Difference between pages "Hyper Music (song)" and "Megalomania (song)"

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{{Songbox
{{Songbox
| Name = Hyper Music
| Name = Megalomania
| Album =  
| Album ={{drop
|[[Origin of Symmetry (album) |Origin of Symmetry]] <small>(11), JP CD (12)</small>
|[[Hullabaloo (live) |Hullabaloo]] <small>(7)</small>
|[[Hullabaloo Soundtrack (live) |Hullabaloo Soundtrack]] <small>CD2, Cassette 2 (5), JP CD2, JP Cassette 2 (6)</small>
|[[Origin_of_Muse_(box_set)#CD_7_.28Origin_of_Symmetry_Remastered.2 |Origin of Muse]] <small>CD6 (6), CD7, Vinyl (Remaster) (12), CD9 (11)</small>
|[[Origin_of_Symmetry_(album)#Origin_of_Symmetry%3A_XX_Anniversary_RemiXX|Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)]] <small>(12)</small>
}}
| Length = 4:38, 4:39 <small>(XX Anniversary RemiXX)</small>
| AltTitles =  
{{drop
{{drop
|[[Origin Of Symmetry (album)|Origin of Symmetry]] <small>(4)</small>
|[[Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (song) |Thoughts of a Dying Atheist]]  
|[[Hyper Music/Feeling Good (single)|Hyper Music/Feeling Good]] <small>CD (1)</small>
|Go Forth and Multiply
|[[Hyper Music/Feeling Good (single)|Feeling Good/Hyper Music]] <small>CD (2), Vinyl (1)</small>
|[[Hullabaloo (live)|Hullabaloo]] <small>(16)</small>
|[[Origin_of_Muse_(box_set)#CD_7_.28Origin_of_Symmetry_Remastered.2 |Origin of Muse]] <small>(4)</small>
|[[Origin_of_Symmetry_(album)#Origin_of_Symmetry%3A_XX_Anniversary_RemiXX|Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)]] <small>CD6, CD9 (4), CD7, Vinyl (Remaster) (4)</small>
}}
}}
| Length = 3:20, 3:22 <small>(XX Anniversary RemiXX)</small>
| First = [[Hilversum 3FM Studios 2001 (gig) |12th April 2001]]
| AltTitles = I Don't Love You
| Latest = [[Reading Little John's Farm 2011 (gig)|28th August 2011]]
| First = [[Nagoya Club Quattro 2000 (gig)|10{{supo|th}} October 2000]] <small>(full)</small>, 1999 <small>(riff)</small>
| Recorded = [[Real World Studios|Real World Studio Wiltshire]] and [[St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick]] 2001
| Latest = [[Montreux Auditorium Stravinski 2016 (gig)|2{{supo|nd}} July 2016]]
| Recorded = [[Real World Studios|Real World Studio Wiltshire]] 2001
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Producer = [[John Leckie]]
| Producer = [[John Leckie]]
| Chart position = 24
| Chart position = -
}}
}}


{{AlbumNav
{{AlbumNav
| Previous = [[Space Dementia (song) | Space Dementia]]
| Previous = [[Futurism (song) | Futurism]]  
| Current = Hyper Music
| Current = Megalomania
| Next = [[Plug In Baby (song) | Plug In Baby]]
| Next =  
}}
}}
<br>
<br>
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| Previous = [[Showbiz (album) | Showbiz ''(1999)'']]
| Previous = [[Showbiz (album) | Showbiz ''(1999)'']]
| Current = [[Origin of Symmetry (album) | Origin of Symmetry ''(2001)'']]
| Current = [[Origin of Symmetry (album) | Origin of Symmetry ''(2001)'']]
| Next = [[Absolution (album) | Absolution ''(2003)'']]
| Next = [[Hullabaloo (album) | Hullabaloo ''(2002)'']]
}}
}}


'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjm3NyQ6DYw Listen]'''
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g429yGvJRl0 Listen]'''


==Description==
== Description ==
Has a powering bass line. Quite bitter lyrics for an up-beat, up-tempo song. The riff is similar to [[Rage Against the Machine]]'s Snakecharmer. There is a slower, more relaxed version of this song called [[Hyper Chondriac Music (song)|Hyper Chondriac Music]].
An overblown anti-religious album closer using a Gothic-style church pipe organ. Matt once described recording this song as being difficult, saying that the reason why recording the song was difficult is because of its meaning, that it's about "deconstructing the Church". Saying how "it's a relic of the past, and how it's basically just something to empower man to give manpower to, you know, to take money from people, stuff like that. Well I suppose there are some good things behind it, but the Pope is corrupt."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkepN3rkmNI]</ref> He also stated in the same interview that the organ was the only thing worth going to Church for. A megalomania is "a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc." or "an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things".


