The Kill
Encyclopedia
"The Kill" is a song by 30 Seconds to Mars
, the song was released as the second single from their second album, A Beautiful Lie
. On May 2, 2010, the song was performed featuring Chino Moreno
from Deftones
.
described the meaning of the song as, "It's really about a relationship with yourself. It's about confronting your fear and confronting the truth about who you are." He has also said it is about "confrontation as a crossroads" — coming face-to-face with who you really are. In September 2007, "The Kill" was re-released again in the UK. It is currently available as a Compact Disc with a A Beautiful Lie poster and two stickers, and a special limited edition 7" vinyl version. The song is played in 6/8 time
.
's 1980 film The Shining
based on the Stephen King
novel
. Several scenes are based on the film, such as when Shannon Leto
enters Room 6277 and encounters the woman in the bathroom. Another when Matt Wachter
is served drinks at the bar by doppelgänger apparition. Also both films culminate in an elegant ballroom.
As for the cinematography, Jared Leto has perhaps adopted the split screen
visual from working with Darren Aronofsky
in Requiem for a Dream.
The haunted room number is changed from 237 to 6277 in the video because it spells out "Mars" on a telephone keypad. The number also makes an appearance in the video for "From Yesterday
".
The music video was selected as the second best video of 2006, falling short only to "Savin' Me
" by Nickelback
. And it was voted the 2nd greatest of the 21st century on Scuzz TV.It was also selected as the greatest rock video ever in the Kerrang Rock 100 on 27th June 2009.
At 2:07, the papers that Jared Leto
has been typing are briefly made visible and the words on them appear to read, over and over, "This is who I really am." This is another allusion to The Shining, in which Jack Torrance types up pages and pages of the same line, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
", over and over in the same sense.
Also, it is shown at 2:58, a negative of what appears to be a woman's corpse standing in a hall way, displayed on the screen very briefly. This image also reappears by flashing rapidly from 3:19 to 3:59. However, on YouTube
, the official version of the video doesn't show the corpse as a negative, but rather in its raw form, with blood. This may be to emphasize the song title because she looks as though she was only killed recently.
When the press release info for "The Kill" video was released, Jared stated that the video was directed by an albino Danish man named Bartholomew Cubbins. This was intended as a joke as Cubbins is the main character of the Dr. Seuss
book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
, however airings of the video on music channels still list Cubbins as the director. The hotel scenes in the video were filmed at The Carlu in Toronto
, Ontario
.
features the band exploring a hotel which they are care-taking. At the start, Jared Leto states that they have the hotel all to themselves for three days; although, later on, after the first chorus, it comes on the screen saying "One Week Later", before showing the pages saying "This is who I really am". In the extended version of the video the other band members complain that they have been at the hotel longer than expected and have canceled shows because of Jared's peculiar behavior, explaining the discrepancy.
A letter from the hotel owner tells the band to "Enjoy your stay and please stay out of Room 6277.", the band does not heed the warning and opens Room 6277. Following the opening of the door, each band member begins to experience the effects of the room. Each member experiences the effects differently, but one thing remains constant for each individual — they encounter a version of themselves
dressed in a 20's style tuxedo with tails. Several other apparitions
then take up residence in the hotel, dispelling the promise Jared made in the beginning of the video that the band will have the hotel all to themselves and that "there's not gonna be a single fucking soul". The video reaches its climax
when Tomo is seen in bed with a bear, and immediately the band dressed in tuxedos are shown performing the song in the hotel's ballroom
in front of a crowd of twins dressed like the roaring 1920's dancing with themselves. The theme of duplicity resonates throughout the video.
UK release
UK re-release
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
, the song was released as the second single from their second album, A Beautiful Lie
A Beautiful Lie
A Beautiful Lie is the second album by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. It was released on August 30, 2005 through Virgin Records and was produced by Josh Abraham. The album produced four singles, "Attack," "The Kill," "From Yesterday," and "A Beautiful Lie"; of which three of those four...
. On May 2, 2010, the song was performed featuring Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
from Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
.
Overview
Jared LetoJared Leto
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
described the meaning of the song as, "It's really about a relationship with yourself. It's about confronting your fear and confronting the truth about who you are." He has also said it is about "confrontation as a crossroads" — coming face-to-face with who you really are. In September 2007, "The Kill" was re-released again in the UK. It is currently available as a Compact Disc with a A Beautiful Lie poster and two stickers, and a special limited edition 7" vinyl version. The song is played in 6/8 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
.
