Letter to God (song)
Encyclopedia
"Letter to God" is a song by alternative rock
band Hole
, written solely by music producer Linda Perry
. The song was released as the band's sixteenth single, and third and final single from their fourth studio album Nobody's Daughter
, on April 20, 2010, as a digital download
. It is the only Hole single not to have been written by a member of the band and was featured in the short animated film, Dark Night Of The Soul, directed by Michael Mouris.
Linda Perry
in 2002-03, alongside the similarly-penned "Beautiful
" which Hole frontwoman Courtney Love
originally wanted to record, and was set aside by Perry. When she assigned as the producer for Love's second solo album How Dirty Girls Get Clean in 2005, Perry reworked — in her own words "Courtnified" — the song with Love during the original rehearsal sessions for the album. In its original recorded form; recorded at Perry's personal studio, Kung Fu Gardens Recording Studio in Hollywood, California in March 2006; the song featured Love on vocals, Perry on electric guitar, Peter Thorn on acoustic guitar, Paul Ill on bass, Kellii Scott on drums and percussion and Damon Fox on piano. In 2009, as a Hole
song, the original version recorded three years prior was expanded on during the recording sessions for Nobody's Daughter
, the reworked version of How Dirty Girls Get Clean. During the final recording sessions at New York's Electric Lady Studios
, additional guitar and bass overdubs were added by lead guitarist Micko Larkin
and bassist Shawn Dailey, respectively.
. The song was composed in tuning half a step down (E♭-A♭-D♭-G♭-B♭-E♭) and in its original form, which was twelve seconds longer than the final version, had heavy emphasis on piano, with the opening chords (Am-G-Dm-Am) being strummed on guitar in the background. The opening of the song also used the same chords as the verse, including the revert to the minor chord, and for the chorus, the structure alternated to different, mostly major
chords (C-Bm-F-C), and also the bass began being played. The bridge, which emphasised the drums, featured a further change (Bb-F-C) and ended with an outro based on the opening. In the Hole version of the song, the opening omitted the piano and solely used a guitar-led introduction with piano only being included during the choruses and bridge.
Lyrically, the song is written in the form of a letter, addressed to God
("Dear God, I'm writing this letter to you"), and narrates the story of a woman who is contemplating the meaning of life
. Several themes are also featured in the lyrics, such as body image
, suicide
and the pressures of fame
. Though not written by Love, these themes are also featured in other Hole songs which were written by Love, especially on songs included on the band's first two studio albums, Pretty on the Inside
(1991) and Live Through This
(1994).
, where it was listed as an "MP3
Exclusive." It was released as a digital download
through Amazon on April 20, 2010. The painting featured on the single's artwork
is from The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (in French, Le Supplice de Jeanne Grey) by French
painter, Paul Delaroche. It depicts the nominal English queen, Lady Jane Grey, - who was just sixteen at the time - being executed. The same painting was featured in the interior artwork to Nobody's Daughter, which featured "Letter to God" as its eight track when released on April 27, 2010, and was chosen by Love as she felt "we always get rid of the good dames."
said upon the announcement of Hole's reunion that "Letter to God" was "a confessional power ballad from Perry’s box of hits" with Love implying that the editor was a fan of song, joking that "you guys are the NME, you're not supposed to like this song. I'd be worried if you did!" Entertainment Weekly
described the song as "nakedly vulnerable" and "she [Love] mines something deeper — a girl who may still riot, but finally walks toward grown womanhood, too." Pitchfork Media
negatively compared to Hole's previous single "Pacific Coast Highway
" as it was "filtered through years of overwrites and third-party input" and "suffers from a silly conceit, but offers moments of genuine humility."
would direct the promotional music videos for singles from her then-forthcoming album and mentioned "I miss videos so happy LaChapelle is doing mine!" in a status update on social networking site Twitter
. However, there is no confirmation, as of 2011, that LaChapelle has, or will be, directing Hole's promotional videos.
