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Don't Panic (song)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Panic" is a song written and recorded by English alternative rock
band Coldplay
. Originally titled "Panic", the earliest known version of the song existed in 1998, performed live during the band's first gig in the same year. It had a different melody, and was included in the band's second EP
, The Blue Room. The track was reproduced by Coldplay and British producer Ken Nelson for the band's debut studio album, Parachutes
.
Following their successful releases in 2000, Coldplay and their record label Parlophone
thought there was enough exposure of the album in the United Kingdom. Thus, the decision of releasing a fourth single would be for regions that had not been overdosed by the hit singles "Yellow
" and "Trouble". They settled on "Don't Panic", which at the time was an audience favorite. The single was released in some European regions, and the United Kingdom only received a promo edition. The critical reception of the song was generally positive.
On 19 July 2011, the song was played as a wake-up call to STS-135
Space Shuttle
Atlantis Pilot Doug Hurley as a tribute from his wife and family, marking the last ever wake-up call for a crew visiting the International Space Station
from the Space Shuttle fleet.
The original version of "Don't Panic" was recorded in 1999, different from the version featured in Parachutes. First, vocalist Chris Martin
plays the piano during the bridge. As well, there is a feedback-distorted
introduction. This version was included in The Blue Room EP
, released in October 1999.
For Coldplay's first studio album
Parachutes, British record producer Ken Nelson re-produced "Don't Panic". The track was recorded live, like many other tracks featured in the album. Guitarist Jonny Buckland
recorded twice his overdubbed
guitars, and used parts of the two during the mixing
. The band subtly used the acoustic guitar, drums and bass, and also a pump organ. The song was recorded in Rockfield Studios, Wales and Parr Street Studio, Liverpool
.
"Don't Panic" is the opening track to Parachutes. A guitar-based song, it begins with a strummed electric guitar, followed with more guitar lines, then the vocals. A review claims that Coldplay's indie rock
inclination is obvious in the song.
Originally, the band planned to release "Don't Panic" as Parachutes fourth single
. However, it was abandoned after they deemed three singles were enough for an album. Following the successful single releases of the album in 2000, the band thought that Parachutes had gained enough exposure in significant regions in the United Kingdom. When they decided to release a fourth single, it would be for countries yet not "overdosed" by the hit singles "Yellow
" and "Trouble". Coldplay and their record label, Parlophone
, settled on "Don't Panic", which at the time was an audience favorite. The single was eventually released on 19 March 2001 in some European regions. The single is accompanied by the live tracks "You Only Live Twice
", a theme song for the James Bond
film of the same name
, and "Bigger Stronger", a song taken from the band's first EP release; these live tracks were recorded during their performance at the Rockefeller Music Hall
in Norway. "Don't Panic" appeared on the UK compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 48.
Like their others songs, Coldplay has refused several offers to use "Don't Panic" for promotional tools. In 2004, the band rejected a multi-million Euro
offer from Diet Coke
and Gap
to use "Don't Panic" and "Trouble", another song featured in the album. The band asked then-manager Phil Harvey
to not refer them to such offers because "a discussion might lead to compromise".
Despite this, the song has been used in many promotional tools and featured in several films and television series. In 2002, the song was featured in the comedy-drama film Igby Goes Down
, and later appeared on the film's soundtrack album
, released on February 25, 2003 by Spun Records
. Also in 2003, the song was also featured on Coldplay's live album
Live 2003
. In 2004, it was on the romantic comedy
film Garden State
; director Zach Braff
handpicked songs, including "Don't Panic", for the film's Grammy Award
-winning compilation album
, Garden State: Music From The Motion Picture. The song was also featured on the debut episode of the FX television series Rescue Me
as well as the pilot episode of the short-lived show Odyssey 5
. Additionally, the song was featured in episode nine of the first series on the British TV series Sugar Rush
in 2005.
During the band's 2003 A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour
, "Don't Panic" contained an entirely different introduction. In addition, Martin played the electric guitar and Buckland in harmonica
solo during the bridge. He regularly threw the harmonica into the crowd after the solo. In 2001, a dance
cover version of "Don't Panic" was released by Logo featuring Dawn Joseph.
review, Spencer Owen writes, "This subdued, dreamy opener contains Martin's falsetto chorus of 'We live in a beautiful world,' which seems to sum up the overall sentiment of the record." Robert Christgau
alleged that, along with "Yellow", the song was one of only two good ones on all of Parachutes. Critic Adrian Denning, in his review of the album, compliments, "Both the vocals and guitar are utterly beautiful. It's a song to take solace from, draw comfort from, be quietly awed by." David DeVoe of Hybridmagazine.com wrote: "It is a wonderful song that echoes the promise of what is to come on the rest of the record. 'Don’t Panic' is filled with excellent guitar tones and a nice grooving back beat, and I love the way the song ends."
