Neighborhood 3 (Power Out)

Last updated
"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
Arcade-fire-power-out-single-2.jpg
Single by Arcade Fire
from the album Funeral
B-side "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (Live)
ReleasedMay 22, 2005
RecordedAugust 2003 early 2004
Studio Hotel2Tango (Montreal, Quebec)
Genre
Length5:08
Label Rough Trade
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire singles chronology
"Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)"
(2005)
"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
(2005)
"Cold Wind"
(2005)
Alternate cover art
Arcade-fire-power-out-single-1.jpg

"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" is an indie rock song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. It was the third single released from the band's debut album, Funeral .

Contents

The single was released on May 22, 2005, on the Rough Trade Records label. The single peaked at #26 on the UK Singles Chart, and it remained on the chart for two weeks. [1] [2] Arcade Fire won the 2006 Juno Award for "Songwriter of the Year" for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", along with two other tracks from Funeral, and the song's music video was nominated "Video of the Year". [3]

Background

The lyrics were written by Butler and Chassagne along with former band member Deu and inspired by the North American ice storm of 1998 in Montreal, which left the city in a blackout for over a week. [4]

The lyrics are mostly metaphorical and ambiguous, which has led to speculation as to what message they convey. The lyrics are dark ("Kids are dying out in the snow") and have a theme of hopelessness ("Don't have any dreams / Don't have any plans"). [5] Butler acknowledges that the two used the outage "as a basis to start from, to talk about other stuff", [6] and so there are many ideas addressed in the song.

Despite the pessimistic atmosphere, Butler has indicated that there are "two sides" to the lyrics, and it can be interpreted as "uplifting", [7] noting the lyrics "And the power's out / In the heart of man / Take it from your heart / Put it in your hand." [5] Says Butler: "If there's something fucked up in your heart, you're going to put it in your hand as a sword." [7]

The lyrics also refer to Butler's idea that it is impossible to completely hide one's secrets. "A lot of people have [the idea] that there are aspects of your life that are hidden or secret … But I think that people are pretty much open book." He adds that the song can be interpreted politically, as current political figures have been accused of acting with hidden motives. [6]

Video

A 3D computer-animated music video was produced for "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" by Plates Animation, who also produced the animated video for The Shins' "So Says I". [8] The video depicts several youths wearing hooded jackets cutting the power lines to a snowy 1920s steampunk city, while several old men chase them. [9]

Track listings

CD single (UK)

  1. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (album version)
  2. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (August Session) [10]

Clear vinyl 7″ (UK)

  1. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (album version)
  2. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (August Session) [11]

Black 7″ (UK)

  1. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (live from the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco)
  2. "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (featuring David Byrne, live from Irving Plaza in New York City) [12]

Personnel

Arcade Fire

Additional musicians

Charts

Chart (2005)Peak
position
Canada Rock Top 30 ( Radio & Records ) [13] 26
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 26

Related Research Articles

<i>Hold Your Fire</i> 1987 studio album by Rush

Hold Your Fire is the twelfth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 8, 1987. It was recorded at The Manor Studio in Oxfordshire, Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey, Air Studios in Montserrat and McClear Place in Toronto. Hold Your Fire was the last Rush studio album released outside Canada by PolyGram/Mercury. 'Til Tuesday bassist and vocalist Aimee Mann contributed vocals to "Time Stand Still" and appeared in the Zbigniew Rybczyński-directed video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcade Fire</span> Canadian indie rock band

Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montréal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member Sarah Neufeld and multi-instrumentalists Paul Beaubrun, Dan Boeckner and Eric Heigle. Each of the band's studio albums features contributions from composer and violinist Owen Pallett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Régine Chassagne</span> Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist

Régine Alexandra Chassagne is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist, and is a member of the band Arcade Fire. She is married to co-founder Win Butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Win Butler</span> Canadian-American musician

Edwin Farnham Butler III is an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist. He co-founded the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire with Josh Deu and his wife Régine Chassagne.

