"Revol" is a song by the Welsh rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...

. It was released on August 1, 1994 as the second single from their third studio album The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible (album)

The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...

which was released later in the month. It reached number 22 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 ...

 on August 13, 1994.

Music and lyrics

The song's lyrics were written by rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards and bass guitarist Nicky Wire

Nicky Wire

Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...

. The verses list famous and controversial names in history, each being dismissed one-by-one in short and often insulting staccato

Staccato

Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...

 lines (such as 'Chamberlain

Neville Chamberlain

Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...

, you see God in you', 'Pol Pot

Pol Pot

Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....

, withdrawn traces, bye-bye' ... 'Che Guevara

Che Guevara

Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...

, you're all target now', 'Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...

, celibate self-importance').

The track may be considered an autobiographical

Autobiography

An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

 account of Edwards' attempts to hold down any meaningful relationships. "Revol" is "lover" spelt backwards. The lyric also places the names of famous political figures next to images of failure in sexual and emotional relationships. Wire, however, has said not even he knows exactly what the song is about.

James Dean Bradfield

James Dean Bradfield

James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...

 has previously been critical of the song, saying that he hates the UK version. He is, however, a fan of the US Mix by Tom Lord-Alge

Tom Lord-Alge

Tom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...

, which can be found on the 10th Anniversary re-issue edition of The Holy Bible.

Track Listing

1. "Revol"
2. "Too Cold Here"
3. "You Love Us (Original Heavenly Version)"
4. "Love's Sweet Exile (Bangkok Live)"

Personnel

Manic Street Preachers

• James Dean Bradfield
  James Dean Bradfield
  James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
  
   – lead vocals, guitar
• Richey James
  Richey James Edwards
  Richard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
  
   – guitar
• Sean Moore
  Sean Moore (musician)
  Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
  
   – drums
• Nicky Wire
  Nicky Wire
  Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
  
  – bass guitar