Faster (Within Temptation song)

"Faster" is the first single from Dutch symphonic metal and rock band Within Temptation's album The Unforgiving. It had its worldwide radio première on 96.3 Rock Radio on 21 January 2011.

"Faster"
Single by Within Temptation
from the album The Unforgiving
B-side	"Where is the Edge"
Released	21 January 2011
Genre	Hard rock[1]
Length	4:24 (album version) 3:16 (radio edit)
Label	Roadrunner
Songwriter(s)	Sharon den Adel Robert Westerholt Daniel Gibson
Within Temptation singles chronology
"Utopia" (2009) "Faster" (2011) "Sinėad" (2011)

The song's accompanying music video was released on 31 January 2011 alongside the short film Mother Maiden, and reached 35,000 views on YouTube in its first day.[2]

The single remained in the Dutch Top 100 for 13 weeks, peaking at number 11.[3]

Background

Robert Westerholt said:

"Faster" is a song which surprised ourselves. It's a very fresh new sound wrapped around the 80'ties heart and soul of the track. "Faster" reflects one of the many musical roots we have. Combined with the modern influences on our new album, it's like the past and future created the present.

Sharon den Adel said in an interview with Metal Ways:

Actually, "Faster" sounds a bit like "Wicked Game"s... Yes, it has the same atmosphere. It has similar, almost the same, accords, but it is different... So, we've been going like: "Ooooh we have re-written Wicked Games" and then "No, the chords scheme is different, we don't have to worry. And it's a written song!" (laughs) "Yay!"

Den Adel's explanation of the song's lyrics in an interview with Songfacts:

"Faster" is about the fact that you have to stay in conflict to get what you want as an individual in life. When you're working with a company or in a relationship, when you're working with other people, you've got to set some boundaries for yourself which you won't cross because ethically it's not okay to go over that boundary for yourself. Because that's what you stand for, that's who you are, those are your values. That's what the song is about: you can't live with lies. You just have to be who you are and what you stand for. And sometimes you're frustrated about it and you just want to fast forward away from the problem, but you also have to deal with the thing that's happening at that time in your life.

Videos

Mother Maiden short film

The Unforgiving's first short film, Mother Maiden, was combined with the music video to "Faster" and released on 31 January 2011.[4] The film begins with the character of Mother Maiden (played by Dawn Mastin[5]) writing a letter and reciting a monologue which explains that she controls lost souls to seek revenge on "those with a dark heart." While Mother Maiden continues to speak, the film cuts between her and the "lost souls" which she controls. Firstly, we see the character of Sinéad dragging an unconscious man on top of a train, who awakens just before being killed by a low hanging rail road signal. We then cut to "The Triplets" (more of Mother Maiden's workers) crawling into a window, after which an unseen woman screams and the Triplets reappear with their mouths smeared with blood. Finally, we are shown a man shaving before an arm bursts from his bathroom mirror and strangles him. At this point, the "Faster" music video begins with the band playing the song in full. As it ends, we see Sinéad's corpse awakening in a morgue.[6] The script was written by Steven O'Connell and Tim Smit. The music video and short movie were directed by Joeri Molsheimer.[7]

Personnel

Cast

• Dawn Mastin as Mother Maiden
• Nicola Hemink as Sinéad
• Key Graham as Sinéad's Father
• Christopher Van Dujin as Triplets
• Matthijx Kat as Man on train
• Banny Bakker as Shaving Man

Alternate music video

At the same time as the release of the full "Faster" music video and Mother Maiden short film, an edited version of the song was released on YouTube with the same footage inter-cut (rather than as originally presented in their separate components of the three short-films –Mother Maiden, Sinéad and Triplets).[8]

Track

Digital download

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Faster" (radio edit)	Sharon den Adel Robert Westerholt Daniel Gibson	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	3:16
2.	"Faster" (international radio edit)	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	3:15
Total length:				6:31

CD single

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Faster" (album version)	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	4:24
2.	"Where is the Edge"	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	den Adel Westerholt Gibson	3:59
Total length:				8:23

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9]	32
scope="row"	Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[10]	9
Czech Republic (Modern Rock)[11]	2
scope="row"	Finland Download (Latauslista)[12]	24
Germany (Official German Charts)[13]	48
scope="row"	Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14]	19
Netherlands (Mega Top 50)[15]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16]	11
Portuguese Singles Chart[17]	23
UK Rock (Official Charts Company)[18]	6

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2014-11-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. WT official (2011-01-27). "Faster & Mother Maiden short film". Within Temptation. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
3. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Within+Temptation&titel=Faster&cat=s
4. "Faster and Mother Maiden released". Retrieved 2011-05-23.
5. Mother Maiden at IMDb
6. "Within Temptation - Faster & Mother Maiden Short Film". Retrieved 2011-10-24.
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pravsCN0HrA
8. "Shortened video to Faster". Retrieved 2011-05-23.
9. "Ultratop.be – Within Temptation – Faster" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
10. "Ultratop.be – Within Temptation – Faster" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
11. "CZ - RADIO - TOP 20 MODERN ROCK WITHIN TEMPTATION" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
12. "Within Temptation: Faster" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Within Temptation – Faster". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Within Temptation" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
15. "" (in Dutch). Mega Top 50
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Within Temptation – Faster" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
17. http://acharts.co/song/61298
18. Official Charts

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