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About a bad relationship. A live favourite in the 1999/2000 tours. The outro riff of the recorded version is still sometimes used as a live riff to end the show as with the Hullabaloo version.
AGITATED
ALBUM/SINGLE: Hullabaloo (11), Museum Museum CD1 (2), Uno Vinyl (2), Random 1-8 (5)
LENGTH: 2:23
RECORDED: 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution (2), Absolution Tour (5)
LENGTH: 4:12
ALTERNATIVE TITLE: Emergency
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Moscow Stunt Festival 2002
RECORDED: 2002/2003
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
CHART POSITION: 10 (UK Dowload)
This powerful opener to Absolution.It is built up with many layers of instruments, bass, synthesizers and a loud piano. Matt: "I'm singing from the point of view of a person that is wanting their own god to come in and sort everything out". "We struggled with Apocalypse Please; it sounded weak with the strings on it, whereas the other songs sounded really good. We knew that we'd have to re-record Apocalypse Please. We then went to work with Rich Costey. That one originally was the one which had the big orchestra on it, but we ended up taking it away because it was too much".
APOCALYPSE PLEASE
ASHAMED
ALBUM/SINGLE: Hullabaloo (8), Sunburn CD1 (2)
LENGTH: 3:47
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Pyramid 2000
RECORDED: The Airfield, October 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER:John Leckie
A very loud song with distorted guitars and vocals. Quite similar to Agitated. It is possibly about a girl whose partner thinks she is uncertain about the relation but is too ashamed to tell him. Rarely played live, mainly during the latter part of the Showbiz tour. The outro riff was popularly used as an outro to Showbiz during the Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry tours, as can be heard on the Hullabaloo CD and DVD. It has also been used recently during the Black Holes and Revelations tour as an outro to New Born.
Matt's stabby guitar riffs are accompanied by a heavy bass line and some thrashy drumming, there are parts to this song where the drumming is the most audible. An extended version of the song was reintroduced during the 2006 tour. This version includes a modified version of the omitted interlude, with different percussion and no vocals. While there are reports both of the interlude being placed in its original position and of extensions comprising of parts of the original version, these claims cannot be substantiated and some of these claims contradict the recordings. Chris screams the line "Aim, shoot, kill your leaders" during the solo that's on the album.
ALBUM/TITLE: Balck Holes & Revelations (7), Knights of Cydonia vinyl and digital singles (2)
LENGTH: 3:31
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Florida Atlantic University 2005
RECORDED: 2005-2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
CHART POSITION: 6 (Download)
ASSASSIN
BLACKOUT
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution (9), Absolution Tour DVD (12)
LENGTH: 4:22
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Amsterdam Melkweg 2003
RECORDED: 2002/2003
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
Lilting waltz. Blackout talks about life being too good to last. Matt stated that the song is from the point of view of someone facing their end, reviewing the positive points of their life. Matt said that track talks about life being too short and commented: "I used a mandolin on Blackout. I think it was written with that in mind. I spent a fair bit of time in Italy last summer and I think that track was influenced by some of the sounds I heard there - a combination of some of the folk music and some opera. The mandolin is a very traditional instrument there and it seemed like the right thing to go on that song". When played live at Wembley Stadium, the performance was accompanied by two acrobats suspended by Helium balloons (named heliospheres on the setlist) floating out above the standing audience.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry (2), Bliss CD1 (1,4), CD2 (1), DVD (1),, Sing For Absolution CD1 (2), Absolution Tour (9).
LENGTH: 4:12, 4:36 (Bliss Singles), 4:54 (Origin Of Symmetry Unmastered Promos).
