"Knights of Cydonia" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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File:MuseKnightsofcydonia.png The "Knights of Cydonia" CD cover. |
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Single by Muse | ||||||||||||||||||||||
from the album Black Holes and Revelations |
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B-side | "Assassin (Grand Omega Bosses Edit)" "Supermassive Black Hole (Live)" |
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Released | 13 June 2006 (U.S.) 27 November 2006 (UK) |
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Format | Promo CD, download, 7", CD, DVD | |||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | New prog, Progressive metal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 6:07 (Album version) 4:48 (International radio edit) 4:42 (US radio edit) 3:58 (3'59 radio edit) |
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Label | Helium 3, Warner Bros. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Writer(s) | Matthew Bellamy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Producer | Rich Costey | |||||||||||||||||||||
Muse singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Knights of Cydonia" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse and is the closing track on the British release of their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations. The song's title comes in part from the region of Mars named Cydonia, famous for the "face on mars". The radio edit version was first aired on KROQ-FM radio on 6 June 2006, and released to other radio stations in the United States on 12 June 2006. The song was released as the third single from Black Holes & Revelations in the UK on 27 November 2006, debuting at #10 in the UK Singles Chart (see 2006 in British music).[1] It also hit the #10 spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States, becoming their third top-ten hit on that chart. The song was described by BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac on 27 October 2006 as ‘six minutes and seven seconds of pure genius’. In 2007, Eve of Summer recorded a remix. The song is also featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. It was also played on NBC during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing right after Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal and broke Mark Spitz's record of "number of gold medals won in one Olympics".
The first live performance of "Knights of Cydonia" took place at a BBC Radio 1 event, Radio 1's Big Weekend, held at Camperdown Park in Dundee on 13 May 2006. Also performed at this event were "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Starlight", the first two singles from Black Holes and Revelations. Live performances of "Knights of Cydonia" feature Bellamy's intro falsetto much more loudly and clearly than its studio counterpart, along with Howard's introductory drum pattern being included in the performance. Recent live performances have featured an introduction of Ennio Morricone's "The Man With the Harmonica" from Once Upon a Time in the West where Wolstenholme plays a harmonica piece; other additions include Bellamy playing an extra guitar part during the solo at the end of song, as well as the coda of "Space Dementia" played as a finale.
On 26 January 2008, "Knights of Cydonia" was announced as the number-one song in Australia's 2007 Triple J Hottest 100. The song was also ranked #18 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009. It was also ranked #53 on Rhapsody's list of the Top 100 Tracks of the Decade.[2] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 44 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[3]
Contents |
In the intro is a citation of the five tone musical phrase from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The song features vocals from both Bellamy's higher and lower ranges layered and both synthesised and live trumpet parts. The guitar sound in the song was inspired by the 1962 number one hit "Telstar" by The Tornados (George Bellamy, Matt Bellamy's father, was the band's rhythm guitarist).[4] The song, taken in entirety, also bears a striking resemblance to George Bellamy's composition "Ridin' the Wind". The first noise heard in the song is an explosion, then a horse neigh. The first 2:03 of the song is a guitar solo to the tune of the lyrics, before Bellamy sings "Come ride with me, through the veins of history."
The song's meaning is to teach people to stand up for themselves and make their own destiny.[5]
Bellamy has stated that on the album in general he tried to create a vision of what is occurring in the song. For example, the bassline has a galloping rhythm depicting someone riding a horse.[6]
The KOC video was shot over five days: three days in Romania; one day in London; and one day in Red Rock, California; it was made available on 11 July 2006. It was filmed and edited as a thematic smörgåsbord: a spaghetti western film with post-apocalyptic influence, complete with beginning and end credits, livened with the occasional kung-fu cowboy or metal-clad maiden astride a unicorn. At the end of the video one can see Roman numerals MCMLXXXI which translates as 1981. However, in the introduction of one version of the video, the numerals MCLMXXXI are seen,[7] which despite claims that it could equal 2081 (MMLXXXI) or 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI), is not a valid roman numeral. However, other versions show MCMLXXXI in both places.[8]
The video was directed by Joseph Kahn, and stars British actor Russ Bain as the protagonist (The Man With No Name), Richard Brake as the antagonist (Sheriff Baron Klaus Rottingham), and Cassandra Bell as the love interest (Princess Shane Kuriyami). Throughout the video, the actors mouth out the lyrics, such as Russ Bain pilloried in town square mouthing ‘No one's going to take me alive’, and Cassandra Bell at the gallows ‘You and I must fight for our rights’. In both instances, the mouthed words occur after the song lyrics and complete before the song moves on to the next line. The band appears in some scenes as holograms, and there are also some scenes featuring lead singer Matt Bellamy. Additionally, the population of the town Cydonia is 143, a common symbol for "I love you"[9], although the actual meaning is unknown.
