The Planets Bend Between Us
Encyclopedia
"The Planets Bend Between Us" (or "The Planets Bend Between Us (For You)") 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. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song is about Lightbody's beach house in Belfast
. The single featured a re-working of the album version and was released as a digital download only. It was later included on the band's 2009 compilation album Up to Now
.
The song was received quite positively by music critics upon the album release, with one critic comparing it to "Chasing Cars
". However, commercial reaction to the single was generally negative. The single was a commercial failure, failing to chart in every country barring the Tipparade Chart in the Netherlands.
. About 'Planets', he said that the song was about his beach house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In his words, "there's something about being on a beach in winter time, no-one else is there, it's blowing a gale, raining sideways, and there's something redemptive about yelling into the wind." The song is also notable for having lyrics that named the album.
In a later interview, Lightbody revealed that the song was recorded to be a future single and that the band had "restrained" it for the album. During the band's short tour of Australia
in March–April 2009, where they played the second stage of the V Festival, Lightbody, in an interview to Herald Sun
stated that the band had re-recorded the song for its single release changing everything, apart from the lyrics and tune. He also said that it was "a big song now".
's Radio 1
show on 27 April at 12:10pm. The song made it the BBC Radio 2
's C list, and subsequently got played five times a week, and BBC Radio 1
's A list, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. It also made it to BBC 6 Music
's B list, and subsequently got played ten times a week. Additionally, the song was added to Xfm
's main playlist. The song also made an uncredited appearance on the Grey's Anatomy
episode "An Honest Mistake", which aired on 19 February 2009. The show has previously featured Snow Patrol songs like "Open Your Eyes
", "Chasing Cars
" and "Make this Go on Forever".
'Planets' was the fourth single taken from the album. To promote it, the band played a short set at the Maida Vale Studios
on 11 May. The performance was aired live on Ken Bruce
's radio show on BBC Radio 2
and was recorded on video, which were posted on the BBC website shortly afterwards. On 13 May, Gary Lightbody and lead guitarist Nathan Connolly
joined George Lamb
on his radio show on BBC 6 Music
and played a short acoustic set which additionally featured "Take Back the City
", the first single from A Hundred Million Suns.
The single featured a re-worked version of the song that appeared on the album and was not released in any physical format. There were two versions of digital download, the first having the re-worked version of "The Planets Bend Between Us", which was available from stores like Amazon
and HMV
. The other version was a bundle exclusively for iTunes, which additionally contained the previously unreleased b-side 'Reading Heaney to Me'. The digital download was released on 24 May and the UK and Ireland iTunes bundles were released on the same day.
in April 2009, where the band was playing at the Coke Zero Festival. It was directed by Daniel Brereton, who had previously directed the video for the band's previous single "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It". The video uses the re-worked version of the song and it premiered on SP.com and Snow Patrol's MySpace
on 2 May. The video was also placed on the "active rotation" list of MTV Netherlands
from the week starting 18 May and named one of the "Must C" videos.
The video features vocalist Gary Lightbody making his way around the city singing the song. Simultaneously, a pair of hands are constantly drawing with a pen, making cut-outs of Lightbody and changing the background behind him, appearing to move him in different places. Lightbody joked about the video: "It's the first video where I haven't been waist deep in water or semi drowned or in the British countryside".
The video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa.
's Josh Modell received the song well, saying that it defeated "cheesiness with unabashed sincerity". Rolling Stone
called it dreamy, whereas Contactmusic
called it bland and forgettable. PopMatters
' Ross Langager praised the song's chorus, calling it "beautiful, with its pitch-perfect image of separation by an ocean". He also wrote that the song was the ""Chasing Cars" moment of the album, if there was one".
