Music
"Planet Earth" has been described as disco, [3] disco-punk, [4] and post-disco. [5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of The A.V. Club characterised it as a blend of disco and synth-punk, [6] while the Omaha World-Herald 's Roger Catlin wrote that the song combines a danceable disco beat with rock and funk. [7] The bassist John Taylor said that "Planet Earth" was "influenced by German techno as much as it was by punk and New York disco". Annie Zaleski of Salon commented that the song felt "like a response to trends —punk,disco,Krautrock,Bowie —not a direct replication of what had already been done". [8] "Planet Earth" has been likened to a range of artists and musical styles. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote that the band aimed to merge the sounds of Chic and the Sex Pistols,noting that the song features Chic's disco-inspired bass line and the punk attitude of the Sex Pistols. [9] Jon Bream of The Minneapolis Star said the track's "synthetic jungle rhythms" recalled the B-52s. [10] Len Righi of The Morning Call described it as having a rhythm track reminiscent of Talking Heads, [11] while Alexis Petridis of The Guardian commented that the song had a "Roxy Music-in-space" sound. [12]
Members of the band,particularly the guitarist Andy Taylor and John Taylor,cited disco-derived influences as key to the song's foundation. Andy Taylor saw the song's "essence" in Rod Stewart's 1979 disco-rock song "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?",noting that that it's synth-guitar hook shared the same scale,key,and opening chords (Dm7 and F) as Stewart's track,making the melody and counter-melody lines interchangeable. [8] John Taylor described "Planet Earth" as "funky punk",saying he came from a punk background but became interested in disco;as a bass player,the song represented his "punky aspiration to be danceable to have that disco thing going on". [13]
"Planet Earth" opens with a sequenced keyboard part that Jeremy Allen of The Guardian said "owed a debt of gratitude to Japan's Quiet Life ". [14] The song rests on what Zaleski described as a rhythmic foundation of John Taylor's "galloping bass" and Roger Taylor's "stomping beats". Layered over this are "shimmering synths" from the keyboardist Nick Rhodes and a "zig-zagging melodic line" from Andy Taylor,with these parts alternating in a "call-and-response" pattern. Zaleski also noted the addition of textural details throughout the track,including handclaps,sparkling synth ambience,bass curlicues,and a "smoldering bridge" that "adds verve throughout" [8] Zaleski wrote in Diffuser that Rhodes' programming and the tension in his arrangements are central to the song's appeal,giving it a sound that feels "beamed in from outer space". [15] Darryl Enriquez of the Abilene Reporter-News commented that Andy Taylor's guitar playing "pops in and out of the song adding flavor and energy",and noted that the vocals and harmonies led by the lead vocalist Simon Le Bon,together with Rhodes' keyboards,give the song a "feeling of detachment". [16] John Taylor similarly recalled that Andy Taylor's "heavy-metal lead line,strangled through the Roland guitar synth",brought power to the track "under a dark light".
Themes and lyrics
Critics described "Planet Earth" as having a science fiction theme. [14] [19] [20] Van Der Veene referred to it as featuring "sci-fi space lyrics warbled by an appealing voice", while Alan Niester of The Globe and Mail wrote that the song "is filled out with trendy Brit sci-fi rock a la Alan Parsons". [20] According to the music journalist Stephen Davis in his book Please Please Tell Me Now,some fans believed that the song (with lines such as "there's no sign of life") was about the arrival of aliens. However,Le Bon rejected the idea that "Planet Earth" has a science fiction theme. Instead,he described the song as being about waking up to the world and opening one's eyes to what is around them. [22] He explained that the lyrics came from imagining what it would be like to see Earth for the first time,along with the idea of being born,"but at an age and with the kind of mentality where you can actually see what's going on". John Taylor said the lyrics felt new compared to what had come before,explaining that the song was "a celebration of youth,of the possibility of youth,about feeling good to be alive". He added that this approach felt fresh after several years of songs focused on themes such as hate and war.
"Planet Earth" opens with the line,"Only came outside to watch the night fall with the rain",which Jim Zebora of the Record-Journal described as the beginning of an "intriguing pattern of imagery". [23] Zaleski noted that the first verse includes the lyrics,"I heard you making patterns rhyme / Like some New Romantic looking for the TV sound," and wrote that this line alludes to a degree of suspicion toward the New Romantic movement. According to the author Steve Malins in his book Wild Boys,the inclusion of the phrase "New Romantic" in the lyrics were inspired by a Sounds magazine article about Spandau Ballet;John Taylor explained that after seeing the phrase "Enter the New Romantics",the band decided to include it in the song,and Rhodes later said the lyric was intended with irony. Zaleski wrote that the next line "You'll see I'm right some other time" suggests the narrator views the style as temporary. She also commented that the phrase "making patterns rhyme" establishes an enigmatic tone and can be seen as a smart description of music itself. As the song continues,Zaleski wrote that the lyrics evoke themes of new beginnings and wanting to be heard,while a line like "There's no sign of life" could imply either an apocalyptic image or a commentary on culture. [8] Zebora added that the song features a "speeded up Mamas and Papas-like" chorus. [23]
