S.O.S. In Bel Air

Album: Bankrupt! (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Bankrupt! was born out of the negative influences after the international success of Phoenix's previous album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. On this song, frontman Thomas Mars is crying out for help after being enticed by a Californian temptress. He doesn't want to cross the line but Mars has been seduced by the West Coast lifestyle and is struggling to resist his emotions "Put my name on your list, SOS in Bel Air!", he cries. "At that time, we started talking about success and not music," Mars told The Associated Press. "I guess it was time to protect ourselves and focus on music again."
  • Mars denied to The Guardian that this song is a diss aimed at Hollywood. "It's more a sadness," he said. "There is a similarity to Versailles where we grew up, which has this upper-class loneliness and a jaded lifestyle."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Eagles Lyrics Quiz

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.