A Bad Dream
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"A Bad Dream", often mistitled as "Bad Dream", is a song by English
piano rock
band Keane appearing as the fifth track on their second album, Under the Iron Sea
. It was released on 22 January 2007 as the sixth and final single
from the album. The song peaked at #23 in the UK Singles Chart
, becoming the band's first single to miss the top 20.
" was believed to be the obvious choice for a B-side
as it was an unreleased track on Under the Iron Sea, mentioned several times and thought to have a relation with the song, but Keane instead included for the first time both cover
songs ("She Sells Sanctuary
" by The Cult
and "Enjoy the Silence
" by Depeche Mode
) and a remix of the single by the noted hardcore
artist Luna-C
in the commercial release. "The Night Sky" was instead released as the next single.
and Tom Chaplin
. It was recorded at the Heliocentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex
and at The Magic Shop, New York
.
" poem by W.B. Yeats. Rice-Oxley explained on a podcast:
The song is an anti-war
song, with hints of anti-nationalism
("you that I defend I do not love", "in a better time you could be my friend").
's original song. It's the first song released since June 2001 ("She Has No Time") that includes acoustic guitar on the recording.
style instrumentation never heard on a Keane release before.
walking through white and dark lights.
An alternate version released on Yahoo Launch UK features short clips of Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes intercut into the original, looking at Chaplin with melancholic faces.
It has also been used in the episode of Scrubs
titled "My Long Goodbye
", and was used by the BBC
in their coverage of the 2007 golf Masters
tournament. It was also featured on the Season 3 finale of Making the Band 4, in Season 3 of Kyle XY
, and in episode 5 of Season 3 of Life Support.
It was also used in episodes 1x12, 2x4 and 2x11 of popular BBC One drama Waterloo Road
.
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
.
"A Bad Dream", often mistitled as "Bad Dream", is a song by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
piano rock
Piano rock
Piano rock, sometimes referred to as piano pop, is a style of popular music that is based around the piano—and sometimes piano-related instruments such as keyboards–with piano typically replacing rhythm guitar as the rhythm instrument...
band Keane appearing as the fifth track on their second album, Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea
Under the Iron Sea is the second studio album by English rock band Keane, released in 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album went to #1, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company...
. It was released on 22 January 2007 as the sixth and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album. The song peaked at #23 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming the band's first single to miss the top 20.
Track listings
A track titled "The Night SkyThe Night Sky
"The Night Sky" is a song written and performed by English rock band Keane. The song was released as a one-off charity single released by the band in aid of War Child. It was released as a download on October 22 and then a physical release on Island Records on 29 October...
" was believed to be the obvious choice for a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
as it was an unreleased track on Under the Iron Sea, mentioned several times and thought to have a relation with the song, but Keane instead included for the first time both cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
songs ("She Sells Sanctuary
She Sells Sanctuary
"She Sells Sanctuary" is a song by the English rock band The Cult. It is from their 1985 album Love and was released as a single in May of that year, peaking at no.15 in the UK Singles Chart.The band has released various versions of the song...
" by The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
and "Enjoy the Silence
Enjoy the Silence
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on 16 January 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming album Violator....
" by Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
) and a remix of the single by the noted hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore
Breakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
artist Luna-C
Luna-C
Luna-C is a British DJ and record producer, known for his work in breakbeat hardcore music. He made up a third of the rave group Smart E's in 1992, which had a number 2 hit in the UK with a remix of the Sesame Street theme song .Luna-C founded the Kniteforce Records label in 1992, which has...
in the commercial release. "The Night Sky" was instead released as the next single.
CD single
Catalogue number: 1723057- "A Bad Dream"
- "She Sells Sanctuary"
- "A Bad Dream" (Luna-CLuna-CLuna-C is a British DJ and record producer, known for his work in breakbeat hardcore music. He made up a third of the rave group Smart E's in 1992, which had a number 2 hit in the UK with a remix of the Sesame Street theme song .Luna-C founded the Kniteforce Records label in 1992, which has...
