Bliss (Muse song)

"Bliss" is a song by English rock band Muse, released on 20 August 2001 as the third single from their second studio album Origin of Symmetry (2001).

"Bliss"
'CD1' cover
Single by Muse
from the album Origin of Symmetry
B-side	"The Gallery" "Hyper Chondriac Music"
Released	20 August 2001 (2001-08-20)[1]
Recorded	September 2000
Studio	Ridge Farm (Rusper) Sawmills (Fowey)
Genre	Alternative rock progressive rock space rock
Length	4:13 (album version) 4:36 (single version) 3:46 (radio edit)
Label	Taste
Songwriter(s)	Matt Bellamy
Producer(s)	David Bottrill Muse
Muse singles chronology
"New Born" (2001) "Bliss" (2001) "Hyper Music" / "Feeling Good" (2001)
Alternative cover
'CD2' cover

Composition

"Bliss" is a space rock song that moves at a tempo of 129 bpm. The song opens and ends with synthesiser arpeggios, with the majority of the song driven by bass and synth. Bellamy's vocal lines in the song span from F3 to E5, except for live performances, where he hits a G5 in the final chorus. The song is written in the key of C minor and modulates to the parallel major key during the chorus.

Matthew Bellamy has said "Bliss" is his favourite song "because it's got all these 80s arpeggios and keyboards on it which remind me of some music I heard on some children's music programme when I was five. I think I ripped it off that. And that reminds me of when I was a bit simpler, a bit more of a pleasant state."^[2]

Music video

The music video features Matt Bellamy standing on a ledge then the song begins as he leaps and begins falling through a shaft in space. The shaft looks to be on a space station possibly on an abandoned planet, but the clear technology looks to be futuristic and well beyond what exists at this time. The other band members can be seen throughout the video watching Matt Bellamy as he falls each in their own pods along the shaft that Matt Bellamy is falling through. As the song reaches its climax he exits the shaft into space and towards what looks like a nebula or a star's photo-sphere. At that point, the light causes him to fade out as he begins to turn into dust as he edges closer to a white light and the song fades out.

Release

Bliss reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart, making it one of the most successful singles from Origin of Symmetry.^[3]

Live performances

During the tour in promotion of Origin of Symmetry, "Bliss" was usually played as the final song, often coinciding with the release of giant confetti-filled balloons from the venues' roof. The song was a live staple until 2006, and has made occasional appearances on all of the band's subsequent tours.

Track listing

• 'CD1'

1. "Bliss" – 4:36
2. "The Gallery" – 3:32
3. "Screenager" (live) – 4:00
4. "Bliss" (video) – 4:36

• 'CD2'

1. "Bliss" – 4:36
2. "Hyper Chondriac Music" – 5:30
3. "New Born" (live) – 5:57

• 7" vinyl

1. "Bliss" – 4:36
2. "Hyper Chondriac Music" – 5:30

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Origin of Symmetry liner notes.^[4]

• Matthew Bellamy – vocals, guitars, synthesisers
• Chris Wolstenholme – bass
• Dominic Howard – drums

Charts

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[5]	77
France (SNEP)[6]	87
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7]	40
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	70
Scotland (OCC)[9]	20
UK Singles (OCC)[10]	22
UK Indie (OCC)[11]	2

References

1. "New Releases – For Week Starting August 20, 2001: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 18 August 2001. p. 33. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
2. "inmuseworld.net – Bliss Lyrics and information". IMWR.
3. "Muse | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
4. Origin of Symmetry (liner notes). Muse. Taste Media. 2001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19, no. 37. 8 September 2001. p. 7. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
6. "Muse – {{{song}}}" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
7. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
8. "Muse – {{{song}}}" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
9. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
10. "Muse: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
11. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2021.

External links

• "Bliss" at MusicBrainz (list of releases)