Music video
The video is an homage to the Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's 1980 film The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
based on the Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
novel
The Shining (novel)
The Shining is a 1977 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The title was inspired by the John Lennon song "Instant Karma!", which contained the line "We all shine on…". It was King's third published novel, and first hardback bestseller, and the success of the book firmly established King...
. Several scenes are based on the film, such as when Shannon Leto
Shannon Leto
Shannon Leto is an American drummer and an occasional actor. He is the older brother of musician and actor Jared Leto; both are part of the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. -Career:...
enters Room 6277 and encounters the woman in the bathroom. Another when Matt Wachter
Matt Wachter
Matthew Walter "Matt" Wachter is the bassist, keyboardist, and the backing vocalist in the rock band Angels & Airwaves. He was the former bassist for alternative rock group 30 Seconds to Mars, He was with the band from 2001 to 2007...
is served drinks at the bar by doppelgänger apparition. Also both films culminate in an elegant ballroom.
As for the cinematography, Jared Leto has perhaps adopted the split screen
Split screen (film)
In film and video production, split screen is the visible division of the screen, traditionally in half, but also in several simultaneous images, rupturing the illusion that the screen's frame is a seamless view of reality, similar to that of the human eye...
visual from working with Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
in Requiem for a Dream.
The haunted room number is changed from 237 to 6277 in the video because it spells out "Mars" on a telephone keypad. The number also makes an appearance in the video for "From Yesterday
From Yesterday
"From Yesterday" is a song by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, and the third single released from their second album A Beautiful Lie. The music video for the song is believed to be the first ever American music video shot in the People's Republic of China in its entirety...
".
Savin' Me
"Savin' Me" is a rock song written by Canadian band Nickelback. It was released as the third major single from their fifth album All the Right Reasons . The song has reached number two on the Canadian Singles Chart and number nineteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is one of the band's few...
" by Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
. And it was voted the 2nd greatest of the 21st century on Scuzz TV.It was also selected as the greatest rock video ever in the Kerrang Rock 100 on 27th June 2009.
At 2:07, the papers that Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Jared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
has been typing are briefly made visible and the words on them appear to read, over and over, "This is who I really am." This is another allusion to The Shining, in which Jack Torrance types up pages and pages of the same line, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy is a proverb. It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring.-History:...
", over and over in the same sense.
Also, it is shown at 2:58, a negative of what appears to be a woman's corpse standing in a hall way, displayed on the screen very briefly. This image also reappears by flashing rapidly from 3:19 to 3:59. However, 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....
, the official version of the video doesn't show the corpse as a negative, but rather in its raw form, with blood. This may be to emphasize the song title because she looks as though she was only killed recently.
When the press release info for "The Kill" video was released, Jared stated that the video was directed by an albino Danish man named Bartholomew Cubbins. This was intended as a joke as Cubbins is the main character of the Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is a children's book, written by Dr. Seuss and published by Vanguard in 1938. Unlike the majority of Dr. Seuss's books, it is written in prose rather than rhyming and metered verse...
, however airings of the video on music channels still list Cubbins as the director. The hotel scenes in the video were filmed at The Carlu in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Plot
The music 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...
features the band exploring a hotel which they are care-taking. At the start, Jared Leto states that they have the hotel all to themselves for three days; although, later on, after the first chorus, it comes on the screen saying "One Week Later", before showing the pages saying "This is who I really am". In the extended version of the video the other band members complain that they have been at the hotel longer than expected and have canceled shows because of Jared's peculiar behavior, explaining the discrepancy.
A letter from the hotel owner tells the band to "Enjoy your stay and please stay out of Room 6277.", the band does not heed the warning and opens Room 6277. Following the opening of the door, each band member begins to experience the effects of the room. Each member experiences the effects differently, but one thing remains constant for each individual — they encounter a version of themselves
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
dressed in a 20's style tuxedo with tails. Several other apparitions
Apparitional experience
In psychology and parapsychology, an apparitional experience is an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience.It is characterized by the apparent perception of either a living being or an inanimate object without there being any material stimulus for such a perception...
then take up residence in the hotel, dispelling the promise Jared made in the beginning of the video that the band will have the hotel all to themselves and that "there's not gonna be a single fucking soul". The video reaches its climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
when Tomo is seen in bed with a bear, and immediately the band dressed in tuxedos are shown performing the song in the hotel's ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
in front of a crowd of twins dressed like the roaring 1920's dancing with themselves. The theme of duplicity resonates throughout the video.
