Difference between revisions of "Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (song)"

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| Name = Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
| Name = Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
| Album = {{drop
| Album = {{drop
|[[Absolution (album)|Absolution]] <small>(13)</small>
|[[Absolution (album)|Absolution]] <small>(13), JP (14)</small>
|[[Absolution Tour (DVD)|Absolution Tour]] <small>(17)</small>
|[[Absolution Tour (DVD)|Absolution Tour]] <small>(17)</small>
}}
}}
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| First = [[Amsterdam Melkweg 2003 (gig)|3rd September 2003]]
| First = [[Amsterdam Melkweg 2003 (gig)|3rd September 2003]]
| Latest = [[Austin Music Hall 2005 (gig)|7th May 2005]]
| Latest = [[Austin Music Hall 2005 (gig)|7th May 2005]]
| Recorded = 2003
| Recorded = [[Grouse Lodge Residential Recording Studios|Grouse Lodge]] and [[Air Studios|Air Studios, London]], 2003
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Producer = [[Rich Costey]]
| Producer = [[Rich Costey]]
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}}
}}


<flashmp3>http://www.musewiki.org/images/TOADA.mp3|rightbg=0xDDEEFF|leftbg=0xDDEEFF|bg=0xFFFFFF</flashmp3>
{{AlbumNav
{{AlbumNav |
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| Previous song = [[Endlessly (song)|Endlessly]]
| Current = Thoughts of a Dying Atheist  
| Current song = Thoughts of a Dying Atheist  
| Next = [[Ruled by Secrecy (song) | Ruled by Secrecy]]
| Next song = [[Ruled by Secrecy (song)|Ruled by Secrecy]]
}}
<br>
{{AlbumNav2
| Previous = [[Hullabaloo (album) | Hullabaloo ''(2002)'']]
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}}
}}


Another song where [[Matthew Bellamy|Bellamy]] is in character, dealing with his atheism. As the title suggests, it concerns the thoughts of a dying atheist, scared due to him not believing in heaven or hell or any postmortem plane of existence his entire life. Now, at the moment of his death, he must face the disheartening non existence he had come to believe in.
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy2CebQ9U30 Listen]'''


Or, perhaps the dying atheist isn't the least bit scared. The phrase "it scares the hell out of me" is used multiple times throughout the song, yet atheists don't believe in hell.
== Description ==


The song also underlines Matthew's believe in real things who can not be seen, the rare feeling some people have as if (passed away) people are around them (and trying to talk to them) "I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh"  
Another song where [[Matthew Bellamy|Bellamy]] is in character, dealing with his atheism. As the title suggests, it concerns the thoughts of a dying atheist, who is scared because he does not believe in heaven or hell or any postmortem plane of existence. Now, at the moment of his death, he must face the disheartening non existence he had come to believe in.
 
The song also underlines Matthew's belief in real things who can not be seen, the rare feeling some people have as if (passed away) people are around them (and trying to talk to them) "I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh"  
Does his early-ghost-talk-days come out in this song?  
Does his early-ghost-talk-days come out in this song?  


Just before the bridge, at 2:04, [[Christopher Wolstenholme|Wolstenholme]] can be heard jumping into the pool at Grouse Lodge recording studio as Howard hits his cymbals.<ref name="sos200412">[[Rich Costey: Recording Muse's Absolution (200312 Sound on Sound article)|Sound on Sound 200412]]</ref>
Just before the bridge, at 2:04, [[Christopher Wolstenholme|Wolstenholme]] can be heard jumping into the pool at Grouse Lodge recording studio as Howard hits his cymbals.<ref name="sos200412">[[Rich Costey: Recording Muse's Absolution (200312 Sound on Sound article)|Sound on Sound 200412]]</ref>
==Matthew Bellamy's definition of Thoughts of a Dying Atheist==
"Songs like Thoughts of a Dying Atheist, sing about the idea of trying to maintain an atheist belief whilst trying to deal with the idea of life after death at the same time, is a very difficult thing to do I think."<ref>Edge 103.9 Absolution Documentary</ref>
==Live==
Though a very rare song live today, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist was performed rather often on the Absolution tour. 2003 in particular featured Thoughts of a Dying Atheist in the vast majority of setlists, only skipping promotional dates and no full gigs. Several pro-shots from 2003 exist as a result. Apart from the first gig of the year, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist was played at every non-promotional concert in January and February 2004, though it was dropped from setlists for March 2004.
[[Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (live) | More here]]


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
Line 35: Line 52:


==Lyrics==
==Lyrics==
<pre>Eerie whispers trapped beneath my pillow
{{lyrics
|Eerie whispers trapped beneath my pillow
Won't let me sleep, your memories
Won't let me sleep, your memories
I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh
And I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh
Floating in between where our worlds collide
Floating in between where our worlds collide


It scares the hell out of me
Scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And the end is all I can see
And it scares the hell out of me
And it scares the hell out of me
Line 46: Line 64:
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa


I know the moment's near
And I know the moment's near
And there's nothing we can do
And there's nothing we can do
Look through a faithless eye
Look through a faithless eye
Are you afraid to die?
Are you afraid to die?


It scares the hell out of me
‘Cause it scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And the end is all I can see
And it scares the hell out of me
And it scares the hell out of me
Line 61: Line 79:
And it scares the hell out of me
And it scares the hell out of me
And the end is all I can see
And the end is all I can see
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa</pre>
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa
}}


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 12:24, 19 November 2023

Muse song
Name Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
Album/single
Length 3:11
Alternative titles Scaring Me
First live performance 3rd September 2003
Latest live performance 7th May 2005
Recorded Grouse Lodge and Air Studios, London, 2003
Writer/composer Matthew Bellamy
Producer Rich Costey


Listen

Description

Another song where Bellamy is in character, dealing with his atheism. As the title suggests, it concerns the thoughts of a dying atheist, who is scared because he does not believe in heaven or hell or any postmortem plane of existence. Now, at the moment of his death, he must face the disheartening non existence he had come to believe in.

The song also underlines Matthew's belief in real things who can not be seen, the rare feeling some people have as if (passed away) people are around them (and trying to talk to them) "I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh" Does his early-ghost-talk-days come out in this song?

Just before the bridge, at 2:04, Wolstenholme can be heard jumping into the pool at Grouse Lodge recording studio as Howard hits his cymbals.[1]

Matthew Bellamy's definition of Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

"Songs like Thoughts of a Dying Atheist, sing about the idea of trying to maintain an atheist belief whilst trying to deal with the idea of life after death at the same time, is a very difficult thing to do I think."[2]

Live

Though a very rare song live today, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist was performed rather often on the Absolution tour. 2003 in particular featured Thoughts of a Dying Atheist in the vast majority of setlists, only skipping promotional dates and no full gigs. Several pro-shots from 2003 exist as a result. Apart from the first gig of the year, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist was played at every non-promotional concert in January and February 2004, though it was dropped from setlists for March 2004.

More here

Trivia

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist was once a working title for Megalomania.

Lyrics

Eerie whispers trapped beneath my pillow

Won't let me sleep, your memories And I know you're in this room, I'm sure I heard you sigh Floating in between where our worlds collide

Scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see And it scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa

And I know the moment's near And there's nothing we can do Look through a faithless eye Are you afraid to die?

‘Cause it scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see And it scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa

And it scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see And it scares the hell out of me And the end is all I can see Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah, whoa

References

  1. ↑ Sound on Sound 200412
  2. ↑ Edge 103.9 Absolution Documentary


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