Matt said in an interview that the song it's about "Wanting to destroy a person you've loved"<ref>Kerrang!October 2001: Muse Shoot Two Videos</ref> he also said in another interview: "This one really rocks out, it's really full-on but the lyrics are just plain negative, just pure anger and disregard for affection, the opposite of ‘’Bliss’’. It's actually linked to a book I read called ‘Hyper Space’, which is about how all the laws of nature and physics combine in the 10th Dimension in pure mathematics to form one main theme"<ref>Rock Sound - 2001</ref>
Matt described the song as; "This is directed at what would be God, asking why we should go forth and multiply? What's the point?"<ref>Rock Sound - 2001</ref> Matt wrote the song on holiday in the Maldives, whilst learning to dive, and it was inspired by his pessimism towards the relationship he was in at them time.<ref name="xfm20071007"/>


==Composition==
==Composition==
Hyper Music is a metal/heavy rock song with a moderately fast tempo of 122 bpm. Musically chaotic, the guitar-based intro is built around a dissonant D/F polychord. The verse is outlined by a frantic bassline climbing the D dorian scale, with hints of D harmonic minor.
Megalomania is a song driven by pipe organs. Written mostly in E harmonic minor with some elements of E melodic minor, it moves at a loose tempo of 73 BPM. The outro is noteworthy for its use of the chromatic mediant technique: the chords alternate between D and F# (the latter's root note being the major third of the former) until resolving to the F#.


Bellamy's vocal range spans from G3 to A5. The song contains Matt's highest falsetto note in a studio recording, as well as many A4's in the modal register, which is one of Bellamy's highest notes, making this arguably a very difficult vocal.
Bellamy's lead vocal range spans from D♯3 to B4, and reaches up to G5 in the prominent backing vocals.


Since it's return to live shows, the A4's during the verse are mostly sung in full voice by Bellamy, in contrast to older performances in which he sang this part in falsetto.
== General information ==
Bellamy has described the recording of this anti-church song, using the organ at St. Mary's Church, Bathwick, as a "dark moment" in his life. The vicar of the church insisted on seeing the lyrics to the song before allowing them to use the organ, although none had yet been written for the song. Bellamy proceeded to write out some "positive", "nice" lyrics for him and he allowed them to record the song.<ref name="xfm20071007">{{cite/xfm20071007}}</ref>
When requesting permission to play one of the biggest church organs in Europe in order to finish recording the song, the priest at the church asked to see the lyrics to the song to ensure the band weren't devil worshippers.


Since 2011, Chris sings the chorus instead of Matt.
The earliest known performance used a grand piano rather than an organ or keyboard with organ effect. A video can be found of this performance on the [[DC]] [[Muse Hub]].


==Hyper Music (XX Anniversary RemiXX)==
The working title for Megalomania was Thoughts of a Dying Atheist at first. (Not to be confused with the later song of the same name as the WIP name, [[Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (song) | Thoughts of a Dying Atheist]] on [[Absolution (album) | Absolution]])
On May 19th, 2021, it was announced that Muse will be releasing a remixed and remastered version of [[Origin of Symmetry (album)|Origin of Symmetry]], titled "Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)". This was released on June 18th, 2021.


The remix is largely the same as the original but with some alterations. One of the most notable is that Matt's falsetto backing vocals have more presence in the mix and Chris's solo vocal ("Just to spit it in your face") is clearer and more hard hitting. Matt's background screaming during the outro is also far more audible in the remix compared to the original. The remix also has the guitar being panned to the left and bass to the right, which is the opposite of the original, along with touchups to the guitar, bass and drum tones.
==  Megalomania (XX Anniversary RemiXX) ==


==Additional information==
On May 19th, 2021, it was announced that Muse will be releasing a remixed and remastered version of [[Origin of Symmetry (album)|Origin of Symmetry]], titled "Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)". Megalomania was the second single released ahead of the album on June 5th, 2021.
Could be about the same person as in [[Hate This and I'll Love You (song)|Hate This and I'll Love You]] and [[Uno (song)|Uno]]. Someone who was associated with the band before they made it, who [[Matthew Bellamy|Matt]] had reason to dislike. (On a similar theme Sunburn seems to be about a girl who was associated with them, who in contrast Matt regrets having to leave behind, because he sees her as a star).


