For one of my first single song reviews, I wanted to choose one of my favorites, "Knights of Cydonia". Most people will know this song from Guitar Hero, or even on the radio when it first came out. This song has deep meaning, and quotes that people can live their life by. At the end of this review, I will post some quotes that you readers may like.One of my favorite things to do with music is to study the lyrics and get into deep meaning. If you ever have time, just Google the song lyrics, and try and figure out what the band members mean by it when they use them
The Music Video
The KOC video was shot over five days: three days in Romania; one day in London; and one day in Red Rock, California; it was made available on July 11, 2006. It was filmed and edited as a thematic smörgåsbord: a spaghetti western film with post-apocalyptic influence, complete with beginning and end credits, livened with the occasional kung-fu cowboy or metal-clad maiden astride a unicorn. At the end of the video one can see Roman numerals MCMLXXXI which translates as 1981. However, in the introduction the numerals MCLMXXXI are seen,which despite claims that it could equal 2081 (MMLXXXI) or 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI), is not a valid roman numeral.
The video was directed by Joseph Kahn, and stars British actor Russ Bain as the protagonist (The Man With No Name), Richard Brake as the antagonist (Sheriff Baron Klaus Rottingham), and Cassandra Bell as the love interest (Princess Shane Kuriyami). Throughout the video, the actors mouth out the lyrics, such as Russ Bain ramshackled in town square mouthing ‘No one's going to take me alive’, and Cassandra Bell at the gallows ‘You and I must fight for our rights’. In both instances, the mouthed words occur after the song lyrics and complete before the song moves on to the next line. The band appears in some scenes as holograms, and there are also some scenes featuring lead singer Bellamy. Also, when it shows the population of the town Cydonia it is shown as "143", a common symbol for "I love you", although it is unknown whether this is just a random number, or it was put there for a reason by the director or band.
In the intro is a citation of the five tone musical phrase from the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The song features vocals from both Bellamy's higher and lower ranges layered and both synthesised and live trumpet parts. The guitar sound in the song was inspired by the 1962 number one hit "Telstar" by The Tornados (George Bellamy, Matt Bellamy's father, was the band's rhythm guitarist).The song, taken in entirety, also bears a striking resemblance to George Bellamy's composition "Ridin' the Wind".
The song's meaning is to teach people to stand up for themselves and make their own destiny.
Bellamy has stated that on the album in general he tried to create a vision of what is occurring in the song. For example, the bassline has a galloping rhythm depicting someone riding a horse
Quotes
"And how can we win, When fools can be kings"
"Don't waste your time, Or time will waste you"
"No one's gonna take me alive, The time has come to make things righ"
"You and I must fight for our rights, You and I must fight to survive"
MUSE-Knights of Cydonia
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