<i>Funeral</i> (Arcade Fire album) 2004 studio album by Arcade Fire

Funeral is the debut studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on September 14, 2004 by Merge Records. Preliminary recordings for Funeral were made during the course of a week in August 2003 at the Hotel2Tango in Montreal, Quebec, and the recording was completed later that year all in an analogue recording format.

<i>Arcade Fire</i> (EP) 2003 EP by Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is an extended play (EP) by the indie rock band Arcade Fire. The EP was recorded in Maine, United States, during the summer of 2002. Arcade Fire was remastered and repackaged for its 2005 re-release by Merge Records for fans after they had "grown obsessed" with the band's debut album, Funeral. It was initially released in 2003 by the band at their shows and website, and then re-released in 2005 by Merge. It received positive reviews from music critics, although some of them noted that it was inferior to their debut album Funeral. Lyrical themes of Arcade Fire consist of parents, suburbia, new love, dread, and drama. The EP's third track, "No Cars Go", was re-recorded for Arcade Fire's second full-length album, Neon Bible. No Cars Go has been played at the majority of live shows since the EP release. Arcade Fire have also played other songs from the EP, live on every tour since, however, it has become less frequent. On their recent tours, they notably played "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" and "Vampire/Forest Fire".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebellion (Lies)</span> 2005 single by Arcade Fire

"Rebellion (Lies)" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It was the fourth single released from the band's debut album, Funeral. The single was released in both CD and DVD formats with the song "Brazil" as the B-side. The single peaked at number 19 on the UK singles chart, the band's best performance on this chart to date. On the album Funeral, "Rebellion (Lies)" immediately follows the song "Haiti", the ending of which has the same bass beat and leads right into the beginning of "Rebellion (Lies)". The song has enduringly been the band's closing song at appearances at music festivals and at the end of most of their shows. In October 2011, British pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor released a cover in support of Songs to Save a Life, a benefit project in aid of Samaritans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighborhood 2 (Laïka)</span> 2005 single by Arcade Fire

"Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" is the second single by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire from their debut album Funeral. Released on 28 March 2005, the single reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, and was released on the Rough Trade Records record label. The single also contains the song "My Buddy" by Alvino Rey, the grandfather of Arcade Fire members Win and William Butler, which was previously featured on the band's debut single "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)".

<i>Neon Bible</i> 2007 studio album by Arcade Fire

Neon Bible is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It was first released on March 5, 2007, in Europe and a day later in North America by Merge Records. Originally announced on December 16, 2006, through the band's website, the majority of the album was recorded at a church the band bought and renovated in Farnham, Quebec. The album is the first to feature drummer Jeremy Gara, and the first to include violinist Sarah Neufeld among the band's core line-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Up (Arcade Fire song)</span> 2005 single by Arcade Fire

"Wake Up" is an indie rock song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. It was the fifth and final single released from the band's debut album, Funeral. The single was released as a one-sided 7" vinyl record on November 14, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)</span> 2004 single by Arcade Fire

"Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" is a song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire, and the first track on their debut album Funeral. It is the first of the four-part "Neighborhood" series found on Funeral. It was the band's first single, released several months before the album as a 7" vinyl record on June 20, 2004, to a pressing of 1500 copies. The B-side to the album is a recording of the song "My Buddy" by swing musician Alvino Rey. Rey is the maternal grandfather of Arcade Fire members Win and William Butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep the Car Running</span> 2007 single by Arcade Fire

"Keep the Car Running" is a song by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It is the second single released from the band's second album, Neon Bible in the UK. This song was #22 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 61 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcade Fire discography</span>

The Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire has released six studio albums, three extended plays and twenty-four singles.

<i>The Suburbs</i> 2010 studio album by Arcade Fire

The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 2, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May". The album debuted at No. 1 on the Irish Albums Chart, the UK Albums Chart, the US Billboard 200 chart, and the Canadian Albums Chart. It won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards, Best International Album at the 2011 BRIT Awards, Album of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards, and the 2011 Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album. Two weeks after winning Grammy's Album of the Year, the album jumped from No. 52 to No. 12 on the Billboard 200, the album's highest ranking since August 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ready to Start</span> 2010 single by Arcade Fire

"Ready to Start" is a single from Arcade Fire's third album The Suburbs. It was released as a single on October 3, 2010. The band performed "Ready to Start" as their second performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards, immediately following The Suburbs winning Album of the Year. The band also performed the song at the Brit Awards several days after the Grammy Awards.

