"Gold Lion" is the first single by American
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...
from their second album, ''
Show Your Bones
''Show Your Bones'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on March 28, 2006 by Interscope Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2007.
Background and musi ...
''. Distinct in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' discography, it features acoustic guitar and a more slowed-down pace in contrast to earlier works like "Bang!" and "
Date with the Night
"Date with the Night" is the first single from ''Fever to Tell'' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This single also includes the B-side "Yeah! New York" which can also be found as a bonus track on the UK release of ''Fever to Tell'', and an exclusive remix ...
". It was released on March 20, 2006, and became the band's second major hit after 2004's "
Maps
A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes.
Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
".
"Gold Lion" was named after the two Gold Lion awards won by the
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
commercial ''
Hello Tomorrow {{about, , the Dave Koz album, Hello Tomorrow (album), the Apple TV+ series, Hello Tomorrow!
''Hello Tomorrow'' is the title of a 2005 Adidas television advertisement, and also the name of the song used in the commercial. The 90-second spot was cre ...
'' at the 2005
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...
.
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek (born November 22, 1978) is a South Korean-born American singer, musician, and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Early life
She was born in Seoul, South Korea, the daughter of a Ko ...
had contributed vocals to ad's song composed by
Sam "Squeak E. Clean" Spiegel, brother of Karen's then-boyfriend
Spike Jonze
Adam H. Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze, is an American filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes commercials, film, music videos, skateboard videos and television.
Jonze began his ca ...
who had directed the ad.
In popular culture
It has been noted by some music critics that "Gold Lion" sounds similar to "No New Tale To Tell" from 1980s alternative band
Love and Rockets.
In 2010 the instrumentals of the song were used in a commercial for
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...
's
iPad
The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...
device.
In 2019
The Accidentals
The Accidentals are an American band, formed in Traverse City, Michigan in 2012 by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Sav Buist and Katie Larson. The group has featured an eclectic blend of indie folk, pop, bluegrass, rock, classica ...
included a cover of the song on their album ''Live''.
Track listing
#"Gold Lion" – 3:09
#"Let Me Know"
(Demo) – 3:31
#"Gold Lion"
(Diplo
Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...
's Optimo remix) – 4:04
#"Gold Lion"
(Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner (born December 8, 1974) is an American guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a record producer. Zinner is an accomplished photographer.
Musical career
Before forming the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs with Karen O and ...
remix) – 3:14
Music video
The music video directed by
Patrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters (born 1976 in Berkeley, California) is an American music videomaker and commercial director currently signed to Anonymous Content.
Daughters is a graduate of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. While still in colleg ...
features the band playing in the
Nevada desert
The Great Basin Desert is part of the Great Basin between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range. The desert is a geographical region that largely overlaps the Great Basin shrub steppe defined by the World Wildlife Fund, and the Central Basin a ...
at sunset and eventually night. At first we see
Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
holding a large pile of drumsticks with more tied to his back. Then, Nick is seen walking dragging a number of acoustic guitars behind him. Brian then sits at his drumkit with the pile of drumsticks. As he begins to play Brian's drumkit shoots out flames from his snare drum, which sets his drumstick alight and the ground around him as he continues to play. He then throws the stick on a pile of other drumsticks starting another fire. The rest of the band are seen performing, however they are all covered in sand and dust. At the pre-chorus
Nick
Nick may refer to:
* Nick (given name)
* A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat
* British slang for being arrested
* British slang for a police station
* British slang for stealing
* Short for nickname
Place ...
smashes his guitar on the ground, at the same time
Karen
Karen may refer to:
* Karen (name), a given name and surname
* Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors
People
* Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand
** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
wipes the dust off her face and takes off her sooty clothes to reveal her 'shiny' dress. Nick then plays the lead part on his electric guitar, the smashed guitar then sets on fire adding to the flames. The band continues playing in the same fashion with Nick smashing another acoustic guitar. The fire builds and the flames create a circle divided into 6ths surrounding the band. The video concludes with the band performing while surrounded by flames.
Charts
References
External links
*
{{authority control
2006 singles
Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs
2006 songs
Interscope Records singles
Songs written by Karen O
Songs written by Brian Chase
Songs written by Nick Zinner