The Verve - "Bitter Sweet Symphony"

I took notice of this wonderful song while watching the film "Cruel Intensions". The song looked like it was custom made for the climax of the film. "The Verve" the composers of this wonderful single is a rock band from England consisting of England, by vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury . Simon Tong later became a member. The track was from their third album "Urban Hymns". The track entered the UK chart at #2 and reached #12 in US. The song borrowed a reversed looped sample of a symphonic recording of the Rolling Stones "The Last Time". ABKCO records which controls the Rolling Stones' back catalogue, and which had warned The Verve against using the Rolling Stones sample in "Bitter Sweet Symphony," successfully sued the Verve for 100% of the royalties for the song. Because of this Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were given songwriting credits and full publishing rights to the song. The Verve is said to have not made a penny from the song - which incidentally is their biggest and most successful hit ever. What an Irony?

The band has hence split completely and there is no sight of them uniting in the near future.



Lyrics of the song:

Cause, It's a bittersweet symphony, that's life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah
Chorus 2-

No change, I can't change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mould
But I'm here in my mould
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Have you ever been down
Have you ever been down
Verse 1-

Well I've never prayed
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I'll let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
Chorus 2-

Chorus 1-


We've got your sex and violence, melody and silence
We've got your sex and silence, melody and sirens

I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down

Video of Song