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Bizarre Festival 2000
RECORDED: 2000/2001
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: David Bottrill
CHART POSITION: 22
Bliss is the song that represents the best state of mind you can have. It’s a state of mind where you give out everything you have without any need for return. It's also a song aimed towards someone’s youth, someone who hasn’t been exposed to stuff yet. However it should be a positive song, the lyrics give the impression that you're envy on a person and you want to be just like him/her because s/he looks perfect to you and you're not. Received its first airing at the Bizarre Festival in France in 2000, without guitars and featuring reversed lyrics and a somewhat erratic keyboard, sounding similar to the music of an old arcade game. A second version featuring guitars debuted early 2001, though the riff is different to the album version.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution (10), Butterflies & Hurricanes CD1 (1), Absolution Tour (8)
LENGTH: 5:01, 4:10 (Radio Edit)
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Malsaucy (Interlude Only) Melkweg, Amsterdam 2003 (Full)
RECORDED: Air Studios, London, 2002/2003
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Cornfield, Paul Reeve
CHART POSITION: 14
Includes a romantic piano section. Matt declared about that song: "It's about hope, about trying to find the strength to get through any given situation. I was trying to find a classical type of piano style that would be heavy and work with bass and drums. It had that sort of mechanical paradiddle thing all the way through, and then it breaks down into this kind of romantic, flowing weird bit in the middle".
ALBUM/SINGLE: Muse EP (2), Muse Promo EP (1), Showbiz (5), Cave CD1 (1)
LENGTH: 4:45, 4:48 (Muse EP)
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Nova Scotia
RECORDED: 1998/1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Leckie, Paul Reeve
CHART POSITION: 52
CAVE
A live favourite on the tours between 1999-2001. One of the first songs Muse ever recorded, first appearing on the Muse EP before being released as a single before featuring on Showbiz. The versions on the Muse EP and Showbiz differ. Matt: "The idea for Cave came from that rubbish American book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. There's this bit about how men go into a cave when they get stressed and I think that's probably true, although, personally, I tend to let it out. I did have a bit of a tantrum in my hotel bathroom last night - but I managed to repair the toilet, so that's OK." Cave is featured in the soundtrack of the movie Little Nicky.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry (6), Hullabaloo (13), Hullabaloo DVD (4)
LENGTH: 7:21
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Apolitical Song
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: XFM Session 2001
RECORDED: Real World Studio, Wiltshire, 2000/2001
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Leckie
CHART POSITION: 122
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. Matt: "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".
ALBUM/SINGLE: Black Holes & Revelations (9)
LENGTH: 4:48
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Design Centre Councourse 2006
RECORDED: 2005/2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
Features an orchestral part written whilst the band resided in Italy. Has a mixed folk & Eastern sound. Muse didn't intend to put strings into the song, but they eventually did. This song has the same lyrical theme as Assassin - an individual prepared to commit brutal acts in order to get their views and opinions noticed by the corrupt powers that be. 'Dan' the trumpet man has been known to play the trumpet solo on this song when it is performed live.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Muse Ep (3), Cave CD2 (3), Random 1-8 (2)
LENGTH: 3:35
RECORDED: 1997-1998
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Paul Reeve
One of the very early Muse songs, it appeared on the very first Muse EP. Its age can be told as it is more of a pop-like song compared to a lot of the band's other material.
