Psycho (song)
| Muse song | |
|---|---|
| Name | Psycho |
| Album/single |
|
| Length |
|
| Alternative titles | Hollow Point Bullet |
| First live performance | 15th March 2015 (full), 10th November 1999 (riff) |
| Latest live performance | |
| Recorded | 2014/2015 - The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, Canada |
| Writer/composer | Matthew Bellamy |
| Producer | Muse, Robert "Mutt" Lange |
| Chart position | 55 |
| Song Nav | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drill Sergeant | < | Psycho | > | Mercy |
| Album Nav | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 2nd Law (2012) | < | Drones (2015) | > | Simulation Theory (2018) |
Information
Psycho contains many offensive lyrics in the uncensored version of the song, which will likely hinder its ability to be played over the air[1], allthough it has been played on BBC Radio 1, on Annie Mac's show at 7:20PM as the 'Hottest Record', on the date of release. Throughout the song, dialogue of a marine can be heard being shouted at by his commander, encouraging him to become a "Psycho Killer".
There appear to be two versions of the song, one posted on the band's YouTube, with the intro (called Drill Sergeant), and another one, with no intro, but instead just a guitar strum before the main riff starts.
This song was also an opener for almost all the of the Drones Tour concerts.
Composition
Initially, Bellamy didn't want to write a song with that riff since he considered it too old. Bellamy says: "Dom was always saying, ‘Turn that into a song!’ and I was always like, ‘Nah, it’s too redneck, dude.’" but in the end he decided to do it.[2]
Written in D minor with a moderate tempo, Psycho bears a few resemblances to Uprising due to its triplet feel, drop D riffs and similar tempo.
Returning to Muse's earlier guitar-driven sound, it makes prominent use of the "0305030" riff, which dates back to the Paris MCM Café gig in November 1999. It later appeared more frequently as a live jam played after Stockholm Syndrome and Map of the Problematique.
The riff at the verse and the bridge parts sounds a lot like The Doors's song Roadhouse Blues [3]
History
On January 26th, 2015, the band posted an Instagram sound bite of a military hazing exercise[4] which would later appear in the lyric video for Psycho, and in remnants throughout the song. Later Instagram clips would show a short bass riff which appears in the song,[5] along with several seconds from a mixing session featuring the main riff.[6]
At the beginning of March, Matt tweeted about an upcoming song named Psycho, along with articles about psychopaths and brainwashing.[7][8][9] When questioned about the articles, he confirmed that they were relevant to the song's theme,[10] and suggested that Psycho would be the first single from Drones.[11]
Despite Matt's claims, it was later announced that Dead Inside would be the first single from the album.[12] On March 12th, Psycho was released for streaming, and as a download for those who preordered the album.
Instrumentation
The track is based on distorted bass, fuzzy guitar and fat sounding drums. Despite Matt saying that Muse would cut down on orchestration on Drones, there are still strings to be heard in the last part of the song. The track also contains a hammond organ in the second part of the chorus, and Matts distorted vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus parts.
Lyric Video
The lyric video is almost like a music video, which features a band playing, and an actor, resembling a sargeant. It also features several actors, covered in paint. The video was co-produced with SEKDEK (Spirit Extraction Kit Demon Extraction Kit), and it was directed by Tom Kirk and Simon Bennett. View the video by clicking on this link.
Live
Psycho was played at nearly every gig in 2015 with three exceptions, all of which where Mercy, and Reapers on September 15th, was the only song played. It was very commonly the concert intro, with the only other songs used being Defector at one gig and Reapers uncommonly. The main riff itself had been played often since its debut in 1999, possibly being even older than that. It was performed at every 2016 gig, making Psycho the most performed song from the Drones era, with only three promotional gigs that the song was skipped.
When performed live, Chris whispers the pre-chorus words. Matt then whispers the "Fucking psycho" words. Through the chorus, Matt sings/shouts the "Fucking psycho" part on its own. It was the opener for nearly all the concerts in the Drones World Tour
Lyrics
The song features both vocals sung by Matt Bellamy, and clips from a military hazing exercise.
(Matt)
Love, it will get you nowhere You are on your own Lost in the wild
So come to me now I could use someone like you Someone who'll kill on my command And asks no questions
I'm gonna make you, I'm gonna break you I'm gonna make you, a fucking psycho! A fucking psycho! Haha! A fucking psycho! Your ass belongs to me now!
(Military hazing) Drill sergeant: Are you a human drone?! Recruit: AYE SIR! Drill sergeant: Are you a killing machine?! Recruit: AYE SIR! Drill sergeant: And I'm in control motherfucker, do you understand?! Recruit: AYE SIR!
(Matt) Your mind is just a program And I'm the virus I'm changing the station
I'll improve your thresholds I'll turn you into a super drone And you will kill on my command And I won't be responsible
I'm gonna make you, I'm gonna break you I'm gonna make you, a fucking psycho! A fucking psycho! Haha! A fucking psycho! Your ass belongs to me now!
(Military hazing) Drill sergeant: Are you psycho killer!? Say I'm a psycho killer! Recruit: I am a psycho killer! Drill sergeant: SCREAM IT! Recruit: I AM A PSYCHO KILLER! Drill sergeant: SHOW ME YOUR WAR FACE! Recruit: AAHHHH! Drill sergeant: YOU ARE A PUSSY, I SAID SHOW ME YOUR WAR FACE! Recruit: AAAGHHHH!!!!
(Matt) I'm gonna make you, I'm gonna break you I'm gonna make you, a fucking psycho! A fucking psycho! Haha! A fucking psycho! Your ass belongs to me now!
(Military hazing) Drill sergeant: I WILL BREAK YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND! (Repeated, indistinguishable shouting)
(Matt) A fucking psycho! Your ass belongs to me now! Your ass belongs to me now!
References
- ↑ nme.com
- ↑ Matt Bellamy. (2015-03). Q Magazine: MUSE talk exclusively to Q about their back-to-basics approach for new album Drones.. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
- ↑ Sounds like Roadhouse Blues by The Doors
- ↑ @Muse on Instagram - 26 January 2015
- ↑ @Muse on Instagram - 10 February 2015
- ↑ @Muse on Instagram - 9 March 2015
- ↑ @MattBellamy on Twitter - 1 March 2015 - #1
- ↑ @MattBellamy on Twitter - 1 March 2015 - #2
- ↑ @MattBellamy on Twitter - 3 March 2015 - #1
- ↑ @MattBellamy on Twitter - 3 March 2015 - #2
- ↑ @MattBellamy on Twitter - 3 March 2015 - #3
- ↑ MUSE: NEWS - Drones - 11 March 2015]