Citizen Erased (song)
| Muse song | |
|---|---|
| Name | Citizen Erased |
| Album/single |
|
| Length | 7:21 |
| Alternative titles | Apolitical |
| First live performance | 12th February 2001 |
| Latest live performance | 26th July 2008 |
| Recorded | Real World Studio, Wiltshire, 2000/2001 |
| Writer/composer | Matthew Bellamy |
| Producer | John Leckie |
| Chart position | 122 |
<flashmp3>http://www.musewiki.org/images/CitizenErased.mp3%7Crightbg=0xDDEEFF%7Cleftbg=0xDDEEFF%7Cbg=0xFFFFFF</flashmp3>
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Description
Bellamy: "It's an expression of what it feels like to be questioned. I spend more time than most people being asked about purpose, and it's a strange feeling. I don't really have the answers and I have to respond on the knowledge I have obtained so far, but the problem is that it gets printed, and something else has come along that's made you completely disagree with what you said".
It could also be a reference to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four in which citizens are erased and lies control society. It was written around a drum beat that Dom created.
Live
The first live performance of Citizen Erased had the outro played on guitar rather than keyboard. The keyboard outro was introduced at least as early as the 12th April 2001 - no recording exists between the first performance and then.
A different riff replaced the guitar solo towards the middle of the song during the Absolution Tour.
During the 2006 tour, the vocals of the instrumental between the final chorus and final verse were removed. These returned partially by Paris-Bercy 15th December 2006, or possibly sometime prior on the late 2006 European tour. Additional drumming was added during this interlude on the aforementioned date.
Citizen Erased is the only song where the 7 String Manson is used.
Co-incidently, a 6 string was used to record this song, thought to be the Black Manson as in the solo a fuzz factory is featured.
Music trivia
For the week starting 9th July 2007, some members of Muselive.com and other fansites attempted to get Citizen Erased into the UK charts. It eventually reached position #122.
Lyrics
Break me in,
Teach us to cheat And to lie, and cover up What shouldn't be shared
And the truth's unwinding Scraping away at my mind Please stop asking me to describe
For one moment I wish you'd hold your stage With no feelings at all Open-minded I'm sure I used to be so free
Self-expressed Exhausting for all to see and to be What you want and what you need And the truth's unwinding Scraping away at my mind Please stop asking me to describe
For one moment I wish you'd hold your stage With no feelings at all Open-minded I'm sure I used to be so free
For one moment I wish you'd hold your stage With no feelings at all Open-minded I'm sure I used to be so free
Wash me away Clean your body of me Erase all the memories They'll only bring us pain And I've seen all I'll ever need
Alternatively, the line: {{lyrics Exhausting for all to see and to be }} is sometimes be changed to:
Exhausting for all to see I still want to be