Another dark Muse b-side. The song begins as just 4 notes repeated on the piano several times with vocals over the top, nearer the end, though, a mass of sounds, drums and distortion comes in finishing of the song.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Supermassive Black Hole (2)
LENGTH: 2:35
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Swiss Rhapsody, My Searching
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Earls Court 19th
RECORDED: 2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
Originally listed on the set list as Swiss Rhapsody. It was rumoured to be the first single of Black Holes and Revelations, but this was denied by the band. Also played at Earls Court and during the following American tour. It was one of the four "new" songs bootlegged by fans. This is one of Muse's songs which indicates a skepticism concerning the ability of religion, or here "gods", to effect change. Crying Shame is the only Muse studio song with swearing in aside from the Starlight DVD's hidden track, although an early live version of Futurism had swearing in it.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry (9), Hullabaloo (16)
LENGTH: 4:47
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Policing The Jackson Funk, Apolitical
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: L'Aeronef 2000
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: David Bottrill
Darkshines is a bit Latin during the verses. The bass line is one of Muse' more difficult, but powerful. Solos use a guitar trumpet effect, and the song features powerful distortion and chaos piano in the chorus. Darkshines is about a tempting girl who is entirely dark and moody. She appears to hide a dark secret, making her even more desirable. The line 'your innocence, I will consume' indicates that the song is about a young girl, and gives the song a romantic connotation.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Dead Star/In Your World (1), Dead Star EP (1), Hullabaloo (11)
LENGTH: 3:42
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Plymouth Pavilons 2001
RECORDED: 2002
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Cornfield, Muse
CHART POSITION: 13 (UK)
Part of the double a-side single with In Your World released in 2002 as a stop-gap between albums. Played sometimes during the tour promoting Absolution including at Earls Court on the 19th. Contains metal influences, with a repetitive bassline that the guitar mimicks. The lyrics and melody are extremely distorted, with strange twisted snarls between. Like many of Muse's earlier work, the respiratory noises have been left in. Apparently this, along with 'In Your World' was written around the time of the September 11th bombing in America, the lyrics such as 'We're all to blame' show this. Matt: "I sort of got into that kind of thing, looking into space and all that - bit embarrassing, really. I'm a bit of a Star Trek fan in secret, but don't tell anyone (laughs). The song is about, let me think, it kind of how everyone reacted to the 11 September thing. We were in Boston at the time, we got stuck there, and that's when we recorded those songs. So, in some ways, the lyrics are a little bit about the hysteria around that time and how people were really quick to point fingers at everyone else when they should have pointed fingers at themselves."
ALBUM/SINGLE: Uno CD2 (3), Muscle Museum CD1 (2), Random 1-8, (8)
LENGTH: 4:18
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: London Astoria 1999
RECORDED: 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Paul Reeve
Played a lot in 1999 and early 2000 before they started playing newer songs. Very creepy, with an emphasis on eerily simple piano and percussion at the beginning, which then morphs into the usual epic rock number, with a simple 3 chord power riff. It appears to be about perfectionism, and the whole "Showbiz" theme: putting on a persona that doesn't reflect the persons true inner self.
EASILY
ALBUM/SINGLE: Starlight (2)
LENGTH: 3:40
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Easily Forgotten
RECORDED: 2005/2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
Easily is the B-side to Starlight. It surfaced August 10th as a 20 second clip from a person known as Mr X, the file was tagged as "easily_forgotten". On the 15th, another file surfaced on Muselive.com, protected by a code which was left for people to solve. This was eventually solved, revealing a 30 second clip along with another message within a plain text file informing that "Mr. X" will be back the following week. The song was leaked onto YouTube the day before the release date.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution (12), Absolution Tour (18)
LENGTH: 3:49
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Helsinki Nosturi 2003
RECORDED: Air Studios, 2003
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
Described by Matt as a "basic love song. I think there is hope in there, even though I'm dealing with generally dark subjects". According to Dom, Endlessly was originally more of a rock song than its final incarnation. It apparently had a bluesy riff.
ESCAPE
ALBUM/SINGLE: Muse EP (4), Showbiz (10)
LENGTH: 3:19 (Muse EP), 3:31 (Showbiz)
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: You're Meaningless, Escape You're Meaningless
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Bizarre Festival 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Leckie, Paul Reeve
The Showbiz version is substantially different to the version on the Muse EP. The song retains it's origin title of "Escape Your Meaningless" in CD-R promos of the Muse EP. About a man who is questioning himself about his actions to his loved one which may caused her to leave him and bring depression to the man. In the end, he now believes his life is meaningless and insignificance and there's no one that can change his view on it. He then now chooses to Escape his life by killing himself. Possibly a song about the divorce of Matt's parents. The line "Why can't you just love her?" could be Bellamy begging his dad to stay with his mom. "But I'll still take all the blame" could be a reference to how children feel it is their fault when their parents get divorced.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Hysteria CD (2), vinyl (2)
LENGTH: 6:06
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Rusty One
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Sziget Island, Budapest, Hungary, 2002
RECORDED: Air Studios, London
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
Originally called Rusty One when played because of the buzz word that Matt used to describe it when played "Cheers, cheers... bit rusty that one" (Rock Oz'Arènes 2002). Stylistically, it bears more resemblance to the epic, widescreen, cinematic tone of Black Holes and Revelations, featuring extensive use of synthesisers and vocodered backing vocals. The song is bookended by faint music box melodies and whispered vocals. Later, there is a fuzz-factory solo followed by a short instrumental breakdown featuring twinkling piano, thumping bass and eerie guitar in the style of Invincible, before Matt's humming build it up to a final chorus with the ever-thumping drums.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Plug In Baby CD1 (3), DE (3), JP (3)
LENGTH: 2:30
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Paris New Morning, 1999 (Instrumental)
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
Chaotic arrangement of noise, vocals included, but most is indistinguishable screaming with a few phrases such as "come on" and "yeah alright" audible. Often used live as an instrumental outro after either Showbiz or Stockholm Syndrome, or as part of a number of similar outros.
