Difference between revisions of "The Small Print (song)"

MuseWiki, wiki for the band Muse
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(→‎Lyrics: added early live lyrics)
m
(14 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 11: Line 11:
| First = [[Moscow Krylatskoye Sports Complex 2002 (gig)|26th May 2002]]<ref>[http://www.muselive.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=22654 Muselive.com 20070313]</ref>
| First = [[Moscow Krylatskoye Sports Complex 2002 (gig)|26th May 2002]]<ref>[http://www.muselive.com/forums.php?m=posts&q=22654 Muselive.com 20070313]</ref>
| Latest = [[Austin Music Hall 2005 (gig)|7th May 2005]]
| Latest = [[Austin Music Hall 2005 (gig)|7th May 2005]]
| Recorded = London Air Studios, 2003<ref name="nocite">{{Nocite}}</ref>
| Recorded = [[Air Studios|Air Studios, London]], 2003<ref name="nocite">{{Nocite}}</ref>
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Writer = [[Matthew Bellamy]]
| Producer = [[Rich Costey]]<ref>[[Absolution (album)|Absolution notes]]</ref>
| Producer = [[Rich Costey]]<ref>[[Absolution (album)|Absolution notes]]</ref>
| Chart position = -
| Chart position = -
}}
}}
<flashmp3>http://www.musewiki.org/images/TSP.mp3|rightbg=0xDEF|leftbg=0xDEF|bg=0xFFF</flashmp3>
 
{{AlbumNav
{{AlbumNav
| Previous song = [[Butterflies & Hurricanes (song)|Butterflies & Hurricanes]]
| Previous = [[Butterflies & Hurricanes (song)|Butterflies & Hurricanes]]
| Current song = The Small Print
| Current = The Small Print
| Next song = [[Fury (song)|Fury]] (bonus track)
| Next = [[Fury (song)|Fury]] (bonus track)
}}
}}
<br>
{{AlbumNav2
| Previous = [[Hullabaloo (album) | Hullabaloo ''(2002)'']]
| Current = [[Absolution (album) | Absolution ''(2003)'']]
| Next = [[Black Holes and Revelations (album) | Black Holes and Revelations ''(2006)'']]
}}
'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3JPO-K-vrY Listen]]'''


==Description==
==Description==
Line 27: Line 35:


==Additional information==
==Additional information==
Chosen ahead of "[[Fury (song)|Fury]]" in the final track listing for ''[[Absolution (album)|Absolution]]''.<ref name="nocite"/> It was a live favourite from the 2002 tour up to and including the 2005 tour.
[[File:AbsolutionCat.jpg | thumb | right | This is the cat that appears in the song as seen in "The Making of Absolution"]]
Chosen ahead of "[[Fury (song)|Fury]]" in the final track listing for ''[[Absolution (album)|Absolution]]''.<ref name="nocite"/> It was a live favourite from the 2002 tour up to and including the 2005 tour. Matt mentioned in an interview that he wanted Fury instead of The Small Print but the band had a vote and Matt was outnumbered 2-to-1 by Chris and Dom.
 
While initially played before <span style="font-style:italic;">Absolution</span>'s release, it went by the name 'Action Faust.'  The song can be understood as, clearly alluding to Goethe's ''Faust,'' being sung from the point of view of the Devil to someone selling their soul to him in exchange for, presumably, musical prowess and fame.  It shows the transaction as ultimately manipulative on the part of the Devil, dooming the recipient to be a "slave to the grave" and robbing him of all memories of "the good days".  The Devil's identity can be seen in the line "I'm a priest God never paid"; he is able to mediate supernatural power but does so outside of the service of God. The final title "The Small Print" yet again underlies the motif of a dishonest contract between a Devil and Faustian figure.
 
In late April 2015, it was revealed in an interview that the band were rehearsing this and [[Apocalypse Please (song)|Apocalypse Please]] for the upcoming tour. However, while Apocalypse Please was played, The Small Print wasn't played during the Drones Tour.
 
==Live==
 
The Small Print was one of the first songs from the Absolution era to be performed live. Of all Absolution-era songs debuted in 2002, The Small Print was performed the most often and has the most amount of available footage. The early version, known at the time by the acronym "TSP" or "The Smallprint", had an extended post-verse section, different lyrics, and a different solo. While performed very often in 2002, it was performed significantly less in 2003.


