Actor Attractor

Album: Call The Comet (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Johnny Marr knew he wanted to write about society on his semi-conceptual album Call The Comet, but not this society. So instead, the musician imagined his own reality. He came up with a part-utopian "alternative society" which Marr told The Independent "resets the ridiculousness of the last few years" with humanity at its core. This song is the manifestation of Marr's dream society in which the citizens forever can "can live to the limit" and "give to the limit."
  • Mojo asked Johnny Marr where the song's striking post-punk mood came from? He replied:

    "Actor Attractor was written on a very foggy night in the north of England. A factory has very deliberate associations to me. The promise of industrial music marriage with guitars, I think, is the promise of a future sound."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.