If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It
Encyclopedia
"If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" is a song from alternative rock
band Snow Patrol
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
. It was released as the follow-up single to "Crack the Shutters
" on 8 and 9 March 2009. It was the third single taken from the album. The music was composed in collaboration between the band members of Snow Patrol
, and frontman Gary Lightbody
serving as lyricist
. The song is a departure from Lightbody's frequent attempts at diagnosing his less positive personal issues, which often focus on his romantic breakups, and instead celebrates a newfound love outside human relationships.
The song, though critically lauded upon the album release, was generally not received well as a single. The single was a commercial failure, failing to reach the Top 100 in the United Kingdom, and failing to chart in every other country. The single was later released in the Netherlands but failed to chart as well.
. About "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It", he said that the song "was a love record rather than a break up record". He continued to say that the song was "set in the context of a world that's as terrifying as it is beautiful, which is why a lot of the imagery refers to space." He maintained the positivity of the song, saying "I don't think we're doomed, but there's darkness here, looming over me rather than in me". The album's lyrics were influenced by Lightbody's newly discovered love of science. In an interview with The Sunday Times
, he said "I didn't have any aptitude for it at school, but I've become very interested in science over the past couple of years." He commented on the positive lyrics, adding "in the past, my lyrics have sometimes been bogged down by my own self-flagellation — can't see past my fingertips. This time, the opposite has happened. It's about realizing that we're just dots."
's show T4
on 7 February. The performance was aired between 9am and 2 pm.
The single was initially issued only in the UK as a 7" Vinyl and Digital Download. The iTunes digital download featured the single and the music video. It was released in the UK and Ireland on 8 March. The 7" single featured a new song, the previously unreleased b-side "In a Dream I Saw Satellites", written, composed and performed by frontman Gary Lightbody
, without any collaboration with the rest of the band. The song later became the fourth Dutch single from the album, after "Take Back the City
", "Crack the Shutters
" and "The Planets Bend Between Us
". To promote it, the band played an intimate concert at Desmet Studios as a part of Radio BNN's "That's Live" programme, which features artists doing such concerts. The performance was broadcast on 3FM
between 18:00 and 21:00 hrs on 1 August. Tickets for the concert only be won through a competition organized by BNN. Though 15 pairs of tickets were initially announced as prizes, 48 winners were announced, who were notified through e-mail.
Video in January. The video was also added to playlists of TV channels including MTV
, Q and The Box. The video was praised by Getmusic for being "as iridescent and tender as the single". However, The Irish Times
hated it and said it should be skipped.
The video features the band members wandering beside a beach. They chance upon an abandoned boat which is decorated with origami
stars, which were featured on the album artwork for A Hundred Million Suns. After taking the time to examine them, the camera pans to Nathan Connolly
, who has noticed a cottage a short distance away. He starts to walk towards it and the band members follow behind. Upon entering the cottage, they light lamps, with the room glowing with the reflection of identical origami stars that they had seen by the boat.
As the camera pans to Lightbody, his look of surprise is revealed; by opening a door, hot air balloons can be seen flying in the air, and the bandmates stop to examine them. The next sequence of shots show Lightbody walking in an area lighted by lamps. The camera then pans away from him to the band performing the song on their instruments. The end shots of the video show Lightbody with outstretched arms and a lone flying hot-air balloon.
The video for "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" uses the radio edit of the song.
said that the band was all about "big, echoing soundscapes", "gargantuan guitar crescendos" and emotions that could only be described in mythology and astronomy. PopMatters
called the song "a moodier kickoff than "You’re All I Have", the instant power-pop anthem that served as the introduction to Eyes Open
". It praised the lyric where Gary Lightbody sings about having a strand of his lover's hair wrapped around his finger, calling it "borderline saccharine". The Independent
called the song an attempt to "broaden the band's style". It felt the song was "intriguing", and noted the "conversational tone and diffident delivery", saying it may have been inspired by Sufjan Stevens
. It also named the song among the picks from the album. Pitchfork Media
, who rated the album as a whole at only 4.9/10, still praised the song, saying, "If A Hundred Million Suns has any hits in it at all, they're likely over and done in the album's first eight minutes." Continuing, the review commented that "the song was Snow Patrol at their best and most emblematic." Lightbody's vocal delivery style was praised, saying that it "softens the blow of overwrought lyrics", citing 'the sea between us only amplifies the sound waves' as an example.
Upon the release of the song, Daily Music Guide's Wayne Madden reviewed the single negatively, giving it 2 stars out of 5. He criticized it for having the same bars repeated for a whole minute. He felt the song wasn't bad, but was no stunner. He also called the sound "Coldplay-esque" and compared the sound to early Snow Patrol records. BBC Radio 1
's Vicki Lutas too gave the single a rating of 2 stars out of 5, saying that Snow Patrol had become lazy. She did like the chorus, though, saying it "makes you sit up and take notice for a little minute". UKMix's Beren Reid awarded the single 2 stars out of 5 as well, calling the single "drab". He ridiculed it, saying it "doesn't sound single worthy" and furthermore didn't "deserve to be the b-side of a b-side". The Northern Echo
's Sophie Stratford however, reviewed the single very positively, saying that the band's reputation was about to get bigger. She praised the vocals and the sound, and felt that the lyrics "live long in your head for hours afterwards".