Track listing
Standard- "The Kill (Bury Me)" – 3:52
- "Attack" (live at CBGB, July 2006) – 4:06
- "The Kill (Bury Me)" (acoustic, live on VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
) – 3:48
UK release
- "The Kill (Rebirth)" – 3:52
- "The Kill (Rebirth)" (acoustic, live on VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
) – 3:48
UK re-release
- "The Kill (Rebirth)" – 3:52
- "Was It a Dream?" (iTunesITunesiTunes 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....
live session) – 3:46
Chart positions
- The song broke a record on BillboardBillboard (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 Modern Rock Tracks chart by remaining on the chart for 52 weeks.; oddly enough, however, the song never made it to the top spot, peaking at #3. Their next single, "From YesterdayFrom Yesterday"From Yesterday" is a song by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, and the third single released from their second album A Beautiful Lie. The music video for the song is believed to be the first ever American music video shot in the People's Republic of China in its entirety...
", would be their first to reach the top, but spent less time on the charts than "The Kill".
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
20 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 10 |
| 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 ... |
64 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
65 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 3 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
| Finnish Download Chart | 2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart 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... |
22 |
| 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 ... (re-release) |
28 |
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOL Radio AOL Radio AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
"Top Alternative Songs of the Decade - 2000s" | 2009 | 1 |
Awards
- Won "Best Single" at the Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Awards 2007. - On August 31, 2006, the band won the MTV2MTV2MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
Award for "The Kill" at the MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, one of their two nominations. The second nomination was for best rock video; however, they lost to AFIAFI (band)AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
's "Miss MurderMiss Murder"Miss Murder" is a song by American rock band AFI. It was released on April 3, 2006 as the lead single from their seventh studio album Decemberunderground. It was initially scheduled to premiere on LIVE 105 on April 13, 2006, however, it was released early due to overwhelming fan reaction. It was...
". - "The Kill" was awarded Best Video of the Year and Best Rock Video at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards (AVMAs).
- Won The Rock Out! Award at the 2007 MTV EMA's (Europe Music Awards).
In popular culture
- The song is featured as one of the themes of The InvisibleThe Invisible (film)The Invisible is a 2007 American supernatural thriller teen film starring Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette, Marcia Gay Harden, and Callum Keith Rennie...
, and a live music video is included on the DVD releases, as well as the song being part of the soundtrackThe Invisible (soundtrack)The Invisible: Original Soundtrack is a compilation album, the soundtrack to the film The Invisible.-Track listing:#"Taking Back Control" - Sparta#"Wolf Like Me" - TV on the Radio#"You're All I Have" - Snow Patrol...
. - Many times the band Allie Night has accomplished covers live. Separately as their lead singer, Alexandra Garcia, made covers.
- The song is featured in the January 21, 2007 Without a TraceWithout a TraceWithout a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
episode, "Primed". - During the 2007 MTV Movie Awards2007 MTV Movie AwardsThe 2007 MTV Movie Awards took place on June 3, 2007 at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California and were hosted by Sarah Silverman. The ceremony featured performances by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, who performed "Umbrella", and Amy Winehouse, who performed "Rehab"...
, "The Kill" was played as the background music of the nomination screen for the film 300300 (film)300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
, which was nominated for the Best Movie award. - The song was featured in the October 25, 2007 episode of the television show HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
. - The song is available as downloadable content for Rock BandRock BandRock 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...
. - The song is featured in Guitar Hero World TourGuitar Hero World TourGuitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
. - There's also another version of the music with the collaboration of Brazilian singer PittyPittyPriscilla Novaes Leone , better known as Pitty, is a Brazilian rock singer.She had played in two bands, Shes and Inkoma, before starting her solo career in 2003. She has sold over 2 million copies in her career, being one of the best selling rock artists in the 2000s...
, that was only released in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Personnel
- Jared LetoJared LetoJared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Tomo MiličevićTomo MiličevićTomislav "Tomo" Miličević is a Bosnian-American musician. He is the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.- Family :...
– guitar, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Shannon LetoShannon LetoShannon Leto is an American drummer and an occasional actor. He is the older brother of musician and actor Jared Leto; both are part of the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. -Career:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Matt WachterMatt WachterMatthew Walter "Matt" Wachter is the bassist, keyboardist, and the backing vocalist in the rock band Angels & Airwaves. He was the former bassist for alternative rock group 30 Seconds to Mars, He was with the band from 2001 to 2007...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Matt Serletic – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
External links
- Music video provided by VirginVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. - Official From Yesterday/The Kill/Attack streaming music player featured on the official website