We Will Become Silhouettes

Last updated
"We Will Become Silhouettes"
WWBSAA.jpg
Single by the Postal Service
from the album Give Up
B-side "Be Still My Heart"
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2005 (2005-02-08)
Recorded2001–2003
Genre
Length5:00
Label Sub Pop
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) The Postal Service
The Postal Service singles chronology
"Against All Odds"
(2004)
"We Will Become Silhouettes"
(2005)
"A Tattered Line of String"
(2013)

"We Will Become Silhouettes" is a single by American indie band the Postal Service, released February 8, 2005, under the Sub Pop Records label. The single included a new track "Be Still My Heart" and two remixed tracks by Matthew Dear ("We Will Become Silhouettes") and Styrofoam ("Nothing Better"). The title track has been used in a Honda Civic commercial. Indie band The Shins recorded an acoustic cover of the title track, which was included as a B-side on The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights".

Contents

"We Will Become Silhouettes" was the fourth single released by The Postal Service and is the band's most successful, reaching number three on the Canadian Singles Chart, number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 92 on the UK Singles Chart.

The cover artwork was designed by Kozyndan, who have illustrated the previous singles as well.

Music video

The video for this song, directed by Jared Hess, consists of incongruously lighthearted footage of a family (consisting of band members Ben Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello, frequent collaborator Jenny Lewis, and two young children) playing and singing the song, then riding bicycles into the desert and, at the very end, watching the sun set in the distance. Their odd clothing, the worn down houses they pass by, abandoned streets, and the lyrics may suggest the video takes place far in the future, post-nuclear attack.

Track listing

All tracks are written by The Postal Service

"We Will Become Silhouettes"
No.TitleLength
1."We Will Become Silhouettes"5:00
2."Be Still My Heart"3:02
3."Nothing Better (Styrofoam remix)"3:30
4."We Will Become Silhouettes (Matthew Dear's not scared mix)"5:02

Charts

Chart (2005)Peak
position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [1] 3
UK Singles (OCC) [2] 92
UK Indie (OCC) [3] 26
US Billboard Hot 100 [4] 82
US Dance Singles Sales [5] 1

Covers

The song was covered by Jenny and Tyler in 2013 as a part of their For Freedom EP.

The song was used in the trailer for the 2009 film Funny People , and also appeared in the movie Love Happens the same year.

The Shins' cover of the song was featured in the 2011 film The Art of Getting By .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Postal Service</span> American indie rock band

The Postal Service is an American indie pop group from Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello, and Jenny Lewis on background vocals.

<i>Give Up</i> 2003 studio album by the Postal Service

Give Up is the only studio album by American electronic duo The Postal Service, released on February 18, 2003, by Sub Pop Records. The Postal Service was a collaboration between singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, best-known for his work with indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, and musician Jimmy Tamborello, who also records under the name Dntel. Gibbard rose to prominence in the early 2000s as frontman of Death Cab, while Tamborello gained a cult following as a pioneer of contemporary glitch music and electronica. The two first collaborated with the song "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan", for Dntel's debut LP, Life Is Full of Possibilities (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovesong (The Cure song)</span> 1989 single by the Cure

"Lovesong" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third single from their eighth studio album, Disintegration (1989), on 21 August 1989. The song saw considerable success in the United States, where it reached the number-two position in October 1989 and became the band's only top-10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the single charted at number 18, and it peaked within the top 20 in Canada and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Such Great Heights</span> 2003 single by The Postal Service

"Such Great Heights" is a song by American indie pop band The Postal Service. It was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, Give Up, in 2003 through Sub Pop Records. The single includes a previously unreleased track, "There's Never Enough Time", and two cover tracks by The Shins and Iron & Wine of "We Will Become Silhouettes" and "Such Great Heights", respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easy (Commodores song)</span> 1977 single by the Commodores

"Easy" is a song by American band Commodores from their fifth studio album, Commodores (1977), released on the Motown label. Group member Lionel Richie wrote "Easy" with the intention of it becoming another crossover hit for the group given the success of a previous single, "Just to Be Close to You", which spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fields of Gold</span> 1993 single by Sting

"Fields of Gold" is a song written and performed by English musician Sting. It first appeared on his fourth studio album, Ten Summoner's Tales (1993). The song, co-produced by Sting with Hugh Padgham, was released as a single on 7 June 1993 by A&M Records, reaching No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also reached No. 2 in Canada and No. 6 in Iceland. In 1994, it was awarded one of BMI's Pop Songs Awards. The music video for the song was directed by Kevin Godley, featuring Sting as a gold silhouette.