Very groove-based bass line which is maintained until the chorus which opts for a slight variation on this bass line. A guitar solo heavily based on the chordal progression which then leads back into the verse. The piece ends with the original groove riff played twice and then ended on a tonic chord. Zeta Reticulans invading Earth, or as Matt said: "That’s about the possibility of an orchestrated alien invasion created by the New World Order". It is also about PSYOPs, using the paranormal as a method of covering secret "black" projects - for example Groom Lake in Nevada, the role of conflict in controlling public thought, and the Star Wars Strategic Defense project. Matt has said the idea of the projects being aimed at fighting aliens is much more appealing. While stating he takes this idea seriously, he has been simultaneously reduced to incoherent, hysterical laughter by this.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Black Holes & Revelations (8)
LENGTH: 3:53
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Burning Bandits, Bandit Song, Pee Candle, Defunct Lies, Majestic Blue, Codebreak Shy Outsider
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Auditorium Field, Boca Raton, 2005
RECORDED: New York Avatar/Electric Lady Studios 2005
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution (6)
LENGTH: 4:40
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: World Crumbling
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Reading 2002 (Instrumental)
RECORDED: Air Studios, London
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
About past relationships. Matt has said that this has stemmed from feelings that he has had.The only album track never played live, aside from as an instrumental introduction to Eternally Missed for at least the two Carling Weekend performances of 2002. Falling Away With You was called World Crumbling during the recording process, as seen on the Making of Absolution bonus DVD.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry (10), Hyper Music/Feeling Good (2), Feeling Good/Hyper Music CD (1), Hullabaloo DVD (10), Sing For Absolution Dutch CD1 (4)
LENGTH: 3:19
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Maida Vale Studios, London, 1999
RECORDED: 2001
WRITER: Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse
PRODUCER: John Leckie
CHART POSITION: 24
The most popular Muse cover, and covered because of Matt's mum liking the song so much. The song was used by Nescafe for their advertising but without the band's permission. Nescafe withdrew that version for a different version. Muse were subsequently paid settlement money, which they donated to Oxfam. This song was played on Spanish TVE:Radio3 as a live recording, in which, shortly after the first verse, Matt started swearing in time with the music for two lines. Muse have been banned from Radio 3 ever since.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Uno (3), Random 1-8 (4), Hullabaloo (1)
LENGTH: 5:10, 4:18 (Hullabaloo)
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Lyon 2003
RECORDED: 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Paul Reeve
A sinister sounding light track with vocal distortion and recorded sound effects. Played primarily at many gigs in the 2006 tour usually as the staple intro to Bliss, though without vocals. Latterly it was played before songs other than Bliss. From 3.50 a busy street can be heard, including a motorbike, children and footsteps.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution JP (12), Sing For Absolution (2), Absolution Tour (13)
LENGTH: 5:00
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Get A Grip
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Fleece & Firkin 2000 (Instrumental), Leningrad Youth Palace 2002
RECORDED: London Air Studios 2002/2003
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
FURY
Dark and brooding track. Matt wished this to be on the album but Chris and Dom voted against it, and so The Small Print was put on the album instead. Fury was sometimes played live during the latter part of the Origin of Symmetry tour and the Absolution tour. This is one of Muse's songs which indicates a skepticism concerning the ability of religion, ironically indicated by a prayer (presumably to God) asking that he does not exist, to effect change.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry JP (12), Dead Star/In Your World (3), Dead Star EP FR (3)
LENGTH: 3:31
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: Spectrum, Tesseract, Electro Empire
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Reading Festival 2000
RECORDED: 2001
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: David Bottrill
The song itself is about a futuristic world and fits into the theme of Origin of Symmetry but wasn't included due to its difficulty to play live. It features a powerful bass line. Only known to have been played once live at the Reading Festival 2000. The live version is one of only three songs that contain cursing.
