"Man of War" is a song by the English rock band
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
, released as a
download
In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...
on 22 June 2017. Radiohead wrote it during the sessions for their second album, ''
The Bends'' (1995), and performed it on the ''Bends'' tour. In this period, the singer,
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
, described it as a homage to
James Bond themes. Radiohead worked on "Man of War" during the sessions for their third album, ''
OK Computer
''OK Computer'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in Japan on 21 May 1997 and in the UK on 16 June 1997. Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich, an arrangement they have used for their subsequ ...
'' (1997), and worked on a version for the 1998 film ''
The Avengers,'' but abandoned the recordings.
Years later, Radiohead submitted "Man of War" for the 2015
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film
''Spectre'', but it was rejected as it had not been written for the film. It remained unreleased until 2017, when it was included on the ''OK Computer'' reissue ''
OKNOTOK 1997 2017
''OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017'' is a reissue of the 1997 album ''OK Computer'' by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released in June 2017, the album's 20th anniversary, following the 2016 acquisition of Radiohead's back catalogue by XL Rec ...
.''
History
"Man of War", which had the working title "Big Boots", was written during the sessions for Radiohead's second album ''
The Bends'' (1995). Radiohead performed it several times on tour in 1995. The singer,
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
, said it was a "melodramatic" homage to
James Bond themes;
on the same tour, Radiohead covered "
Nobody Does It Better
"Nobody Does It Better" is a power ballad and the theme song
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequenc ...
", the theme from the 1977 Bond film ''
The Spy Who Loved Me''.
Radiohead considered recording "Man of War" as a B-side for the ''Bends'' single "
Street Spirit (Fade Out)
"Street Spirit (Fade Out)" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It is the final track on their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was released as a single on 22 January 1996 and reached number five on the UK Sing ...
",
and recorded a version in the first sessions for their third album, ''
OK Computer
''OK Computer'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in Japan on 21 May 1997 and in the UK on 16 June 1997. Radiohead self-produced the album with Nigel Godrich, an arrangement they have used for their subsequ ...
'' (1997), with their producer,
Nigel Godrich
Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...
. However, the song went unreleased.
In March 1998, Radiohead and Godrich recorded a version containing electronic elements in
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
for the 1998 spy film ''
The Avengers'', but this was abandoned. Footage of the session appears in the 1998 documentary ''
Meeting People Is Easy
''Meeting People Is Easy'' is a 1998 British documentary film by Grant Gee that follows the English rock band Radiohead on the world tour for their 1997 album '' OK Computer''. It received positive reviews and was nominated for a Grammy Award f ...
''.
Yorke said: "We were so messed up and we went in, tried to do the track, but we just couldn't do it. It was actually a really difficult period of time. We had a five-week break and all the shit was coming to the surface ... It was a real low point after it."
Years later, Radiohead were commissioned to write the theme song for the 2015
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film
''Spectre'', and submitted "Man of War".
In September 2015, the conductor Robert Ziegler, who had worked with Radiohead on their 2011 album ''
The King of Limbs
''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
'', tweeted photos of the band recording with the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
.
The ''Spectre'' production team liked the song, but rejected it when they discovered it had not been written for the film and so would be ineligible for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
.
The director,
Sam Mendes
Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honour ...
, said that "you want to feel like it's written just for the movie".
Radiohead suspended work on their ninth album, ''
A Moon Shaped Pool
''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich.
...
'' (2016), to record another song for the film, "
Spectre
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
", but this was rejected as too melancholy.
In June 2017, Radiohead released "Man of War" on the ''OK Computer'' reissue ''
OKNOTOK 1997 2017
''OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017'' is a reissue of the 1997 album ''OK Computer'' by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released in June 2017, the album's 20th anniversary, following the 2016 acquisition of Radiohead's back catalogue by XL Rec ...
'' alongside two other previously unreleased tracks: "
I Promise" and "
Lift
Lift or LIFT may refer to:
Physical devices
* Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods
** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop
** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...
".
Composition
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' described "Man of War" as a "crisp mid-tempo ballad" with strings, piano, and "shards of distressed electric guitar".
It opens with a guitar figure before a
distorted chorus.
The lyrics are "anxious" and "nerve-racking", with the refrain "the worms will come for you".
Music video
The "Man of War" music video, directed by Colin Read, was released in June 2017 on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. The video alternates from day to night, with the mood shifting from "cheerful to paranoid". It follows a man walking from a park who appears carefree by day but "seems to be hiding something" at night.
Reception
''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' praised "Man of War" as the strongest of the new tracks released on ''OKNOTOK,'' and argued that it could have appeared on the original ''OK Computer.''
The ''PopMatters'' critics awarded it an average score of 8.3 out of 10. ''
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
'' described it as "grandiose-bordering-on-OTT" and the "opposite" of Radiohead's other Bond theme, "Spectre".
Personnel
Radiohead
*
Colin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments.
With h ...
*
Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores.
Along with his elder brother, th ...
*
Ed O'Brien
Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB.
O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he met the other mem ...
*
Philip Selway
Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Selway released his debut ...
*
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
Additional personnel
*
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
– strings
*Chris Blair –
mastering
*
Stanley Donwood
Dan Rickwood (born 29 October 1968), known professionally as Stanley Donwood, is an English artist and writer. Since 1994, he has created all the artwork for the rock band Radiohead with their singer Thom Yorke, plus Yorke's other projects. He ...
– illustrations
*
Nigel Godrich
Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). H ...
– production,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Robert Ziegler - conducting
*Sam Petts Davis, Fiona Cruickshank – engineering
*Jim Warren – production, engineering
Charts
References
{{authority control
2017 songs
Radiohead songs
Song recordings produced by Nigel Godrich
Songs written by Thom Yorke
Songs written by Jonny Greenwood
Songs written by Colin Greenwood
Songs written by Ed O'Brien
Songs written by Philip Selway
XL Recordings singles