"Help Me" is a song by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released as the first single from their 2008 album

Agony & Irony ''Agony & Irony'' is the sixth studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released July 1, 2008, on Epic Records. Background On October 12, 2006, the band announced they had signed with major label V2 Records. ...

. The song impacted radio on April 22, 2008. It became the highest-charting single of the band's career, reaching #14 on Billboard's

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. The

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of the single is a cover version of Tegan and Sara's "Wake Up Exhausted", recorded with Jim Devito at Retrophonics Studio in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...

in a separate session from ''Agony & Irony''.

Lyrics and cover art

The lyrics of "Help Me" were inspired by

Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...

's 2007 film ''

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controlling ...

'', a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. The single's cover art was inspired by Peter Saville's artwork for Joy Division's 1980 single " Love Will Tear Us Apart", a song that Alkaline Trio singer and guitarist Matt Skiba

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

in November 2008 with his side project Heavens. He explained that Joy Division were a major influence on the writing of "Help Me":

I've always been a big Joy Division fan and I was quite touched by the film. I thought it captured Joy Division and Ian Curtis' life beautifully. The sincerity of their music combined with their imagery and art is like nothing else. Everything about them was artistic and unique. Our artwork and song is a tribute to a melancholic beauty that can never be replicated.

Music video

The music video for "Help Me", directed by Josh Forbes, depicts the band in a

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

setting driving a

locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...

through the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

. Singer/bassist

Dan Andriano Daniel Michael Andriano (born June 27, 1977) is an American singer and musician. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist and bassist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums to date. Andriano also rec ...

notices another locomotive approaching on a collision course, driven by a villain and with a

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...

(played by Kat Von D) tied to its pilot. Drummer Derek Grant pilots a monowheel device to activate a railroad switch, causing the two locomotives to run parallel. The battle takes to the sky as Skiba rescues the damsel with the aid of a jet pack while the villain's locomotive becomes an airplane and the band's becomes an airship emblazoned with their logo. Skiba evades the villain by flying through a narrow opening in a canyon wall which the villain's aircraft crashes into. The video makes heavy use of

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images may ...

and is interspersed with footage depicting the band performing the song on a rooftop.

Track listing

Personnel

Band

* Matt Skiba – guitar, lead vocals *

– bass, backing vocals * Derek Grant – drums

Production

* Josh Abraham – producer on "Help Me" *Ryan Williams – engineer on "Help Me" *Ted Jensen – mastering on "Help Me" *Jim Devito – engineer on "Wake Up Exhausted"

References

{{authority control Alkaline Trio songs 2008 songs Songs written by Matt Skiba Songs written by Dan Andriano Songs written by Derek Grant (drummer) Epic Records singles 2008 singles