The single failed to chart in every country barring the UK, where it peaked at a lowly #133, but it was fairly successful on the UK Airplay Chart, peaking at #36. The song also peaked at #18 on an independent chart. In October 2008, the song ranked #30 in Q
s The 50 Essential Tracks to Download This Month.
Other personnel
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 Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns
A Hundred Million Suns is the fifth album by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album was written by Snow Patrol and was produced by long time producer Jacknife Lee who has previously produced albums for Bloc Party, R.E.M., and U2. The songs were recorded through the summer of 2008 in Hansa...
. It was released as the follow-up single to "Crack the Shutters
Crack the Shutters
"Crack the Shutters" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the follow-up single to "Take Back the City" on different dates in December 2008 depending on the region, and was the second single taken from the album. The lyrics were...
" on 8 and 9 March 2009. It was the third single taken from the album. The music was composed in collaboration between the band members of Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, and frontman Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
serving as lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
. The song is a departure from Lightbody's frequent attempts at diagnosing his less positive personal issues, which often focus on his romantic breakups, and instead celebrates a newfound love outside human relationships.
The song, though critically lauded upon the album release, was generally not received well as a single. The single was a commercial failure, failing to reach the Top 100 in the United Kingdom, and failing to chart in every other country. The single was later released in the Netherlands but failed to chart as well.
Background
At the time of the release of the album, Snow Patrol.com posted a section featuring a discussion of the song with the band's lyricist, Gary Lightbody discussing the new songs, which was initially a Lightbody interview to RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
. About "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It", he said that the song "was a love record rather than a break up record". He continued to say that the song was "set in the context of a world that's as terrifying as it is beautiful, which is why a lot of the imagery refers to space." He maintained the positivity of the song, saying "I don't think we're doomed, but there's darkness here, looming over me rather than in me". The album's lyrics were influenced by Lightbody's newly discovered love of science. In an interview with The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, he said "I didn't have any aptitude for it at school, but I've become very interested in science over the past couple of years." He commented on the positive lyrics, adding "in the past, my lyrics have sometimes been bogged down by my own self-flagellation — can't see past my fingertips. This time, the opposite has happened. It's about realizing that we're just dots."
Promotion and release
To promote the single, the band made an appearance on Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's show T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
on 7 February. The performance was aired between 9am and 2 pm.
The single was initially issued only in the UK as a 7" Vinyl and Digital Download. The iTunes digital download featured the single and the music video. It was released in the UK and Ireland on 8 March. The 7" single featured a new song, the previously unreleased b-side "In a Dream I Saw Satellites", written, composed and performed by frontman Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
, without any collaboration with the rest of the band. The song later became the fourth Dutch single from the album, after "Take Back the City
Take Back the City
"Take Back the City" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow...
", "Crack the Shutters
Crack the Shutters
"Crack the Shutters" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the follow-up single to "Take Back the City" on different dates in December 2008 depending on the region, and was the second single taken from the album. The lyrics were...
" and "The Planets Bend Between Us
The Planets Bend Between Us
"The Planets Bend Between Us" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the follow-up single to "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" on 24 May 2009. It was the fourth single taken from the album...
". To promote it, the band played an intimate concert at Desmet Studios as a part of Radio BNN's "That's Live" programme, which features artists doing such concerts. The performance was broadcast on 3FM
3FM
3FM is a Dutch radio station on the NPO which broadcasts popular music. It can be compared with BBC Radio 1.-History:3FM was created as Hilversum 3 by minister Maarten Vrolijk on 11 October 1965, to counterbalance the popular offshore station Radio Veronica...
between 18:00 and 21:00 hrs on 1 August. Tickets for the concert only be won through a competition organized by BNN. Though 15 pairs of tickets were initially announced as prizes, 48 winners were announced, who were notified through e-mail.
Music video
The music video for the song was produced by Jon Adams and directed by Daniel Brereton. It premiered on AOLAOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
Video in January. The video was also added to playlists of TV channels including MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Q and The Box. The video was praised by Getmusic for being "as iridescent and tender as the single". However, The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
hated it and said it should be skipped.
The video features the band members wandering beside a beach. They chance upon an abandoned boat which is decorated with origami
Origami
is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD at the latest and was popularized outside Japan in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form...
stars, which were featured on the album artwork for A Hundred Million Suns. After taking the time to examine them, the camera pans to Nathan Connolly
Nathan Connolly
Nathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
, who has noticed a cottage a short distance away. He starts to walk towards it and the band members follow behind. Upon entering the cottage, they light lamps, with the room glowing with the reflection of identical origami stars that they had seen by the boat.
As the camera pans to Lightbody, his look of surprise is revealed; by opening a door, hot air balloons can be seen flying in the air, and the bandmates stop to examine them. The next sequence of shots show Lightbody walking in an area lighted by lamps. The camera then pans away from him to the band performing the song on their instruments. The end shots of the video show Lightbody with outstretched arms and a lone flying hot-air balloon.
