arrested on drug charges, but was later...
– keyboards
Other personnel
- Jacknife LeeJacknife LeeGarret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
– producer, additional guitar - Cenzo Townshend – mixing
- Dave Emery – mixing (assistant)
- John Davis – mastering
- John Ross – photography
Release history
| Country/Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide (Except Germany) | 5 October 2008 | iTunes |
| Germany | 10 October 2008 | |
| Ireland | Compact disc | |
| Germany | ||
| Belgium | ||
| Australia | 11 October 2008 | |
| Europe (Rest of) | 13 October 2008 | |
| United Kingdom | Compact disc, 7" vinyl | |
| Netherlands | 17 October 2008 | Compact disc |