Other readings of the song's lyrics have developed a hypothesis that this song is of an anti-religious nature. The lyrics could be a narrative from a messianic figure such as Jesus Christ. "Golden lies" could be those of priests, rabbis, etc. who "feed [God's] role" in the world. The lies not being that God/Jesus exists, after all he says "Who's returned from the dead? Who remains?" (somewhat rhetorical questions); the lies are more likely to be that he was here to save mankind, "I don't love you and I never did". The second verse deals with his reason for not wanting us, "You wanted more than I was worth" - a superhuman messiah that has evidently not saved us from our sins; "And you think I was scared" being a reference to Jesus' apparent fear of his upcoming crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14, Luke 22: 43-44); "And you needed proof", something which our modern secular and scientific age begs for and which there is very little in any religion's defence. "Who really cares any more?" - it is over, God does not love us, he does not care, he has forsaken us and hence the suffering we see across the world.
Matt considers the remix to be the most radical improvement over the original on the album. Similar to Citizen Erased, all the additional phaser effects were removed from the strings and are mixed more loudly, thus making them sound more prominent and symphonic than the original which sounded more vintage and synthy. Matt's falsetto backing vocals during the last chorus and outro are also much more prominent in the remix. Other alterations include more distortion on the bass during the chorus and the removal of the subtle percussion heard on the final chord of the song.<ref>https://youtu.be/eKvJ8pjcSIM</ref>


The book ''Hyper Space'' by Michio Kaku is a foundation inspiration for the entire album, especially the title and Hyper Music can be seen as a direct reference to that book. The book's various metaphysical discussions about religion lend more weight to the religious reading of the song's lyrics.
==Live==


Interestingly, a typo/mishearing of the lyrics is printed in the sleeve of [[Origin of Symmetry (album)|Origin of Symmetry]]. The line, "Your golden lies feed my role," is printed as "Your golden skies feed my role".  This is most likely due to early live versions of the song where Matt sings "skies" instead of "lies".
The song was first played in 2001 on the Origin of Symmetry Tour with it continuing to make regular appearances throughout 2001. It got a few plays the following year before getting dropped in May 2002. It wasn't played again for 6 years until the 2008 Royal Albert Hall gig where it was played on the massive organ featured in the hall. It was played a handful of times in 2011, the most notable at the Reading and Leeds gigs where the band played Origin of Symmetry start to finish, before getting dropped yet again.  


==Live==
[[Megalomania (live) | More here]]


Hyper Music was played mildly often throughout the Showbiz era in the form of a bluesy riff. It is believed this riff, which was played sometimes towards the end of concerts, provided the basis for this song. It was performed for the first time in October 2000 and played rather often from that point on until the end of the year, more often than other new songs from the same time period such as Shrinking Universe and Micro Cuts. The early version of Hyper Music featured notable screaming during the chorus, especially the Channel V performance. The song was not named until the Origin of Symmetry tour, going under the title "Untitled".
== Lyrics ==
 
[[Hyper Music (live) | More here]]
 
==Lyrics==
{{lyrics
{{lyrics
|[Guitar Solo Open]
|Paradise comes at a price
 
That I am not prepared to pay
Your golden lies feed my role
What were we built for?
In this forgotten space race under my control
Could someone tell me please
Who’s returned from the dead?
Who remains (just to spit it in your face?)
 
You know that I don’t want you and I never did
I don’t want you and I never will
 
You wanted more than I was worth
And you think I was scared, yeah
And you needed proof
Who really cares anymore?
Who restrains (just to spit it in your face?)


You know that I don’t love you and I never did
The good news is she can't have babies
I don’t want you and I never will
And won't accept gifts from me
Waahhh
What are they for?
}}
They'll just grow up and break the laws you've loved
 
== 2000 version ==
 
{{lyrics


|Golden skies feed my role
Take off your disguise
In this forgotten space race under my control
I know that underneath it's me
Who returns from the dead?
Who are you oooh
Who remains to spit in your face?