Begins with a guitar riff which uses a pedal note throughout supported by a moving bass line which is continued in the verse. Drum part is rhythmically imitative of the guitar riff. The chorus is heavily chromatic. Both the guitar and vocal parts ascend chromatically, and when it moves out of this chromatic motif the guitar continues to imitate the vocal line melodically. The piece is brought to a close initially with the original guitar riff and then by a variation of the riff but with the same bass line. Matt first referred to this song in his October message on the Official messaged board stating that "the 33 randomised guitar overdubs on the church of sub genius ... have high chance of making it [on to Black Holes and Revelations]".
GLORIOUS
ALBUM/SINGLE: Black Holes & Revelations JP (13), Invincible Vinyl (2), Glorious Promo CD-R (1)
LENGTH: 4:38
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: DES, Cuts & The Bruises, Faith, Church Of The Sub-Genious
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: In The Venue 2004
RECORDED: 2005-2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
ALBUM/SINGLE: Showbiz (12), Unintended CD2 (3)
LENGTH: 5:11
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Paris Oui FM 1999
RECORDED: 1999
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Leckie
The last song on Showbiz and rarely played live by the band. Probable meaning: This song is probably about growing tired of a relationship of which you've given your partner too many chances. Alternative meaning: Could be about the same person as in Hyper Music and Uno. Someone who was associated with the band before they made it, who Matt had reason to dislike. (On a similar theme Sunburn seems to be about a girl who was associated with them, who in contrast Matt regrets having to leave behind, because he sees her as a star).
ALBUM/SINGLE: Black Holes & Revelations (10)
LENGTH: 3:43
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Bibao Bizkaia Arena 2006
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
A quiet song, consisting of Spanish-esque acoustic guitar and a romantic piano section. This song was originally entirely piano based, and was part of a set of very classical-sounding songs but Matt felt that the original piano-based piano intro and outro were too posh sounding, and so it was later adapted for Black Holes and Revelations. The track was recorded in two sections, one consisting of guitar and vocals, and the second consisting of piano, bass and drums, together with strings arrangement.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Origin Of Symmetry (4), Hyper Music/Feeling Good (1), Hullabaloo DVD (16)
LENGTH: 3:20
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: I Don't Love You
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Big Cat, Osaka, Japan 2000
RECORDED: Real World Studio Wiltshire, 2001
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: John Leckie
CHART POSITION: 24
Has a powering bass line. Quite bitter lyrics for an up-beat, up-tempo song. Could be about the same person as in Hate This and I'll Love You and Uno. Someone who was associated with the band before they made it, who Matt had reason to dislike.
ALBUM/SINGLE: Absolution Sampler (3), Hysteria (1), Absolution (8), Sing For Absolution Dutch CD/DVD2 (3), Live 8 Paris DVD (5), Absolution Tour (1)
LENGTH: 3:47
ALTERNATIVE TITLES: I Want You Now
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Oslo Rockefeller Music Hall, 2002
RECOREDE: 2002
WRITER: Matthew Bellamy
PRODUCER: Rich Costey
CHART POSITION: 14
The song is about wanting something or someone that's out of reach so badly that this frustrates you till no end. It becomes an addiction. Matt: "Hysteria is a kinda fat bassline with a groovy straight beat on it. Its one of the tracks that has quite a heavy groove goin' on straight down the middle." Hysteria is a live favourite towards the beginning of the set list, the most common opener for the Absolution tour, played towards the end of the Origin of Symmetry tour and also often played during the Black Holes and Revelations tour.