Track listing
- 7" Vinyl:
- A: "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" – 4:15
- B: "In a Dream I Saw Satellites" (Garageband Demo) – 2:53
- Dutch iTunes Digital Download:
- "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" – 4:19
- "In a Dream I Saw Satellites" (Garageband Demo) – 2:57
- UK/Irish iTunes Digital Download:
- "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" – 4:19
- "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" (Video) – 3:40
The video for "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" uses the radio edit of the song.
- Promo CD:
- "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It" (Radio Edit) – 3:37
Reception
Although critical reception upon the release of the album was very positive, as a single, the song did not fare as well. Upon album release, Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that the band was all about "big, echoing soundscapes", "gargantuan guitar crescendos" and emotions that could only be described in mythology and astronomy. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the song "a moodier kickoff than "You’re All I Have", the instant power-pop anthem that served as the introduction to Eyes Open
Eyes Open
Eyes Open is the fourth album by Northern Irish/Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released in the UK on 1 May 2006, and 9 May 2006 in the US. The first European single, "You're All I Have", was released on 24 April 2006; the first U.S. single was "Hands Open" and the first...
". It praised the lyric where Gary Lightbody sings about having a strand of his lover's hair wrapped around his finger, calling it "borderline saccharine". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
called the song an attempt to "broaden the band's style". It felt the song was "intriguing", and noted the "conversational tone and diffident delivery", saying it may have been inspired by Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
. It also named the song among the picks from the album. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork 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...
, who rated the album as a whole at only 4.9/10, still praised the song, saying, "If A Hundred Million Suns has any hits in it at all, they're likely over and done in the album's first eight minutes." Continuing, the review commented that "the song was Snow Patrol at their best and most emblematic." Lightbody's vocal delivery style was praised, saying that it "softens the blow of overwrought lyrics", citing 'the sea between us only amplifies the sound waves' as an example.
Upon the release of the song, Daily Music Guide's Wayne Madden reviewed the single negatively, giving it 2 stars out of 5. He criticized it for having the same bars repeated for a whole minute. He felt the song wasn't bad, but was no stunner. He also called the sound "Coldplay-esque" and compared the sound to early Snow Patrol records. BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Vicki Lutas too gave the single a rating of 2 stars out of 5, saying that Snow Patrol had become lazy. She did like the chorus, though, saying it "makes you sit up and take notice for a little minute". UKMix's Beren Reid awarded the single 2 stars out of 5 as well, calling the single "drab". He ridiculed it, saying it "doesn't sound single worthy" and furthermore didn't "deserve to be the b-side of a b-side". The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo
The Northern Echo is a leading daily regional morning newspaper, serving the North East of England. The paper is based in Priestgate, Darlington. Its covers national as well as regional news. It is one of the UK's most famous provincial newspaper titles....
's Sophie Stratford however, reviewed the single very positively, saying that the band's reputation was about to get bigger. She praised the vocals and the sound, and felt that the lyrics "live long in your head for hours afterwards".
The single failed to chart in every country barring the UK, where it peaked at a lowly #133, but it was fairly successful on the UK Airplay Chart, peaking at #36. The song also peaked at #18 on an independent chart. In October 2008, the song ranked #30 in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
s The 50 Essential Tracks to Download This Month.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CUR1350 Chart CUR1350 Cam FM is a student-run radio station at the University of Cambridge. The station broadcasts on an FM frequency of 97.2 MHz and online, from a studio located in the basement of a house owned by Churchill College.In 2009, the station was awarded an FM Community Licence by UK Broadcasting... |
18 |
| UK Airplay Chart | 36 |
| 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 ... |
133 |
Personnel
Snow Patrol- Gary LightbodyGary LightbodyGary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
– vocals, guitar, backing vocals - Nathan ConnollyNathan ConnollyNathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
– guitar, backing vocals - Paul WilsonPaul Wilson (musician)Paul "Pablo" Wilson is a Scottish musician, who is best known as the bass guitarist for Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He previously played guitar in Glasgow band Terra Diablo from 2000–2005. In March 2005, he replaced bassist Mark McClelland in Snow Patrol and switched...
– bass guitar, backing vocals - Jonny QuinnJonny QuinnJonathan Graham "Jonny" Quinn is a Northern Irish drummer, born in Bangor. He is best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drummer for Snow Patrol, he has played on all releases...
– drums - Tom SimpsonTom Simpson (musician)Tom Simpson is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the keyboardist of the Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1997 and became a permanent one in 2005. In 2007, he was arrested on drug charges, but was later...
– keyboards
Other personnel
- Jacknife LeeJacknife LeeGarret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
– producer, additional guitar - Cenzo Townshend – mixing
- Neil Comber – mixing (assistant)
- John Davis – mastering
Release history
| Country/Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8 March 2009 | iTunes |
| Ireland | ||
| United Kingdom | 9 March 2009 | 7" vinyl |
| Netherlands | 2009 | iTunes |