A very brief scene in which Bain has sex with his love interest was edited out of the video for presentation on television. The complete, uncensored version is available for viewing at the Director's website, and at YouTube.com. In the scene where Bain has sex, the camera crew can be intentionally seen in the mirror left of the bed.
In the first minute of the video, the words A Gustof von Musterhausen Production appear in a pink background for a few seconds. Von Musterhausen appears to be a fictional person, although there is a MySpace page[10] for one Gustaf von Musterhausen (not Gustof), which seems to be solely dedicated to providing information about the video.
A remix of the song was released as Future Funk Squad vs. Muse - "Knights Of Cydonia" (Breaks Mix)
An unlicensed remix by Feed Me was released as a white label single. There is also an unlicensed remix which was released on the Crisp Biscuit label, entitled "Knights of Itchy Town".
A remix by Simian Mobile Disco titled Knights of Cydonia (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) is also included on Muse's Invincible EP, released in 2007. The song, however, utilises very few elements of the original song.
Oakland hip hop group Zion I released a notable remix of the song in 2008.[11]
"Knights of Cydonia" entered the UK Singles Chart the week of 2006-12-04 at #10.
"Knights of Cydonia" - UK Singles Chart[12] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position |
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Prior to its entry in the Singles Chart, "Knights of Cydonia" had been active in the Downloads Chart, and sat at #41 the same week that the physical release debuted at #10 in the Singles Chart. Three weeks earlier, the song sat at #104 in the Downloads Chart marking a substantial jump in that time period.
The song was the winner of Triple J's annual Hottest 100 countdown for 2007 winning by only 13 votes, and later was voted #18 in 2009's Hottest 100 of All Time countdown, where it was the second-highest ranked song from the 21st century.
"Knights of Cydonia" - UK Official Download Chart[13] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position |
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Preceded by One Crowded Hour by Augie March |
Triple J Hottest 100 Winner 2007 |
Succeeded by Sex On Fire by Kings of Leon |
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Coordinates: 52°30′N 1°53′W / 52.50°N 1.88°W
Aston is an area in Central Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Commencing immediately to the north-east of the city centre, Aston constitutes a ward within the unitary authority.
Aston was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as "Estone", having a mill, a priest and therefore probably a church, woodland and ploughland. The Church of SS Peter & Paul, Aston was built in medieval times to replace an earlier church. The body of the church was rebuilt by J. A. Chatwin during the period 1879 to 1890; the 15th century tower and spire, which was partly rebuilt in 1776, being the only survivors of the medieval building.
The ancient parish of Aston (known as Aston juxta Birmingham) was large. It was separated from the parish of Birmingham by AB Row, which currently exists in the Eastside of the city at just 50 yards in length. It was partly included in the borough of Birmingham in 1838, and a further part, Saltley was added in 1891.
Aston is a district of Birmingham, England
Aston may also refer to:
Aston is an Australian classical pop group from Sydney formed in 2009. The band consists of members who all have come out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music: Eliza Morrison (Violin), Michael Bennett (Violin), Hanna Oblikov (Cello), Will Henderson (Guitar), Ella Jamieson (Piano) and Daniel Luscombe (Percussion). Aston was signed to Warner Music Group after uploading an instrumental cover of Lady Gaga's Telephone to YouTube which within a month was viewed by more than 670,000 people. The cover was the most viewed Australian music video of the year. Aston has also received support from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton who featured the band on his website.
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Come ride with me
Through the veins of history
I'll show you how god
Falls asleep on the job
And how can we win
When fools can be kings
Don't waste your time
Or time will waste you
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
Ahh, ahh, ahh
No one's gonna take me alive
Time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive
No one's gonna take me alive
Time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive
No one's going to take me alive
Time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights