Judith (song)

"Judith" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was released as the lead single from their debut album, Mer de Noms. The single was released as a 1-track compact disc single in North America, and a 4-track single on both disc and vinyl format in Australia.

For the 1966 song by Pat Boone, see Judith (Pat Boone song).
"Judith"
Single by A Perfect Circle
from the album Mer de Noms
ReleasedJuly 8, 2000
Genre
Length4:07
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
A Perfect Circle singles chronology
"Judith"
(2000)		 "3 Libras"
(2001)

Structure

During an interview on A Perfect Circle's officially released Interview Disc, guitarist Billy Howerdel noted that "Judith" was "a truly unique song, in that it was done from start to finish in just one sitting". According to Howerdel, he had parts of Judith already completed prior to meeting vocalist Maynard James Keenan. After Keenan joined, the song became heavier, and is one of the heaviest on Mer de Noms. The song pays tribute to Maynard's mother, Judith Marie. She was a very religious person. One day she had a stroke that left her in a wheelchair partially paralyzed. This stroke only strengthened her belief in God - something that Maynard found to be pretty ironic. The lyrics in this song reflect how he felt about the whole situation - "It's not like you killed someone, It's not like you drove a spiteful spear into his side, You praise the one who left you broken down and paralyzed." He's saying that his mother was a good person who believed in God and yet this is how she was "thanked"

Themes and lyrics

Keenan explains on the Amotion DVD how the song is about his mother Judith Marie Keenan, who suffered a stroke and was restricted to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, yet still believed in Christianity.[3][4]

Video

The music video for Judith was directed by David Fincher, the director of Fight Club, Se7en, and music videos for Aerosmith, Madonna, and The Wallflowers.[5] The video consists of the band performing in a large, empty studio with many of Fincher's signature cinematic tricks employed: dark smoky lighting, obscuring of faces, extensive film scratching, and frame manipulation. All members are shown performing their instruments in the video. At the end of the first chorus and the beginning of the second verse, in which the bass drops out, for a drum and lead guitar-only section, bassist Paz Lenchantin is seen putting her hair in a bun. However, she could not do it fast enough in real time during the filming, and consequently the section was slightly sped up for the filmed action to fit the space within the song. In an interview with Sook-Yin Lee, a former MuchMusic VJ, Howerdel revealed that the band originally intended for the video to have a storyline, but due to time constraints, were unable to do so.

The music video for Judith can be found on the Amotion DVD, along with individual commentary from Keenan and Howerdel.

Remix

"Judith" was one of several songs created/remixed by Danny Lohner for the soundtrack to the movie Underworld. The remix, entitled "Judith (Renholder Remix)" is a darker, more industrial-based version which features the use of drum machines and synthesizers.[6]

Track listing
  1. "Judith" - 4:03
  2. "Magdalena" (Live) - 4:15
  3. "Breña" (Live) - 4:04
  4. "Orestes" (Demo) - 3:24

Chart performance
Chart (2000) Peak

position

US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[7] 5
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] 4

References
  1. "Tool Leader Keenan Forms A Perfect Circle; Brian Wilson Plans Tour With Orchestras". Billboard. 112 (12): 12. March 18, 2000.
  2. Norris, Chris (June 2001). "Of the Gods". Spin. 17 (6): 90.
  3. Borka Petrovic (3 August 2012). "Maynard James Keenan talks about Judith" – via YouTube.
  4. http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-11-28/the-10-best-songs-by-a-perfect-circle
  5. http://www.mtv.com/news/1433136/david-fincher-to-direct-a-perfect-circle-video/
  6. "A Perfect Circle's 'Judith (Renholdër Mix)' - Discover the Remixed Track".
  7. "A Perfect Circle Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  8. "A Perfect Circle Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.