Hardcore Remix) - "A Bad Dream" live in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(video)
256 MB USB memory stick content
-
- "A Bad Dream"
- "A Bad Dream" (video)
- "Enjoy the Silence" (Depeche ModeDepeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
cover) - "A Bad Dream" (Luna-C Bangin' Remix)
- Competition to see the band at Wembley
Composition and recording
It was composed by Tim Rice-OxleyTim Rice-Oxley
Timothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
and Tom Chaplin
Tom Chaplin
Thomas Oliver "Tom" Chaplin is a singer, musician and composer, best known as the lead vocalist of the piano rock band, Keane.-Life and career:...
. It was recorded at the Heliocentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
and at The Magic Shop, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Information about song's meaning
It was partially based on the "An Irish Airman Foresees His DeathAn Irish Airman Foresees His Death
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death is a poem by Irish poet William Butler Yeats written in 1918 and first published in the Macmillan edition of The Wild Swans at Coole in 1919. The poem is a soliloquy given by an aviator in the First World War in which the poet describes the circumstances...
" poem by W.B. Yeats. Rice-Oxley explained on a podcast:
The song is an anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
song, with hints of anti-nationalism
Anti-nationalism
Anti-nationalism denotes the sentiments associated with the opposition to nationalism, arguing that it is undesirable or dangerous. Some anti-nationalists are humanitarians or humanists who pursue an idealist form of world community, and self-identify as world citizens. They reject chauvinism,...
("you that I defend I do not love", "in a better time you could be my friend").
She Sells Sanctuary
This song is a cover of The CultThe Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
's original song. It's the first song released since June 2001 ("She Has No Time") that includes acoustic guitar on the recording.
Instrumentation
- Acoustic guitar
- Bass
- Drums
- Distorted piano
- Electric piano
- Synthesizer
- Vocals (by Tom Chaplin)
A Bad Dream (Luna-C Hardcore Remix)
The song includes a hardcoreHardcore techno
Hardcore techno is a type of electronic music typified by the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples...
style instrumentation never heard on a Keane release before.
Technical information on songs
| Song | Length | Tempo Tempo In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:... |
Key Key (music) In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the... |
Time signature Time signature The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat.... |
Genre Music genre A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music... |
| "A Bad Dream" | 5:06 | 72bpm | Eb (Mi flat major) | 4/4 on 8 beats | Ballad |
| "She Sells Sanctuary" | 4:36 | 130bpm | D (Re major) | 4/4 on 8 beats | Rock |
| "A Bad Dream" (Luna-C Hardcore mix) | 5:41 | 150bpm | Ebm (Mi flat minor) | 4/4 on 16 beats | Hardcore |
Music video
The music video for "A Bad Dream" was shot on 22 November 2006 and premiered a month later. The essentially simple promo features singer Tom ChaplinTom Chaplin
Thomas Oliver "Tom" Chaplin is a singer, musician and composer, best known as the lead vocalist of the piano rock band, Keane.-Life and career:...
walking through white and dark lights.
An alternate version released on Yahoo Launch UK features short clips of Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes intercut into the original, looking at Chaplin with melancholic faces.
In pop culture
"A Bad Dream" was featured on the Season 4 premiere of the FOX drama, The O.C.The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
It has also been used in the episode of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
titled "My Long Goodbye
My Long Goodbye
"My Long Goodbye" is the 15th episode of season six of the American comedy-drama Scrubs. It was written by Dave Tennant and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr....
", and was used by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in their coverage of the 2007 golf Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
tournament. It was also featured on the Season 3 finale of Making the Band 4, in Season 3 of Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
, and in episode 5 of Season 3 of Life Support.
It was also used in episodes 1x12, 2x4 and 2x11 of popular BBC One drama Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
.
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Russian Singles Chart | 14 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
23 |
| Slovakia | 18 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
33 |
| Top France Airplay 100 France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
35 |
| UK Official Download Chart UK Official Download Chart The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the music industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being published on a Wednesday afternoon, so as to not to clash with the release of the main UK Singles Chart... |
37 |