Fake Empire Explained

Fake Empire
Cover:Fake Empire.jpg
Type:single
Artist:The National
Album:Boxer
Released:June 23, 2008
Recorded:Tarquin Studios
Genre:Indie rock, post-punk revival
Length:3:27
Label:Beggars Banquet Records
Producer:Peter Katis and The National
Prev Title:Apartment Story
Prev Year:2007
Next Title:Bloodbuzz Ohio
Next Year:2010

"Fake Empire" is a song by Brooklyn-based indie rock band The National from their fourth studio album, Boxer. The song was released in June 2008 as the album's third and final single.[1]

Production

"Fake Empire" was written by Bryce Dessner of The National. Commenting on the song's initial concept, he said, "Conceptually I said I would love to write a song that was based on a certain polyrhythm, the four-over-three pattern, which is what you hear in the piano. It's something I, personally, have never heard in rock music. What's interesting is the song sounds like it's in four, but it's in three. The harmonies and the way I'm playing the piano music are actually incredibly simple – sort of like "Chopsticks" simple – with this really weird rhythm. At the end we said, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool if we had a horn fanfare?' so Padma [Newsome] wrote this very Steve Reichian minimalist horn fanfare."[2]

Lyrical Interpretation

Lyrically, "Fake Empire" is a commentary about a generation lost to disillusion and apathy. Vocalist Matt Berninger further explained to The Quietus that it is about "where you can't deal with the reality of what's really going on, so let's just pretend that the world's full of bluebirds and ice skating."[3]

Promotion

The National made their network television debut when they performed "Fake Empire" on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 24, 2007.[4] In the television series Chuck, the song appeared in the episode "Chuck Versus the Break-up" on October 13, 2008.[5] "Fake Empire" also played during the final scene of the pilot episode of NBC's police drama Southland,[6] as well as over the concluding scene and credits of the 2008 film Battle in Seattle.[7] An instrumental version of the song[8] was featured in Barack Obama's campaign video "Signs of Hope and Change" during his 2008 United States presidential campaign,[9] [10] and the song was also played at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The members of The National supported the presidential candidate; they put Obama's face on a fundraising T-shirt with the text "Mr. November", taken from the name of a song from the band's third album, Alligator.[11] In the fifth season premiere episode of the teen drama television series One Tree Hill, several songs by The National were featured, including "Fake Empire".[12] It was also featured in Person of Interest, at the end of the episode Sotto Voce, 9th episode of the 5th season. Season 1 episode 6 of Feel Good, a Netflix series, featured this song.

Reception

Allmusic considered "Fake Empire" one of The National's best songs, and described it as a song that "begins as a dead-of-night ballad that echoes Leonard Cohen, then peppy brass and guitars turn it into something joyous."[13] Mark Mordue of WAToday called "Fake Empire" "one of the great rock'n'roll songs" of 2007. He described it as "a romantic-sounding tune marked by a quiet declaration that 'We're half awake in a fake empire,' [which] married the lonely-guy blues of a New York night to a veiled critique of American imperialism. In short, it expressed the feelings of being lost inside a dream."[14] Stylus Magazine ranked "Fake Empire" as the 7th-best song of 2007.[15]

Track listing

DL and promo CD (BBQ 417)
  1. "Fake Empire" – 3:27
  2. "Without Permission" – 3:37
  3. "Fake Empire" (Live) – 3:42

Personnel

Additional Musicians

Cover versions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Sound / Fake Empire - Single (Promo) . The National . https://web.archive.org/web/20100111040659/http://www.americanmary.com/sound_fakeempire-promo.php . 2010-01-11 . dead .
  2. Web site: 2010-01-23 . The National's brand of intelligent art-rock quietly hooks listeners in . San Francisco Chronicle . 2007-06-21 . Richardon, Derk . 2007-08-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070811014840/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2007/06/21/derk.DTL . live .
  3. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=19349 Fake Empire by The National
  4. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Now Playing: The National – "Fake Empire" . CBS . 2011-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604043316/http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/live/index/php/927499.phtml?play=1 . live .
  5. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Chuck: Episode 2.3, "Chuck vs. the Breakup" . BuddyTV . 2008-10-13 . 2010-05-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100507024038/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/chuck/chuck-episode-23-chuck-vs-the-23572.aspx . live .
  6. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Southland: "Pilot" . AV Club . 2009-04-09 . 2010-01-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100122132723/http://www.avclub.com/articles/southland-pilot,26435/? . live .
  7. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Battle in Seattle (2007) soundtrack . IMDb . 2009-12-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091209074523/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0850253/soundtrack . live .
  8. Web site: 2010-01-23 . You Can Vote However You Like . Pitchfork Media . 2008-10-29 . Hogan, Marc . 2010-02-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100222151318/http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7545-you-can-vote-however-you-like/ . dead .
  9. Web site: 2010-01-23 . The National Team Up With Obama To Bring "Signs Of Hope & Change" . Stereogum . 2008-09-03 . 2010-02-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100203180057/http://stereogum.com/archives/video/the_national_team_up_with_obama_to_bring_signs_of_019081.html . dead .
  10. Signs of Hope & Change . 2008-09-01 . BarackObamadotcom . 2024-08-07 . YouTube.
  11. Web site: 2010-01-23 . The National's fame starts to live up to the name . USA Today . 2008-09-17 . Lopez, Korina . 2010-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100525084948/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-09-16-national-profile_N.htm . live .
  12. Web site: 2010-01-23 . One Tree Hill music . The CW . 2010-04-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100412155700/http://cwtv.com/music/one-tree-hill/season-5 . live .
  13. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Boxer review . Allmusic . 2011-11-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111113003656/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1042225 . live .
  14. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Crouching tiger, hidden dragon . WAToday . 2008-08-10 . Mordue, Mark . 2008-08-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080814092156/http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-20080811-3t85.html . live .
  15. Web site: 2010-01-23 . Top 50 Songs of 2007 . Stylus Magazine . 2015-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150206062440/http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/pop_playground/top-50-songs-of-2007.htm . dead .
  16. Web site: 2010-03-19 . Rock and pop reviews . Irish Times . 2008-08-22 . 2012-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020124152/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2008/0822/1219331384463.html . live .

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