Released: May 11, 2005
Songwriter: Damon Albarn
Producer: Jason Cox James Dring Danger Mouse Gorillaz
[Verse 1: Dennis Hopper]
Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain
There was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived
Their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world
Obscured as it was by great clouds
Here, they played out their peaceful lives
Innocent of the litany of excess and violence
That was growing in the world below
To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough
Then one day, Strangefolk arrived in the town
They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses
But no one noticed them, they only saw shadows
You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were blind
[Interlude: 2D]
Falling out of aeroplanes and hiding out in holes
Waiting for the sunset to come, people going home
Jump back from behind them and shoot them in the head
Now everybody dancing, the dance of the dead
The dance of the dead, the dance of the dead
[Verse 2: Dennis Hopper]
In time, the Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain
And it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable sincerity and beauty
By chance, they stumbled upon the place where all good souls come to rest
The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things
And soon they began to mine the mountain
Its rich seam, fueling the chaos of their own world
Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly
Their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls
Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain
Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?
And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, holes began to appear
Bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the Monkey
For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful
For they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep
And then came a sound, distant at first, it grew into castrophany
So immense that it could be heard far away in space
There were no screams, there was no time
The mountain called Monkey had spoken
There was only fire, and then... nothing
[Outro: 2D]
Oh, little town in the USA, your time has come to see
There's nothing you believe you want
But where were you when it all came down on me?
Did you call me? No
Once upon a time at the foot of a great mountain
There was a town where the people known as Happyfolk lived
Their very existence a mystery to the rest of the world
Obscured as it was by great clouds
Here, they played out their peaceful lives
Innocent of the litany of excess and violence
That was growing in the world below
To live in harmony with the spirit of the mountain called Monkey was enough
Then one day, Strangefolk arrived in the town
They came in camouflage, hidden behind dark glasses
But no one noticed them, they only saw shadows
You see, without the Truth of the Eyes, the Happyfolk were blind
[Interlude: 2D]
Falling out of aeroplanes and hiding out in holes
Waiting for the sunset to come, people going home
Jump back from behind them and shoot them in the head
Now everybody dancing, the dance of the dead
The dance of the dead, the dance of the dead
[Verse 2: Dennis Hopper]
In time, the Strangefolk found their way into the higher reaches of the mountain
And it was there that they found the caves of unimaginable sincerity and beauty
By chance, they stumbled upon the place where all good souls come to rest
The Strangefolk, they coveted the jewels in these caves above all things
And soon they began to mine the mountain
Its rich seam, fueling the chaos of their own world
Meanwhile, down in the town, the Happyfolk slept restlessly
Their dreams invaded by shadowy figures digging away at their souls
Every day, people would wake and stare at the mountain
Why was it bringing darkness into their lives?
And as the Strangefolk mined deeper and deeper into the mountain, holes began to appear
Bringing with them a cold and bitter wind that chilled the very soul of the Monkey
For the first time, the Happyfolk felt fearful
For they knew that soon the Monkey would stir from its deep sleep
And then came a sound, distant at first, it grew into castrophany
So immense that it could be heard far away in space
There were no screams, there was no time
The mountain called Monkey had spoken
There was only fire, and then... nothing
[Outro: 2D]
Oh, little town in the USA, your time has come to see
There's nothing you believe you want
But where were you when it all came down on me?
Did you call me? No