The Small Print (song)
| Muse song | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Small Print |
| Album/single |
|
| Length | 3:28 |
| Alternative titles | Action Faust, TSP |
| First live performance | 26th May 2002[1] |
| Latest live performance | 7th May 2005 |
| Recorded | Air Studios, London, 2003[2] |
| Writer/composer | Matthew Bellamy |
| Producer | Rich Costey[3] |
| Song Nav | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterflies & Hurricanes | < | The Small Print | > | Fury (bonus track) |
| Album Nav | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hullabaloo (2002) | < | Absolution (2003) | > | Black Holes and Revelations (2006) |
Description
A simple metal come heavy rock song.
Additional information
Chosen ahead of "Fury" in the final track listing for Absolution.[2] It was a live favourite from the 2002 tour up to and including the 2005 tour. Matt mentioned in an interview that he wanted Fury instead of The Small Print but the band had a vote and Matt was outnumbered 2-to-1 by Chris and Dom.
While initially played before Absolution's release, it went by the name 'Action Faust.' The song can be understood as, clearly alluding to Goethe's Faust, being sung from the point of view of the Devil to someone selling their soul to him in exchange for, presumably, musical prowess and fame. It shows the transaction as ultimately manipulative on the part of the Devil, dooming the recipient to be a "slave to the grave" and robbing him of all memories of "the good days". The Devil's identity can be seen in the line "I'm a priest God never paid"; he is able to mediate supernatural power but does so outside of the service of God. The final title "The Small Print" yet again underlies the motif of a dishonest contract between a Devil and Faustian figure.
In late April 2015, it was revealed in an interview that the band were rehearsing this and Apocalypse Please for the upcoming tour. However, while Apocalypse Please was played, The Small Print wasn't played during the Drones Tour.
Live
The Small Print was one of the first songs from the Absolution era to be performed live. Of all Absolution-era songs debuted in 2002, The Small Print was performed the most often and has the most amount of available footage. The early version, known at the time by the acronym "TSP" or "The Smallprint", had an extended post-verse section, different lyrics, and a different solo. While performed very often in 2002, it was performed significantly less in 2003.
Trivia
At 2:51, a cat can be heard meowing.
Lyrics
Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed With broken hearts Sell, I'll sell your memories For 15 pounds per year But just the good days
Say, it'll make you insane And it's bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid
Hope, I hope you've seen the light 'cause no one really cares They're just pretending Sell, and I'll sell your memories For 15 pounds per year But you can keep the bad days
Say, it'll make you insane And I'm bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid
Say, it'll make you insane And I'm bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid
Early Live Lyrics
Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed With broken hearts Sell, and I'll sell your memories At 15 pounds per year But I'll keep the good days
Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking the rules You're to blame For all the life you're losing You watch this space And I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid
Hope, and I hope you've seen the light 'cause no one really cares They're just pretending Sell, and I'll sell your memories At 15 pounds per year But I'll keep the good days
Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking your rules You're to blame For all the life you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid
Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking your rules You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space Yeah I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid
References
- ↑ Muselive.com 20070313
- ↑ a b Reference needed!
- ↑ Absolution notes