"How to Be Dead" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Snow Patrol | ||||
from the album Final Straw | ||||
Released | 25 October 2004 [1] | |||
Studio | Britannia Row, The Diving Bell | |||
Genre | Indie rock, alternative rock | |||
Length | 3:23 | |||
Label | Fiction, Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gary Lightbody, Mark McClelland, Nathan Connolly, Jonny Quinn | |||
Producer(s) | Jacknife Lee | |||
Snow Patrol singles chronology | ||||
|
"How to Be Dead" is the fourth (fifth if the re-issue of "Spitting Games" is counted) and final single by Snow Patrol from their album Final Straw . It was released in 2004, slightly remixed by Chris Lord-Alge from the album version, and reached number 39 in the United Kingdom and number 42 in Ireland.
The song is a downtempo rock ballad, with lyrics detailing a conversation between a couple.
Yahoo! Music's Jairne Gill reviewed the single positively, giving it 7 stars out of 10. Though he felt Snow Patrol usually made "ugly empty anthems", the single was a "rather lovely little song" and "modest" and "chimingly melodic". Gill praised the lyrics of the song, calling it "a pretty little knife which Gary Lightbody seems to be twisting into his own chest, a list of druggy regrets and lost loves" and also said that, though the song's "gentle, skipping rhythm threatens to go BIG", it doesn't and "a pretty and intimate song is preserved". [2]
CD
Germany 3" CD
7"
Promo CD
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
---|---|
Ireland (IRMA) [3] | 42 |
Scotland (OCC) [4] | 32 |
UK Singles (OCC) [5] | 39 |
"How to Be Dead" was featured on the soundtracks to American Pie: Band Camp and Wicker Park . [6] [7]
Hello Rockview is the third studio album by ska punk band Less Than Jake, released on October 6, 1998. Produced by Howard Benson, it is the band's second and final album on Capitol Records, and recorded at Mirror Image Studios in Gainesville, Florida. The album is the first to feature trombonist Pete Anna, who joined the band during its recording. The album is dedicated in memory of Niki Wood.
"Josie" is a song by American rock band Blink-182, released on November 17, 1998, as the fourth single from the group's second studio album, Dude Ranch (1997). "Josie" was primarily written by bassist Mark Hoppus about an idealized girlfriend, and the song includes references to the bands Unwritten Law and Dance Hall Crashers, bands the trio toured with between 1995 and 1996.
"Heavy on My Heart" is a song by American recording artist Anastacia from her third studio album, Anastacia (2004). Written by Anastacia and Billy Mann, its arrangement is built on simple guitar riffs, and its lyrics chronicle Anastacia's battle with breast cancer. The song was released as the album's fourth and final single on March 7, 2005, and entered the top 20 in Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. A French version of the song, titled "Trop lourd dans mon coeur", appears as a B-side to the single.
"Run" is a song by Scottish-Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol from their third studio album, Final Straw (2003). It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 February 2004 as the second single from the album. The song was conceived in 2000 by frontman Gary Lightbody after an accident he had during a bender. "Run" is described as a Britpop power ballad. It received critical acclaim, and was compared to Coldplay's "Yellow".
"Spitting Games" is the lead single from Snow Patrol's third album, Final Straw, released on 15 September 2003.
Save Your Face is the debut album by British alternative rock group Feline and was released worldwide in 1997. It was preceded by "Just As You Are", the video of which was picked up by MTV Europe. The following year, the album was repackaged, retitled as Feline and expanded with two newly recorded tracks produced by Feline guitarist Drew Richards. Three of the Save Your Face tracks were remixed by Chris Sheldon for the new release, which was preceded by "Sun In My Eyes" and the cancelled "Drama Queen".
"He Wasn't" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, Under My Skin (2004). The song was written and produced by Lavigne and Chantal Kreviazuk. It was not released in the United States; instead, "Fall to Pieces" was released. "He Wasn't" was issued in Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom and received airplay on Canadian radio. AllMusic highlighted the song as one of the most significant post-grunge songs of all time.
"Nobody Knows" is a song by American singer-songwriter Pink, released as the fourth single from her fourth album, I'm Not Dead (2006). It was released on November 20, 2006, in Britain and during January 2007 in Australia and Germany.
"Open Your Eyes" is a song by the Scottish-Northern Irish 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.
"Starfighter Pilot" was the fourth single released by Snow Patrol, and the second track on their debut album Songs for Polarbears. The lyrics were written by Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Lightbody and the other two members of Snow Patrol at the time, Mark McClelland and Jonny Quinn. The song reached number 161 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Machines" is a song by Scottish band Biffy Clyro, from their 2007 album, Puzzle. It was due to be released as the fourth physical single from Puzzle on 1 October 2007 but was pushed back one week and released on 8 October 2007.
"G.L.O.W." is a song by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It premiered on Chicago alternative rock station Q101 on September 29, 2008. This song was the last recorded Smashing Pumpkins song to feature drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who left the band in March 2009, and before he rejoined in 2018.
"Chasing Cars" is a song by Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, Eyes Open (2006). It was released on 6 June 2006, in the United States and 24 July 2006, in the United Kingdom. The song gained significant popularity in the US after being featured in the second season finale of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which aired on 15 May 2006.
"Ask Me How I Am" was the fifth single released by Irish indie rock band Snow Patrol, and the first to come from their second album, When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. It was released on 20 November 2000 under the Jeepster record label and reached number 96 on the UK Singles Chart. The News Letter described the song's beat as funky.
"Crack the Shutters" is a song from Northern Irish/Scottish 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 written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song was described by lyricist Lightbody as the purest love song he'd ever written. The single was received generally positively by music critics, the lyrics and vocals being praised in particular.
"Shut Your Eyes" is a song by the Northern Irish band Snow Patrol. Initially a track on their 2006 album Eyes Open, it was released as a single in several countries in 2007.
"You Are My Joy" is the first UK single released by Scottish indie rock supergroup The Reindeer Section. It was released on 10 June 2002. This is the only single release currently for The Reindeer Section.
"Hold On" is a song by Canadian crooner Michael Bublé, released as the second single from his fourth studio album, Crazy Love. The single was released on December 11, 2009, although it was serviced to radio again on February 14, 2011, after its appearance in an episode of the talent series Dancing on Ice.
"You Blow Me Away" is a song by English vocalist Robert Palmer, which was released in 1994 as the third and final single from his twelfth studio album Honey. The song was written solely by Palmer, and produced by Stephen Hague and Palmer.
"Story of My Life" is the debut single of British singer Kristian Leontiou, written by Leontiou, Sarah Erasmus, and Pete Wilkinson. The song was produced by Ash Howes and Wilkinson and features backing vocals from Wilkinson and Erasmus. Taken from Leontiou's debut studio album, Some Day Soon (2004), it reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart in May 2004 and also charted in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where it reached number three on the region's airplay chart.