Paradise Circus

Album: Heligoland (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval contributes vocals to this track over handclaps and a minimalist chord progression .
  • Massive Attack founding member Robert "3D" del Naja discussed this track with The Independent February 12, 2010: "That was one of G's [Grant, the other half of Massive Attack] adventures actually. And they did it all by wire. None of us ever met Hope. On the whole, our most successful collaborations come from being with people in the studio. This one is actually the complete opposite. And it's only one of a few we've done like this, another being with David Bowie when we did a track for Moulin Rouge. I quite like the idea of it being that way. Musically, we were trying to get a sense of being in a room, almost as if during a seance. We wanted to make it feel slightly conspiratorial, very visual and simple and really personal and up close."
  • When this song was first played live it was known by its working title of "Harpsichord."
  • A low-budget film vignette was released for this song directed by Toby Dye and featuring former porn star Georgina Spelvin giving commentary on her notorious 1973 film The Devil in Miss Jones.
  • A Gui Boratto remix of this song was used as the background music for a Lincoln car commercial in the US over the fall of 2010. It was the first time in their career that Massive Attack had permitted their music to be used in an advert for a car. The band saw the offer from Lincoln as an opportunity to help environmental groups currently working to clean up after the ecological tragedy created by the BP oil spill disaster earlier in 2010. All income from the commercial was donated to Save Our Gulf, an initiative of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Comments: 1

  • Daniela from BerlinThis were used as opening theme for the BBC TV show "Luther"
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.