Meaning of Love Is Noise by The Verve & The Story Behind

In 2007, members of the British rock band The Verve tried to revive the band for the second time. Not having lasted two full years, they fled again, having managed to please the fans with the Forth album.

Their first single after more than a ten-year break was the composition Love Is Noise (“Love is noise”). Her impressive success in the charts of several countries proved that the guys were not in vain to restore the group.

The story of Love Is Noise by The Verve

Four musicians of The Verve are listed as co-authors of the piece: Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury.

The idea of the future composition was born while working on the track Columbo. Ashcroft took a fragment from it, which formed the basis of the song. Richard talked about the story of Love Is Noise in an interview with DJ Steve Lamacq:

I worked a lot with the vocoder, an old vocoder in the studio, and created a vocal loop [закольцованный фрагмент записи – прим. пер.]and as soon as I had a vocal loop, I knew: this is it.

BBC

Richard also explained what Love Is Noise is about:

As for the lyrics of the song, take a look at the first lines. They are akin to a reworking of William Blake’s “Jerusalem”, only instead of “feet in ancient times” they have “feet in our day”. Instead of “dark Satanic mills”, there are “bright, boring malls” (“bright prosaic malls”).
… I think it’s about my inner struggle again, the search for love – because we are all looking for it. The internal struggle is a struggle that will always be implied in the lyrics of my songs.

BBC

Recording and release

The Verve began playing the song live in late 2007, releasing it under various titles: Love Is Pain, Modern Times and Love Is Noise (with Boy). At the 2008 Coachella festival, the band ended their performance with the track Love Is Noise.

For the Forth album, the song was recorded at State of the Ark Studios. The musicians posted the digital version of the song on the Internet on August 3, 2008, and the single was released on August 11. It peaked at number four in the UK, topped the Irish Singles Chart and was successful elsewhere.

Music video Love Is Noise by The Verve

The Verve released the Love Is Noise music video on their official MySpace page.

Interesting Facts

Previously, the work of William Blake inspired Richard Ashcroft to compose the song History (1995).

Love Is Noise Lyrics by The Verve

Will those feet in modern times
Walk on soles that are made in China?
Through the bright prosaic malls
And the corridors that go on and on and on
Are we blind? Can we see?
We are one, incomplete
Are we blind? In the city
Waiting for lightning to be saved

chorus:
‘Cause love is noise, love is pain
Love is these blues that I’m singing again
Love is noise, love is pain
Love is these blues that I’m singing
Again, again, again, again, again

Will those feet in modern times
Understand this world’s affliction?
Recognize the righteous anger?
Understand this world’s addiction?
I was blind, couldn’t see
What was here in me
I was blind, insecure
Felt like the road was way too long

Chorus

All those feet in modern times
Walk on soles made in China
Will those feet in modern times
See the bright prosaic malls?
Will those feet in modern times
Recognize the heavy burden?
Will those feet in modern times
Pardon me for my sins?
love is noise

Lyrics Love Is Noise by The Verve Alternate

Will those feet go today
For souls made in China?
Through bright, boring malls
And endless corridors
Are we blind? Do we see?
We are one, imperfect
Are we blind? In the town
Waiting for lightning to be saved

Chorus:
‘Cause love is noise, love is pain
Love is the blues that I sing again
Love is noise, love is pain
Love is this blues that I sing
Again, again, again, again, again

Will those feet understand today
The sorrow of this world?
Will righteous anger be recognized?
Will they understand the dependence of this world?
I was blind, didn’t understand
What was going on here in me
I was blind, insecure
I thought the road was too long

Chorus

All those feet these days
Going for souls made in China
Can those feet today
See bright, boring malls?
Can those feet today
Learn heavy burden?
Can those feet today
Forgive me my sins
Love is noise