, then portrays the band as two-dimensional paper cutouts doing household chores, when suddenly disaster strikes the earth in the forms of flood
s, volcano
es and electric shocks. Like Coldplay's earlier music videos, "Don't Panic" also features the yellow globe on the cover of Parachutes.
The Netherlands version (2001)
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. Originally titled "Panic", the earliest known version of the song existed in 1998, performed live during the band's first gig in the same year. It had a different melody, and was included in the band's second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, The Blue Room. The track was reproduced by Coldplay and British producer Ken Nelson for the band's debut studio album, Parachutes
Parachutes
Parachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
.
Following their successful releases in 2000, Coldplay and their record label Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
thought there was enough exposure of the album in the United Kingdom. Thus, the decision of releasing a fourth single would be for regions that had not been overdosed by the hit singles "Yellow
Yellow (song)
"Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes...
" and "Trouble". They settled on "Don't Panic", which at the time was an audience favorite. The single was released in some European regions, and the United Kingdom only received a promo edition. The critical reception of the song was generally positive.
On 19 July 2011, the song was played as a wake-up call to STS-135
STS-135
STS-135 was the final mission of the American Space Shuttle program. It used the orbiter Atlantis and hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, which was not flown. STS-135 launched on 8 July and was originally scheduled to land on 20 July 2011, but the mission was...
Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Atlantis Pilot Doug Hurley as a tribute from his wife and family, marking the last ever wake-up call for a crew visiting the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
from the Space Shuttle fleet.
Origins and production
"Don't Panic" came into existence while Coldplay was still in its infancy. In the time, the band had written 10 songs including an early version of "Don't Panic", and used it in recruiting the band's drummer. It was originally called "Panic", and was one of six songs played at Coldplay's first gig in 1998 at Camden's Laurel Tree. This version has a different melody, and the lyrics are an account of a "slightly disastrous evening Chris had spent entertaining a young lady called Alice Hill". Eventually, the title became "Don't Panic."The original version of "Don't Panic" was recorded in 1999, different from the version featured in Parachutes. First, vocalist Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
plays the piano during the bridge. As well, there is a feedback-distorted
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
introduction. This version was included in The Blue Room EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, released in October 1999.
For Coldplay's first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Parachutes, British record producer Ken Nelson re-produced "Don't Panic". The track was recorded live, like many other tracks featured in the album. Guitarist Jonny Buckland
Jonny Buckland
Jonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Coldplay.-Early life:...
recorded twice his overdubbed
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
guitars, and used parts of the two during the mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
. The band subtly used the acoustic guitar, drums and bass, and also a pump organ. The song was recorded in Rockfield Studios, Wales and Parr Street Studio, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
"Don't Panic" is the opening track to Parachutes. A guitar-based song, it begins with a strummed electric guitar, followed with more guitar lines, then the vocals. A review claims that Coldplay's indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
inclination is obvious in the song.
Release and reception
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...
. However, it was abandoned after they deemed three singles were enough for an album. Following the successful single releases of the album in 2000, the band thought that Parachutes had gained enough exposure in significant regions in the United Kingdom. When they decided to release a fourth single, it would be for countries yet not "overdosed" by the hit singles "Yellow
Yellow (song)
"Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes...
" and "Trouble". Coldplay and their record label, Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, settled on "Don't Panic", which at the time was an audience favorite. The single was eventually released on 19 March 2001 in some European regions. The single is accompanied by the live tracks "You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (soundtrack)
You Only Live Twice is the soundtrack for the 5th James Bond film of the same name. It was composed by Bond veteran, John Barry. At the time, this was his fourth credited Bond film. The theme song, "You Only Live Twice", was sung by Nancy Sinatra, with music by John Barry and lyrics by Leslie...
", a theme song for the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film of the same name
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
, and "Bigger Stronger", a song taken from the band's first EP release; these live tracks were recorded during their performance at the Rockefeller Music Hall
Rockefeller Music Hall
Rockefeller Music Hall, ordinarily referred to simply as Rockefeller, is a concert venue in downtown Oslo, Norway. The building, known as "Torggata Bad" earlier used to house a public bath facility. The music hall was established in 1986...
in Norway. "Don't Panic" appeared on the UK compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 48.
