You Stole the Sun from My Heart

"You Stole the Sun from My Heart" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 8 March 1999 as the third single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998). All three members of the band—James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire—share the writing credits.[2] The song reached number five on the UK Singles Chart.

"You Stole the Sun from My Heart"
Single by Manic Street Preachers
from the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Released8 March 1999 (1999-03-08)
StudioChateau de la Rouge Motte (Domfront en Poiraie, France)
GenreRock[1]
Length4:20
LabelEpic
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Nick Jones
Producer(s)Mike Hedges
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology
"The Everlasting"
(1998)
"You Stole the Sun from My Heart"
(1999)
"Tsunami"
(1999)
Official Video
"You Stole the Sun from My Heart" on YouTube

Background and content

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Wire has described the music as a mix of New Order and Nirvana: "something you might be able to go along with if you really do the audio equivalent of squinting – and explained that the drum loop (yes, more drum machines) was sampled by Moore from the sound of a pinball machine, of all things".[3] In allusion to the sound of "You Stole the Sun from My Heart", Marc Burrows of Drowned In Sound proclaimed it "the most straightforward rocker here" and "catchy to the point of irritating".[1]

The lyric concerns Nicky Wire's dislike of touring. He has said that, much as he enjoys being on stage, he hates the routine of travelling: soundchecks, hotels, and the homesickness it causes.[2] The lyric "but there's no, no real truce with my fury" is a reference to a poetry book by R. S. Thomas entitled No Truce with the Furies.[4] The song title is namechecked in a later Manic Street Preachers single, "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough".[5] It was included on the 2002 compilation Forever Delayed.[5]

Release

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CD one contains a live version of the Clash's "Train in Vain" and the B-side "Socialist Serenade". The single was released on 8 March 1999 in the United Kingdom and reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, spending 12 weeks in the top 100.[6][7] In Australia, "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" spent one week on the ARIA Singles Chart in April 1999, peaking at number 97.[8] The single also peaked at number two in Iceland, number 20 in Ireland, and number 94 in the Netherlands,[9][10][11] achieving a peak of number 24 on the Eurochart Hot 100.[12] At the 2000 Brit Awards, "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" was nominated for Best British Single but failed to win the prize.[13]

Music video

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The video presents a dark/light contrast where the band plays in a room in front of a huge ornate feature window. Outside the weather rapidly alternates between stormy and sunny. Rabbits and animated birds also make an appearance.[3]

Track listings

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All music was written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore except where indicated. All lyrics were written by Nick Jones except where indicated.

UK CD1[14]

  1. "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" – 4:20
  2. "Socialist Serenade" – 4:12
  3. "Train in Vain" (live at the Newcastle Arena, 14 December 1998) (music and lyrics: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones) – 3:14

UK CD2[15]

  1. "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" – 4:20
  2. "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" (David Holmes' A Joyful Racket Remix) – 5:12
  3. "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" (Mogwai Remix) – 6:09

UK cassette single[16]

  1. "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" – 4:20
  2. "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (live at Cardiff International Arena, 21 December 1998) – 4:48

Credits and personnel

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Credits are lifted from the This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours album booklet.[17]

Studios

  • Recorded at Chateau de la Rouge Motte (Domfront en Poiraie, France)
  • Drums recorded and engineered at Big Noise Recorders (Cardiff, Wales)
  • Mixed at Abbey Road (London, England)

Personnel

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 8 March 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
Epic [6]
Japan 7 April 1999 CD [21]
United States 9 November 1999 Alternative radio Virgin [22]

References

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  1. ^ a b Burrows, Marc (13 April 2018). "The Fangasm: This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours". Select. IPC Media. January 1999.
  3. ^ a b "You Stole the Sun from My Heart". 17 May 2013.
  4. ^ Manic Street Preachers - BBC Radio 2 - Janice Long - 03/11/2011
  5. ^ a b Power, Martin (17 October 2010). Manic Street Preachers. Omnibus Press.
  6. ^ a b "New Releases – For Week Starting 8 March, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 6 March 1999. p. 25. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  8. ^ a b "ariaNET The Chart! Top 100 Singles Week Commencing 19th April 1999". ARIA. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn (30.4–7.5. 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 April 1999. p. 14. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  10. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – You Stole the Sun from My Heart". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Manic Street Preachers – You Stole the Sun from My Heart" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 13. 27 March 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  13. ^ "1999". brits.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  14. ^ You Stole the Sun from My Heart (UK CD1 liner notes). Manic Street Preachers. Epic Records. 1999. 666953 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ You Stole the Sun from My Heart (UK CD2 liner notes). Manic Street Preachers. Epic Records. 1999. 666953 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ You Stole the Sun from My Heart (UK cassette single sleeve). Manic Street Preachers. Epic Records. 1999. 666953 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (UK CD album booklet). Manic Street Preachers. Epic Records. 1998. 491703 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music Week. 22 January 2000. p. 31. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  20. ^ "British single certifications – Manic Street Preachers – You Stole the Sun from My Heart". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  21. ^ "ユー・ストール・ザ・サン・フロム・マイ・ハート | マニック・ストリート・プリーチャーズ" [You Stole the Sun from My Heart | Manic Street Preachers] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Alternative: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1324. 5 November 1999. p. 119.