The single's release saw it being generally panned. CityLife's Sarah Walters reviewed the single negatively and gave it 2 stars out of 5. She wrote that the re-working did not add much and did the song more bad than good. She also said that Snow Patrol did not need to change their "winning formula". The Daily Record
's Rick Fulton too gave the single 2 stars out of 5. He felt that the band had leaned towards writing ballads after the success of "Chasing Cars." In his words: "Ever since the success of 'Chasing Cars', the band have jettisoned their punky dance leanings for lily-livered ballads that wring their puny hands with grave yearning. Find your fire before you melt into nothing." Clash
's Mike Diver reviewed the single negatively as well, calling it "a bit too safe, really – I would have liked to hear some more development in their sound." He felt the song was a nice album track, but didn't have the potential to be a single. He finished his review stating he'd "like to hear something bolder, with more depth", and he felt "that’s what they need now to boost their credibility." The Sunday Mail
's Avril Cadden, however reviewed the single positively, awarding it 3 stars out of 5. He called the song "a slow burner, a gentle track with Gary Lightbody's vocals almost whisper like." He wrote though the track didn't stand out, "it glides along effortlessly and lovestruck couples might like it."
The single peaked at #8 on the Dutch Tipparade, a chart which features the Top 30 singles of the week which have a chance to appear in the Dutch Top 40
. It dropped out in week 29 after spending seven weeks on the chart. The single also made it to #42 on the UK Airplay Chart.
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 "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It
If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It
"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...
" on 24 May 2009. It was the fourth single taken from the album. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song is about Lightbody's beach house in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. The single featured a re-working of the album version and was released as a digital download only. It was later included on the band's 2009 compilation album Up to Now
Up to Now
Up to Now is the first compilation album by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. The album features tracks spanning Snow Patrol's fifteen year music career, including tracks from The Reindeer Section, a side-project/supergroup involving musicians from all over Scotland...
.
The song was received quite positively by music critics upon the album release, with one critic comparing it to "Chasing Cars
Chasing Cars
"Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single....
". However, commercial reaction to the single was generally negative. The single was a commercial failure, failing to chart in every country barring the Tipparade Chart in the Netherlands.
Background
At the time of the release of the album, SP.com posted a section featuring lead singer and 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 'Planets', he said that the song was about his beach house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In his words, "there's something about being on a beach in winter time, no-one else is there, it's blowing a gale, raining sideways, and there's something redemptive about yelling into the wind." The song is also notable for having lyrics that named the album.
In a later interview, Lightbody revealed that the song was recorded to be a future single and that the band had "restrained" it for the album. During the band's short tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in March–April 2009, where they played the second stage of the V Festival, Lightbody, in an interview to Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
stated that the band had re-recorded the song for its single release changing everything, apart from the lyrics and tune. He also said that it was "a big song now".
Promotion and release
The song received its first play on radio on Jo WhileyJo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
's 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...
show on 27 April at 12:10pm. The song made it the BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's C list, and subsequently got played five times a week, and 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 A list, and subsequently got played twenty times a week. It also made it to BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
's B list, and subsequently got played ten times a week. Additionally, the song was added to Xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
's main playlist. The song also made an uncredited appearance on the Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
episode "An Honest Mistake", which aired on 19 February 2009. The show has previously featured Snow Patrol songs like "Open Your Eyes
Open Your Eyes (Snow Patrol song)
"Open Your Eyes" is a song by the alternative rock band Snow Patrol It has been released as the fifth single in total from the 2006 album Eyes Open . The song was released on 12 February 2007.-Music video:...
", "Chasing Cars
Chasing Cars
"Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single....
" and "Make this Go on Forever".
'Planets' was the fourth single taken from the album. To promote it, the band played a short set at the Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
on 11 May. The performance was aired live on Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
's radio show on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and was recorded on video, which were posted on the BBC website shortly afterwards. On 13 May, Gary Lightbody and lead guitarist 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:...
joined George Lamb
George Lamb (presenter)
George Martin Lamb is a Scottish-born British radio and TV presenter. He is the son of actor Larry Lamb.-Career:Lamb's radio career peaked with presenting his own daytime show on BBC Radio 6 Music for two years from October 2007 to November 2009, before being moved the early weekend mornings for 6...
on his radio show on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
and played a short acoustic set which additionally featured "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...
", the first single from A Hundred Million Suns.