Like their others songs, Coldplay has refused several offers to use "Don't Panic" for promotional tools. In 2004, the band rejected a multi-million Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
offer from Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
and Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
to use "Don't Panic" and "Trouble", another song featured in the album. The band asked then-manager Phil Harvey
Phil Harvey (manager)
Phil Harvey is the former manager and sometime 'creative director' of the English rock group Coldplay....
to not refer them to such offers because "a discussion might lead to compromise".
Despite this, the song has been used in many promotional tools and featured in several films and television series. In 2002, the song was featured in the comedy-drama film Igby Goes Down
Igby Goes Down
Igby Goes Down is a 2002 comedy-drama film that follows the life of Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and sardonic New York City teenager who attempts to break free of his familial ties and wealthy, overbearing mother...
, and later appeared on the film's soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
, released on February 25, 2003 by Spun Records
Spun Records
SPUN RECORDS was founded in 1999 by Seth Hoffmann, Bradd Hosking and G.M.S. . It was the first psychedelic trance record label founded in the United States and specializes in the full-on psytrance and outdoor party sound. In July 2002 Seth and G.M.S...
. Also in 2003, the song was also featured on Coldplay's live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Live 2003
Live 2003
Live 2003 is a live album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, first released in November 2003. The set features concerts filmed at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on 21 July 2003 and 22 July 2003....
. In 2004, it was on the romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film Garden State
Garden State (film)
Garden State is a 2004 comedy-drama film written by, directed by, and starring Zach Braff, with Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Sir Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman , a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies...
; director Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
handpicked songs, including "Don't Panic", for the film's Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Garden State: Music From The Motion Picture. The song was also featured on the debut episode of the FX television series Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
as well as the pilot episode of the short-lived show Odyssey 5
Odyssey 5
Odyssey 5 is a Canadian science fiction series that first ran in 2002 on Showtime in the United States and on Space in Canada.In the United States, the initial run of the series ran for 14 of the 20 episodes, leaving the six remaining episodes unaired for a period of roughly two years...
. Additionally, the song was featured in episode nine of the first series on the British TV series Sugar Rush
Sugar Rush (TV series)
Sugar Rush is an Emmy Award–winning British television comedy drama series developed by Shine Limited and broadcast by Channel 4, based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name...
in 2005.
During the band's 2003 A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour
A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour
A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour was a global concert tour by Coldplay launched in support of the band's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. Officially, the tour ran for almost nine months in 2003, covering five continents in the process. In 2002, Coldplay also performed a series of...
, "Don't Panic" contained an entirely different introduction. In addition, Martin played the electric guitar and Buckland in harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
solo during the bridge. He regularly threw the harmonica into the crowd after the solo. In 2001, a dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
cover version of "Don't Panic" was released by Logo featuring Dawn Joseph.
Critical reviews
Upon release, critics gave the song generally positive reviews. MacKenzie Wilson, in his review from Allmusic, notes, "Coldplay's indie rock inclinations are also obvious, especially on songs such as 'Don't Panic' and 'Shiver'." In the Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
review, Spencer Owen writes, "This subdued, dreamy opener contains Martin's falsetto chorus of 'We live in a beautiful world,' which seems to sum up the overall sentiment of the record." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
alleged that, along with "Yellow", the song was one of only two good ones on all of Parachutes. Critic Adrian Denning, in his review of the album, compliments, "Both the vocals and guitar are utterly beautiful. It's a song to take solace from, draw comfort from, be quietly awed by." David DeVoe of Hybridmagazine.com wrote: "It is a wonderful song that echoes the promise of what is to come on the rest of the record. 'Don’t Panic' is filled with excellent guitar tones and a nice grooving back beat, and I love the way the song ends."
Music video
The music video for "Don't Panic" was directed by Tim Hope. The video starts off with an animated diagram of the water cycleWater cycle
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or H2O cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. Water can change states among liquid, vapor, and solid at various places in the water cycle...
, then portrays the band as two-dimensional paper cutouts doing household chores, when suddenly disaster strikes the earth in the forms of flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s, volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es and electric shocks. Like Coldplay's earlier music videos, "Don't Panic" also features the yellow globe on the cover of Parachutes.
Track listing
Main single- "Don't Panic" – 2:20
- "You Only Live Twice" (live from Norway) – 4:06
- "Bigger Stronger" (live from Norway) – 4:55
The Netherlands version (2001)
- "Don't Panic" – 2:20
- "Spies" (live at Lowlands 2000) – 6:12
- "Bigger Stronger" (live at Lowlands 2000) – 4:51
- "Yellow" (live at Lowlands 2000) – 4:32
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Single Top 100 | 83 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 3 |