<i>Reflektor</i> 2013 album by Arcade Fire

Reflektor is the fourth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on October 28, 2013, through Sonovox Records internationally and Merge Records in the United States. A double album, it was recorded between 2011 and 2013 at studios in Montreal, Jamaica, and Louisiana. It was co-produced by LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, regular Arcade Fire producer Markus Dravs, and the band themselves.

Josh Deu is the co-founder of Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. He and Win Butler co-founded Arcade Fire in late 1999. Deu formally left the band in late 2003. He went on to co-found the Los Angeles-based animation and visual effects house known as BLEACH FX LLC. Deu has served as a producer and director in various forms of media, currently working on the film Black Moon, Music videos such as Arcade Fire Tunnels, Rebellion, Laika, Lightning I, II. Josh is also a major stakeholder in Attica Sciences (biotech) and Athos Pharmaceuticals. In addition, Josh is working with TNG (www.takenewground.com) consultancy with Dan Tocchini, Mark Edwards, and Adrian Koehler. Josh is also writing and producing a web series with SNL alum, Chris Kattan called "Hey Kattan" and an animated television show with the legendary Mike Swaim, Cracked TV Veteran 2005-2014.

<i>Everything Now</i> 2017 studio album by Arcade Fire

Everything Now is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on July 28, 2017, through Sonovox Records, Columbia Records, and Rough Trade Records. It was produced by Arcade Fire, alongside Thomas Bangalter of the electronic-house duo Daft Punk and Steve Mackey, the bassist of the band Pulp. Additionally, Markus Dravs, one of Arcade Fire's frequent collaborators, co-produced two tracks, and he, Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and Eric Heigle each provided additional production on one track.

<i>We</i> (Arcade Fire album) 2022 studio album by Arcade Fire

We is the sixth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released through Columbia Records on May 6, 2022. Produced by Nigel Godrich and band members Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, it was recorded in studios in New Orleans; in El Paso, Texas; and on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The album takes its name from the Russian dystopian novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It was the final album by Arcade Fire to feature multi-instrumentalist Will Butler, who departed the band in 2022.

References

  1. "POWER OUT - Rough Trade". Rough Trade Records. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  2. The Official Charts Company. "Top 40 Singles." The Official UK Charts Company Archived 2010-11-13 at the Wayback Machine . 2005-05-29.
  3. "2006 Juno Awards Winners Archived 2006-11-20 at the Wayback Machine ." Juno Awards .
  4. Kelly, Jennifer. "Features: Arcade Fire Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine ." Splendid Magazine Archived 2013-01-20 at the Wayback Machine . 2004.
  5. 1 2 Arcade Fire. Lyrics. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)." Funeral . LP. Merge. 2004.
  6. 1 2 Schreiber, Ryan. "Interview: Arcade Fire Archived 2006-07-02 at the Wayback Machine ." Pitchfork Media Archived 2008-03-28 at the Wayback Machine . 2005-02-14.
  7. 1 2 Dunlevy, T'cha. "Time to reflect, refresh for Arcade Fire." canada.com . 2005-11-25.
  8. Plates Animation, Inc. Archived 2014-01-05 at the Wayback Machine Official Web site.
  9. Arcade Fire. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) Archived 2007-07-02 at the Wayback Machine ." Funeral . Plates Animation, 2004. Music Video.
  10. "Power Out CD." Arcade Fire Online Store (Europe & International Music) Archived 2007-07-09 at the Wayback Machine .
  11. "Power Out White 7″." Arcade Fire Online Store (Europe & International Music) Archived 2007-07-09 at the Wayback Machine .
  12. "Power Out Black 7″." Arcade Fire Online Store (Europe & International Music) Archived 2007-07-09 at the Wayback Machine .
  13. "Radio & Records Magazine" (PDF). Radio & Records. May 13, 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.