You know that I don't love you and I never did
Useless device it won't suffice
You know that I don't love you and I never will
I want a new game to play
When I am gone - it won't be long
Before I disturb you in the dark


You wanted more than I was worth
And paradise comes at a price
You needed time, you needed proof
That I am not prepared to pay
Who really cares anymore?  
What were we built for?
Who remains to spit in your face?
Will someone tell me please


You know that I don't love you and I never did
Take off your disguise
You know that I don't love you and I never will
I know that underneath it's me
}}
}}


==References==
== References ==
<references/>
<references/>


{{Backto | Origin Of Symmetry (album) | Origin of Symmetry}}
{{Backto | Origin of Symmetry (album) | Origin of Symmetry}}

Revision as of 15:36, 11 January 2022

Muse song
Name Megalomania
Album/single
Length 4:38, 4:39 (XX Anniversary RemiXX)
Alternative titles
First live performance 12th April 2001
Latest live performance 28th August 2011
Recorded Real World Studio Wiltshire and St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick 2001
Writer/composer Matthew Bellamy
Producer John Leckie


Listen

Description

An overblown anti-religious album closer using a Gothic-style church pipe organ. Matt once described recording this song as being difficult, saying that the reason why recording the song was difficult is because of its meaning, that it's about "deconstructing the Church". Saying how "it's a relic of the past, and how it's basically just something to empower man to give manpower to, you know, to take money from people, stuff like that. Well I suppose there are some good things behind it, but the Pope is corrupt."[1] He also stated in the same interview that the organ was the only thing worth going to Church for. A megalomania is "a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc." or "an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things".

Matt described the song as; "This is directed at what would be God, asking why we should go forth and multiply? What's the point?"[2] Matt wrote the song on holiday in the Maldives, whilst learning to dive, and it was inspired by his pessimism towards the relationship he was in at them time.[3]

Composition

Megalomania is a song driven by pipe organs. Written mostly in E harmonic minor with some elements of E melodic minor, it moves at a loose tempo of 73 BPM. The outro is noteworthy for its use of the chromatic mediant technique: the chords alternate between D and F# (the latter's root note being the major third of the former) until resolving to the F#.

Bellamy's lead vocal range spans from D♯3 to B4, and reaches up to G5 in the prominent backing vocals.

General information

Bellamy has described the recording of this anti-church song, using the organ at St. Mary's Church, Bathwick, as a "dark moment" in his life. The vicar of the church insisted on seeing the lyrics to the song before allowing them to use the organ, although none had yet been written for the song. Bellamy proceeded to write out some "positive", "nice" lyrics for him and he allowed them to record the song.[3] When requesting permission to play one of the biggest church organs in Europe in order to finish recording the song, the priest at the church asked to see the lyrics to the song to ensure the band weren't devil worshippers.

The earliest known performance used a grand piano rather than an organ or keyboard with organ effect. A video can be found of this performance on the DC Muse Hub.

The working title for Megalomania was Thoughts of a Dying Atheist at first. (Not to be confused with the later song of the same name as the WIP name, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist on Absolution)

Megalomania (XX Anniversary RemiXX)

On May 19th, 2021, it was announced that Muse will be releasing a remixed and remastered version of Origin of Symmetry, titled "Origin of Symmetry (XX Anniversary RemiXX)". Megalomania was the second single released ahead of the album on June 5th, 2021.

Matt considers the remix to be the most radical improvement over the original on the album. Similar to Citizen Erased, all the additional phaser effects were removed from the strings and are mixed more loudly, thus making them sound more prominent and symphonic than the original which sounded more vintage and synthy. Matt's falsetto backing vocals during the last chorus and outro are also much more prominent in the remix. Other alterations include more distortion on the bass during the chorus and the removal of the subtle percussion heard on the final chord of the song.[4]

Live

The song was first played in 2001 on the Origin of Symmetry Tour with it continuing to make regular appearances throughout 2001. It got a few plays the following year before getting dropped in May 2002. It wasn't played again for 6 years until the 2008 Royal Albert Hall gig where it was played on the massive organ featured in the hall. It was played a handful of times in 2011, the most notable at the Reading and Leeds gigs where the band played Origin of Symmetry start to finish, before getting dropped yet again.

More here

Lyrics

Paradise comes at a price

That I am not prepared to pay What were we built for? Could someone tell me please

The good news is she can't have babies And won't accept gifts from me What are they for? They'll just grow up and break the laws you've loved

Take off your disguise I know that underneath it's me Who are you oooh

Useless device it won't suffice I want a new game to play When I am gone - it won't be long Before I disturb you in the dark

And paradise comes at a price That I am not prepared to pay What were we built for? Will someone tell me please

Take off your disguise I know that underneath it's me

References

  1. ↑ [1]
  2. ↑ Rock Sound - 2001
  3. ↑ a b Muse: The Making of Origin of Symmetry (2007-10-07). Xfm. Retrieved from www.muselive.com. [verify]
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/eKvJ8pjcSIM


Go back to Origin of Symmetry

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