While initially played before <span style="font-style:italic;">Absolution</span>'s release, it went by the name 'Action Faust.'  The song can be understood as, clearly alluding to Goethe's ''Faust,'' being sung from the point of view of the Devil to someone selling their soul to him in exchange for, presumably, musical prowess and fame.  It shows the transaction as ultimately manipulative on the part of the Devil, dooming the recipient to be a "slave to the grave" and robbing him of all memories of "the good days".  The Devil's identity can be seen in the line "I'm a priest God never paid"; he is able to mediate supernatural power but does so outside of the service of God.  The final title "The Small Print" yet again underlies the motif of a dishonest contract between a Devil and Faustian figure.
[[The Small Print (live) | More here]]


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
At 2:51, a cat can be heard meowing.
At 2:51, a cat can be heard meowing.
==Lyrics==
==Lyrics==
<pre>Take, take all you need
{{lyrics
|Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
With broken hearts
Line 73: Line 92:
And I'm going all the way
And I'm going all the way
And be my slave to the grave
And be my slave to the grave
I'm a priest God never paid</pre>
I'm a priest God never paid
}}


==Early Live Lyrics==
=== Early Live Lyrics ===
<pre>Take, take all you need
{{lyrics
|Take, take all you need
And I'll compensate your greed
And I'll compensate your greed
With broken hearts
With broken hearts
Line 115: Line 136:
Yeah I'm going all the way
Yeah I'm going all the way
And I'm not your slave to the grave
And I'm not your slave to the grave
I'm the priest God never paid</pre>
I'm the priest God never paid
}}


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:26, 2 February 2020

Muse song
Name The Small Print
Album/single
Length 3:28
Alternative titles Action Faust, TSP
First live performance 26th May 2002[1]
Latest live performance 7th May 2005
Recorded Air Studios, London, 2003[2]
Writer/composer Matthew Bellamy
Producer Rich Costey[3]


[Listen]

Description

A simple metal come heavy rock song.

Additional information

This is the cat that appears in the song as seen in "The Making of Absolution"

Chosen ahead of "Fury" in the final track listing for Absolution.[2] It was a live favourite from the 2002 tour up to and including the 2005 tour. Matt mentioned in an interview that he wanted Fury instead of The Small Print but the band had a vote and Matt was outnumbered 2-to-1 by Chris and Dom.

While initially played before Absolution's release, it went by the name 'Action Faust.' The song can be understood as, clearly alluding to Goethe's Faust, being sung from the point of view of the Devil to someone selling their soul to him in exchange for, presumably, musical prowess and fame. It shows the transaction as ultimately manipulative on the part of the Devil, dooming the recipient to be a "slave to the grave" and robbing him of all memories of "the good days". The Devil's identity can be seen in the line "I'm a priest God never paid"; he is able to mediate supernatural power but does so outside of the service of God. The final title "The Small Print" yet again underlies the motif of a dishonest contract between a Devil and Faustian figure.

In late April 2015, it was revealed in an interview that the band were rehearsing this and Apocalypse Please for the upcoming tour. However, while Apocalypse Please was played, The Small Print wasn't played during the Drones Tour.

Live

The Small Print was one of the first songs from the Absolution era to be performed live. Of all Absolution-era songs debuted in 2002, The Small Print was performed the most often and has the most amount of available footage. The early version, known at the time by the acronym "TSP" or "The Smallprint", had an extended post-verse section, different lyrics, and a different solo. While performed very often in 2002, it was performed significantly less in 2003.

More here

Trivia

At 2:51, a cat can be heard meowing.

Lyrics

Take, take all you need

And I'll compensate your greed With broken hearts Sell, I'll sell your memories For 15 pounds per year But just the good days

Say, it'll make you insane And it's bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid

Hope, I hope you've seen the light 'cause no one really cares They're just pretending Sell, and I'll sell your memories For 15 pounds per year But you can keep the bad days

Say, it'll make you insane And I'm bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid

Say, it'll make you insane And I'm bending the truth You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And be my slave to the grave I'm a priest God never paid

Early Live Lyrics

Take, take all you need

And I'll compensate your greed With broken hearts Sell, and I'll sell your memories At 15 pounds per year But I'll keep the good days

Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking the rules You're to blame For all the life you're losing You watch this space And I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid

Hope, and I hope you've seen the light 'cause no one really cares They're just pretending Sell, and I'll sell your memories At 15 pounds per year But I'll keep the good days

Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking your rules You're to blame For all the life you'll lose and You watch this space And I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid

Say, it'll make you insane And I'm breaking your rules You're to blame For all the life that you'll lose and You watch this space Yeah I'm going all the way And I'm not your slave to the grave I'm the priest God never paid

References


Go back to Absolution