"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band song)</span> 1982 single by Steve Miller Band

"Abracadabra" is a song by American rock group the Steve Miller Band, written by Steve Miller. The song was released as the first single from the 1982 album of the same name that year. In the U.S., it spent two non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the biggest hit of Steve Miller's career to date, as well their last US Top 10 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soul Meets Body</span> 2005 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"Soul Meets Body" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their fifth studio album Plans (2005). It was released as the lead single from Plans in 2005, through Atlantic Records. Death Cab for Cutie emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the early aughts and built a following with its confessional lyricism and straightforward indie rock sound. "Soul Meets Body" was their first single for Atlantic, the major label with which they signed in 2004. The song is thematically existential, examining the intersection of soul and body though a relationship metaphor.

"Phantom Limb" is a song by American indie rock band The Shins, and is the fourth track on their third album Wincing the Night Away. The song was also released as the first single from that album in the United States on November 14, 2006 as a digital download and a week later on CD. On January 22, 2007, "Phantom Limb" was released as a single in the United Kingdom. This song was #75 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What About Now (Daughtry song)</span> Song by Daughtry

"What About Now" is the seventh single from American rock band Daughtry's self-titled debut album. The song is a ballad, that was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges, and Josh Hartzler, who is married to Amy Lee. It is one of only two songs on the album not at least co-written by Chris Daughtry. The song was announced as the band's next single on their website. It was officially released in the U.S. on July 1, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human (The Killers song)</span> 2008 single by the Killers

"Human" is a song by American rock band the Killers. Written by and produced by the band members and co-produced by Stuart Price, it was released as the first single from their third studio album Day & Age (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog Days Are Over</span> 2008 single by Florence and the Machine

"Dog Days Are Over" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs (2009). It was originally scheduled for release on 24 November 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK as the album's second single, but was later pushed back for release on 1 December 2008. A day later on 2 December 2008 the single was released in download and seven-inch vinyl format through IAMSOUND Records in the US. The B-side to the single is a cover of "You Got the Love" by The Source featuring Candi Staton which later was confirmed as a track on their debut album and the band's fifth single. The single reached the top 30 in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are Young</span> 2011 single by Fun

"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, Some Nights (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead single from the album. The song quickly received acclaim from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Care (song)</span> 2012 single by Drake

"Take Care" is the title track from Canadian rapper and singer Drake's 2011 studio album of the same name. The song features guest vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song heavily samples Jamie xx's remix of Gil Scott-Heron's version of "I'll Take Care of You", written by Brook Benton. "Take Care" was released as the fifth single from the album on January 17, 2012. It is a club song about a couple in a relationship acknowledging they have been hurt in their past, but will look after one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Talks</span> 2011 single by Of Monsters and Men

"Little Talks" is the debut single by Icelandic indie rock band Of Monsters and Men. The song was released as the lead single from their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011). It was also released on the band's EP Into the Woods. It was written by primary vocalists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson, and produced by Aron Þór Arnarsson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Some Nights (song)</span> 2012 single by Fun

"Some Nights" is a song by American indie pop band Fun. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the second single from their second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Jeff Bhasker, Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, and Jack Antonoff. Musically "Some Nights" is an alternative rock song with elements of power pop and progressive pop while the lyrics depict the protagonist having an existential crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reflektor (song)</span> 2013 single by Arcade Fire

"Reflektor" is a song by the Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. It was released on September 9, 2013, as the first single from and the title track to the band's fourth studio album. Produced by James Murphy, Markus Dravs and the band itself, the song features a guest vocal appearance by David Bowie and was released on a limited edition 12" vinyl credited to the fictional band The Reflektors. Two music videos were made for the song, one regular and one interactive, both being released on the day of the song's release. "Reflektor" was met with positive reviews, with critics often complimenting its musical approach. It also came second in NME's list of best singles of 2013. The song had a positive commercial performance, charting in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Story of My Life (One Direction song)</span> 2013 single by One Direction

"Story of My Life" is a song recorded by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It was released on 28 October 2013 by Syco Music and Columbia Records as the second single from the group's third studio album, Midnight Memories (2013). The song was written by band members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, along with Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and John Ryan. The lyrics speak of a tumultuous relationship leading to lament and heartbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shins discography</span>

The discography of American rock band The Shins consists of five studio albums, one live album, one remix album, three extended plays, two splits, twenty-three singles, and twenty one music videos.

References

  1. "The Postal Service Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  2. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  3. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  4. "The Postal Service Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard .