New World Towers
by Blur

Album: The Magic Whip (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • The Magic Whip was influenced by trips that Blur took to cities in the Far East, particularly Hong Kong. Vocalist Damon Albarn returned to Hong Kong around Christmas 2014, in search of inspiration, before recording his vocals. The song title and Damon Albarn's lyrical references to vast, bustling buildings, act as a symbol of Hong Kong's icy allure.

    The 43-story New World Tower is a skyscraper that is located in the heart of commercial Hong Kong. The building houses a shopping centre, restaurants and offices for a number of multinational companies.
  • Musically this is not a Hong Kong song at all. Guitarist Graham Coxon explained to NME: "Before Damon went back and imbued himself with the city again, it didn't have any words, it just had phrases. None of the stuff, I did on the album was done to the words – the lyrics and vocals all came last. I wanted that song to be a sort of science fiction 'Greensleeves,' so I was putting my energy into making it sound very English, but in a slightly off kilter way."

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