A live version of the song, performed during Hole's reunion show at London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on February 17, 2010, was released on HoleVEVO, Hole's channel as part of VEVO
, by Island Def Jam on YouTube
on May 4, 2010.
in Los Angeles, California
on June 1, 2007. The song was also performed at the remainder of Love's 2007 live performances, which featured dates in Europe and the United States, and featured Micko Larkin on lead guitar, Patricia "Pato" Vidal on bass, future Hole member Stu Fisher
on drums and percussion Bethia Beadman on piano and keyboards, and rhythm guitarist Liam Wade. As a Hole song, it was performed various times throughout Hole's world tour in 2010 and featured bassist Shawn Dailey.
Technical 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 Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, written solely by music producer Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
. The song was released as the band's sixteenth single, and third and final single from their fourth studio album Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Hole, released worldwide on April 27, 2010 through Mercury Records. The album was originally conceived by Hole frontwoman Courtney Love as a solo project titled How Dirty Girls Get Clean, following her poorly-received solo debut...
, on April 20, 2010, as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. It is the only Hole single not to have been written by a member of the band and was featured in the short animated film, Dark Night Of The Soul, directed by Michael Mouris.
Origin and recording
The song was written by producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
in 2002-03, alongside the similarly-penned "Beautiful
Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song)
"Beautiful" is a song written by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped...
" which Hole frontwoman Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
originally wanted to record, and was set aside by Perry. When she assigned as the producer for Love's second solo album How Dirty Girls Get Clean in 2005, Perry reworked — in her own words "Courtnified" — the song with Love during the original rehearsal sessions for the album. In its original recorded form; recorded at Perry's personal studio, Kung Fu Gardens Recording Studio in Hollywood, California in March 2006; the song featured Love on vocals, Perry on electric guitar, Peter Thorn on acoustic guitar, Paul Ill on bass, Kellii Scott on drums and percussion and Damon Fox on piano. In 2009, as a Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
song, the original version recorded three years prior was expanded on during the recording sessions for Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter
Nobody's Daughter is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Hole, released worldwide on April 27, 2010 through Mercury Records. The album was originally conceived by Hole frontwoman Courtney Love as a solo project titled How Dirty Girls Get Clean, following her poorly-received solo debut...
, the reworked version of How Dirty Girls Get Clean. During the final recording sessions at New York's Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
, additional guitar and bass overdubs were added by lead guitarist Micko Larkin
Micko Larkin
Michael Joseph "Micko" Larkin is an English musician of Irish background, most notable as the lead guitarist of the indie rock band Larrikin Love and more recently, Hole.-Early life and career :...
and bassist Shawn Dailey, respectively.
Composition
"Letter to God" was written solely by Perry in 2002–03 as a balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
. The song was composed in tuning half a step down (E♭-A♭-D♭-G♭-B♭-E♭) and in its original form, which was twelve seconds longer than the final version, had heavy emphasis on piano, with the opening chords (Am-G-Dm-Am) being strummed on guitar in the background. The opening of the song also used the same chords as the verse, including the revert to the minor chord, and for the chorus, the structure alternated to different, mostly major
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
chords (C-Bm-F-C), and also the bass began being played. The bridge, which emphasised the drums, featured a further change (Bb-F-C) and ended with an outro based on the opening. In the Hole version of the song, the opening omitted the piano and solely used a guitar-led introduction with piano only being included during the choruses and bridge.
Lyrically, the song is written in the form of a letter, addressed to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
("Dear God, I'm writing this letter to you"), and narrates the story of a woman who is contemplating the meaning of life
The Meaning of Life
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is a 1983 comedy film by the Monty Python team. Unlike Holy Grail and Life of Brian, this movie's two immediate predecessors, which each told a single, more or less coherent story, The Meaning of Life returns to the sketch comedy format of the troupe's original...
. Several themes are also featured in the lyrics, such as body image
Body image
Body image refers to a person's perception of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of their own body. The phrase body image was first coined by the Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his masterpiece The Image and Appearance of the Human Body...
, suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and the pressures of fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. Though not written by Love, these themes are also featured in other Hole songs which were written by Love, especially on songs included on the band's first two studio albums, Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside
Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. Released August 23, 1991 on Caroline Records, it was Hole's first major label release after their formation in 1989 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
(1991) and Live Through This
Live Through This
Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home....
(1994).
Release
The song was announced for release in early April 2010 by AmazonAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, where it was listed as an "MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
Exclusive." It was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
through Amazon on April 20, 2010. The painting featured on the single's artwork
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
is from The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (in French, Le Supplice de Jeanne Grey) by French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
painter, Paul Delaroche. It depicts the nominal English queen, Lady Jane Grey, - who was just sixteen at the time - being executed. The same painting was featured in the interior artwork to Nobody's Daughter, which featured "Letter to God" as its eight track when released on April 27, 2010, and was chosen by Love as she felt "we always get rid of the good dames."
Critical reception
Critical reception to the song was mixed. NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said upon the announcement of Hole's reunion that "Letter to God" was "a confessional power ballad from Perry’s box of hits" with Love implying that the editor was a fan of song, joking that "you guys are the NME, you're not supposed to like this song. I'd be worried if you did!" Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
described the song as "nakedly vulnerable" and "she [Love] mines something deeper — a girl who may still riot, but finally walks toward grown womanhood, too." 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...
negatively compared to Hole's previous single "Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Coast Highway (song)
"Pacific Coast Highway" is the fifteenth single from alternative rock group Hole. It is the second single from the band's fourth studio album Nobody's Daughter...
" as it was "filtered through years of overwrites and third-party input" and "suffers from a silly conceit, but offers moments of genuine humility."
Music video
While the song was still intended for release under Courtney Love in 2009, Love stated that David LaChapelleDavid LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
would direct the promotional music videos for singles from her then-forthcoming album and mentioned "I miss videos so happy LaChapelle is doing mine!" in a status update on social networking site Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. However, there is no confirmation, as of 2011, that LaChapelle has, or will be, directing Hole's promotional videos.
A live version of the song, performed during Hole's reunion show at London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on February 17, 2010, was released on HoleVEVO, Hole's channel as part of VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
, by Island Def Jam on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on May 4, 2010.
Live performances
Courtney Love debuted "Letter to God" live during a guest performance with Linda Perry at the House of BluesHouse of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on June 1, 2007. The song was also performed at the remainder of Love's 2007 live performances, which featured dates in Europe and the United States, and featured Micko Larkin on lead guitar, Patricia "Pato" Vidal on bass, future Hole member Stu Fisher
Stu Fisher
Stuart "Stu" Fisher is an English musician, notable for being the current drummer of alternative rock band Hole. Prior to becoming a member of Hole, Fisher was also the drummer of English psychedelic rock band Ozric Tentacles and also Fingermonster...
on drums and percussion Bethia Beadman on piano and keyboards, and rhythm guitarist Liam Wade. As a Hole song, it was performed various times throughout Hole's world tour in 2010 and featured bassist Shawn Dailey.
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | April 20, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Personnel
Musicians- Courtney LoveCourtney LoveCourtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Linda PerryLinda PerryLinda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Peter Thorn - electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Micko LarkinMicko LarkinMichael Joseph "Micko" Larkin is an English musician of Irish background, most notable as the lead guitarist of the indie rock band Larrikin Love and more recently, Hole.-Early life and career :...
- additional guitars - Paul Ill - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Shawn Dailey - additional bass
- Kellii Scott - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jack IronsJack IronsJack Steven Irons is an American musician who is best known as the original drummer of the American rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the former drummer for Eleven and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, Spinnerette...
- additional drums - Damon Fox - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Technical personnel
- Linda Perry - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Noah Goldstein - producer, engineerGoldstein was the producer, engineer and recorder at for the later sessions at Electric Lady Studios, where Larkin and Dailey recorded overdubs, not the original sessions in 2006.
- Andrew Chavez - additional engineer
- Kris Kaufman - assistant engineer
- D. Sardy - mixingAudio 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...
- Andy Brohard - mix engineer