Phantom Limb (song)
Encyclopedia
"Phantom Limb" is a song by American
indie
rock band
The Shins
, and is the fourth track on their third album
Wincing the Night Away
. The song was also released as the first single
from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download
and a week later on CD
. On January 22, 2007, "Phantom Limb" was released as a single in the United Kingdom
. This song was #75 on Rolling Stone
Songwriter and lead singer James Mercer
described it as "a hypothetical, fictional account of a young, lesbian
couple in high school dealing with the shitty small town
they live in."
, includes dramatizations of the stories of Joan of Arc
, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the Donner Party
, all played by children and the band themselves.
. In the United States
, the song debuted at #86 on Billboard
's Hot 100
chart, becoming the first song by the band to chart in the Hot 100. It was also their only song to date to appear on Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking there at #16.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie
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...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
, and is the fourth track on their third album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Wincing the Night Away
Wincing the Night Away
Wincing the Night Away is a Grammy-nominated album by indie rock group The Shins. It was released by Sub Pop Records on January 23, 2007. It is the band's third album, and the final under their contract with Sub Pop...
. The song was also released as the first 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 that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 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...
and a week later on CD
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
. On January 22, 2007, "Phantom Limb" was released as a single in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This song was #75 on Rolling Stone
Rolling 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...
Songwriter and lead singer James Mercer
James Mercer (musician)
James Russell Mercer is an American guitarist and Alternative rock musician. He is a founding member and lead singer-songwriter of the Grammy-nominated indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a...
described it as "a hypothetical, fictional account of a young, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
couple in high school dealing with the shitty small town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
they live in."
Music video
The accompanying music video, directed by Patrick DaughtersPatrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters is an American music video and commercial director currently signed to The Directors Bureau, after departing Black Dog Films in late 2006....
, includes dramatizations of the stories of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and the Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
, all played by children and the band themselves.
Track listing
- "Phantom Limb" - 4:49
- "Nothing at All" - 4:07
- "Spilt Needles" (alternate version) - 2:27
- "Phantom Limb" (video)
Charts
Upon release, the song reached #42 on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song debuted at #86 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, becoming the first song by the band to chart in the Hot 100. It was also their only song to date to appear on Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart, peaking there at #16.