Motorcycle Emptiness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Motorcycle Emptiness" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Manic Street Preachers | ||
| from the album Generation Terrorists | ||
| Released | June 1, 1992 | |
| Format | CD, Vinyl record (7"/12") | |
| Recorded | Mid 1991 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 6:08 | |
| Label | Columbia Records | |
| Producer(s) | -- | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Manic Street Preachers singles chronology | ||
| "Slash 'N' Burn" (1992) |
"Motorcycle Emptiness" (1992) |
"Suicide Is Painless" (1992) |
"Motorcycle Emptiness" (sample ) was a single by the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers released on June 1, 1992. It was the fifth single to be lifted from the Generation Terrorists album. The track is slower paced than most others on the album. Its lyrics are inspired by S.E. Hinton's book 'Rumblefish', about biker gang culture. The lyrics have been interpreted as an attack on the hollowness of the consumer lifestyle offered by capitalism, describing how society expects you to conform.
The song reached number seventeen in the UK charts on June 13, 1992. It remained there for another week and spent a total of six weeks in the top 75, two weeks longer than any other Generation Terrorists single and a record not surpassed by the Manics until 1996's "A Design for Life".
Some of the lyrics are taken from the poem "Neon Loneliness" (the first line of the chorus 'Under Neon Loneliness' is a direct lift) by Welsh poet Patrick Jones, the brother of MSP bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire. It also made an appearance as track number two on Forever Delayed (October 28, 2002), the Manics' greatest hits album.
The song was later remixed by Apollo-440 under their alternative name Stealth Sonic Orchestra as a piece of classical style music. This remix was available as a track on the single Australia (taken from their seminal album Everything Must Go); and was also used by T-Mobile for an advertising campaign in 2003, much to the derision of some fans.
The song was derived from the early Manic's song "Go, Buzz Baby, Go" with which it shares the chord structure, the phrase "Motorcycle Emptiness" (there used late in the song over the verse chords), and little else.
In 2006, Q Magazine readers voted the song as the 88th Best Song Ever.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] CD
- "Motorcycle Emptiness" (edit)
- "Bored Out Of My Mind"
- "Crucifix Kiss" (live)
- "Under My Wheels" (live)
[edit] 12"
- "Motorcycle Emptiness" (full length)
- "Bored Out Of My Mind"
- "Under My Wheels" (live)
[edit] 7" and cassette
- "Motorcycle Emptiness" (edit)
- "Bored Out Of My Mind"
| Manic Street Preachers |
|
Band members: James Dean Bradfield - Nicky Wire - Sean Moore |
| Former members: Flicker (Miles Woodward) - Richey James Edwards |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Generation Terrorists - Gold Against the Soul - The Holy Bible - Everything Must Go - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours - Know Your Enemy - Lifeblood - Send Away The Tigers |
| EPs: New Art Riot - Life Becoming a Landslide - God Save the Manics |
| Compilations: Forever Delayed - Lipstick Traces |
| DVDs Leaving The 20th Century - Forever Delayed - Louder than War |