The single featured a re-worked version of the song that appeared on the album and was not released in any physical format. There were two versions of digital download, the first having the re-worked version of "The Planets Bend Between Us", which was available from stores like Amazon
Amazon.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...
and HMV
HMV Group
HMV is a British global entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company also operates in Hong Kong and Singapore. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index...
. The other version was a bundle exclusively for iTunes, which additionally contained the previously unreleased b-side 'Reading Heaney to Me'. The digital download was released on 24 May and the UK and Ireland iTunes bundles were released on the same day.
Music video
The music video for the song was shot in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in April 2009, where the band was playing at the Coke Zero Festival. It was directed by Daniel Brereton, who had previously directed the video for the band's previous single "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It". The video uses the re-worked version of the song and it premiered on SP.com and Snow Patrol's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
on 2 May. The video was also placed on the "active rotation" list of MTV Netherlands
MTV NL
MTV Netherlands is a television channel broadcasting to the Dutch speaking markets in the Netherlands and Flanders. It started in September 2000...
from the week starting 18 May and named one of the "Must C" videos.
The video features vocalist Gary Lightbody making his way around the city singing the song. Simultaneously, a pair of hands are constantly drawing with a pen, making cut-outs of Lightbody and changing the background behind him, appearing to move him in different places. Lightbody joked about the video: "It's the first video where I haven't been waist deep in water or semi drowned or in the British countryside".
The video was shot in Cape Town, South Africa.
Track listing
- Digital Download:
- "The Planets Bend Between Us" (Single Version) – 4:01
- iTunes Bundle:
- "The Planets Bend Between Us" (Single Version) – 4:01
- "Reading Heaney to Me" – 3:08
Reception
Although critical reception of the song upon the release of the album was generally positive, it was not considered a strong single. At the time of album release, SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
's Josh Modell received the song well, saying that it defeated "cheesiness with unabashed sincerity". 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...
called it dreamy, whereas Contactmusic
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is a Leeds UK based entertainment magazine/webzine. The site was launched in April 2000 by a small team and has now expanded to 12 fulltime staff and many freelance contributors from across the globe...
called it bland and forgettable. 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,...
' Ross Langager praised the song's chorus, calling it "beautiful, with its pitch-perfect image of separation by an ocean". He also wrote that the song was the ""Chasing Cars" moment of the album, if there was one".
The single's release saw it being generally panned. CityLife's Sarah Walters reviewed the single negatively and gave it 2 stars out of 5. She wrote that the re-working did not add much and did the song more bad than good. She also said that Snow Patrol did not need to change their "winning formula". The Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
's Rick Fulton too gave the single 2 stars out of 5. He felt that the band had leaned towards writing ballads after the success of "Chasing Cars." In his words: "Ever since the success of 'Chasing Cars', the band have jettisoned their punky dance leanings for lily-livered ballads that wring their puny hands with grave yearning. Find your fire before you melt into nothing." Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
's Mike Diver reviewed the single negatively as well, calling it "a bit too safe, really – I would have liked to hear some more development in their sound." He felt the song was a nice album track, but didn't have the potential to be a single. He finished his review stating he'd "like to hear something bolder, with more depth", and he felt "that’s what they need now to boost their credibility." The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
's Avril Cadden, however reviewed the single positively, awarding it 3 stars out of 5. He called the song "a slow burner, a gentle track with Gary Lightbody's vocals almost whisper like." He wrote though the track didn't stand out, "it glides along effortlessly and lovestruck couples might like it."
The single peaked at #8 on the Dutch Tipparade, a chart which features the Top 30 singles of the week which have a chance to appear in the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
. It dropped out in week 29 after spending seven weeks on the chart. The single also made it to #42 on the UK Airplay Chart.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Tipparade | 8 |
| UK Airplay Chart | 42 |
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 - Cenzo Townshend – mixing
- Neil Comber – mixing (assistant)
- John Davis – mastering
Release history
| Country/Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 24 May 2009 | Digital download |
| United Kingdom | iTunes | |
| Ireland |