Sick Cycle Carousel
Encyclopedia
"Sick Cycle Carousel" is a song by American alternative
band Lifehouse
. It is the second single released from their debut studio album No Name Face
(2000). The track was written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade
, who says he felt freedom when writing songs for the album. American record producers Ron Aniello
and Brendan O'Brien produced and mixed the song, respectively. Musically, "Sick Cycle Carousel" is a moderate rock
song with an influence of soft rock
. The song was released on March 25, 2002 by DreamWorks Records
.
The song received positive reviews from critics, who applauded how the producers brought out Wade's vocals over the instrumentation. It managed to chart on the Billboard
Alternative Songs chart at number twenty-one. The track later charted in the Netherlands and New Zealand at number seventy-one and forty-seven, respectively. An official music video for the song premiered on VH1.com
on June 27, 2001 that features effects to make objects look smaller than they really are.
, Wade said, "DreamWorks
has been amazing in letting us make the record. They're super-artist-friendly. They let us make our record the way we wanted to make it. It's the best label we could be on." In an interview with MTV Radio
, Wade explained the message behind "Sick Cycle Carousel" and said, "It's one of those songs I'm really afraid to put an explanation to as far as what it's about for me personally. I don't want it to lose its mystery and mystique. Everyone interprets it differently. It's funny hearing people telling what's it's about to them because then I can go, 'Maybe that's what it's about.' It's got a weird mystique to me still." It was released on March 25, 2002 by DreamWorks Records.
"Sick Cycle Carousel" was described as being a rock
song with an influence of soft rock
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, the song is set in common time
with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of A minor
with Wade's vocal range spanning from the low-note of C4 to the high-note of G5. The song has a basic chord progression
of F–G–Am7–F–G–Am7. John DiBiase of Jesus Freak Hideout
called it "a song about the preverbial merry go round we feel like we're on when we keep committing the same sins over and over". Liana Jonas of Allmusic applauded on how Aniello and O'Brien "brought Wade's vocals and lyrics to the forefront of the mix" for all the songs on the album.
". The track debuted at number thirty-three on the Billboard
Alternative Songs chart for the week of May 26, 2001. After it spent twelve consecutive weeks on the chart, the song eventually peaked at number twenty-one for two consecutive weeks. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number eighty four on the Mega Single Top 100
for the week of December 8, 2001. It eventually peaked at number seventy-one after it spent six consecutive weeks on the chart. On the New Zealand Singles Chart, the track debuted at number fifty for the week of August 19, 2001. The song then peaked at number forty-seven during the week of September 2, 2001 before leaving the chart.
at Los Angeles International Airport
and at a Lifehouse show in London
. It was directed by Marcos Siega
, who is most notable for his work with Blink-182
and Papa Roach
. In an interview with MTV
, Wade talked about the idea behind the music video and said, "This is the closest we'll probably ever come to being in a Tim Burton
fantasy world. It was done in a real 'Jack and the Beanstalk' style. And Marcos used some camera tricks that make it look amazing. From far away, the stage set looked normal, but when you get closer you get smaller and it gets huge. We were being filmed in front of this bookcase that was like 150 feet high. It's a real visual trip." It premiered on VH1.com
on June 27, 2001.
It begins with a shot of Wade's face and the guitar introduction. He then sings the first line of lyrics, which is followed by a transition to a boy lying on a bed. As the video switches between Wade and the boy, it zooms on the bed frame
and opens into another area. The boy is then seen walking around the new area looking around until he goes up nearby stairs. While going up the stairs, the video switches between shots of the boy going up the stairs and Wade singing the lyrics. Once up the stairs, the boy looks around and then walks into a bright light that he sees nearby. He walks through the bright archway into a dark room as the video switches to Lifehouse playing the song. After this, it switches to the boy as he looks up and the camera zooms out to reveal that he is in a giant maze
. He then walks back where he came from to find that he is a house with Lifehouse playing on the television. He then jumps off a window sill and appears tiny as he walks up to a book that is bigger than him. It then transitions to Lifehouse playing the song as the boy gets up on a chair which slowly transcends into his original bed. The video then zooms out on the boy lying on his bed and then switches to the band. It ends with the boy walking into darkness and Wade's face looking on the floor.
confirmed that Lifehouse would serve as an opening act
on a fourteen-day tour for Matchbox Twenty
, who were promoting their album Mad Season
(2000). The tour started February 27, 2001 in Minneapolis
and ended on March 29, 2001 in Universal City
. In July 2001, Lifehouse went on tour with 3 Doors Down
as an opening act on twelve select dates, and performed songs from No Name Face, including "Sick Cycle Carousel". Before they went on tour with 3 Doors Down, the band went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
on June 25, 2001 and performed "Sick Cycle Carousel".
Credits and personnel adapted from Allmusic.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Lifehouse
Lifehouse (band)
Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
. It is the second single released from their debut studio album No Name Face
No Name Face
No Name Face is the debut album by the rock band Lifehouse. It was released on October 31, 2000, and it produced the hit "Hanging by a Moment" which went on to be the most played song on radio the following year. This album launched Lifehouse into the limelight, and produced many radio-friendly hits...
(2000). The track was written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade
Jason Wade
Jason Michael Wade is the lead vocalist, main songwriter, and guitarist of the American alternative rock band Lifehouse.-Biography:...
, who says he felt freedom when writing songs for the album. American record producers Ron Aniello
Ron Aniello
Ron Aniello is an American; Grammy Award nominated, multi-award–winning, multi-platinum record producer. Some of the noteworthy artists that he has worked with include; Lifehouse, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Jars of Clay, Days of the New, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash, Ashley Tesoro, Patti...
and Brendan O'Brien produced and mixed the song, respectively. Musically, "Sick Cycle Carousel" is a moderate rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
song with an influence of soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
. The song was released on March 25, 2002 by DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
.
The song received positive reviews from critics, who applauded how the producers brought out Wade's vocals over the instrumentation. It managed to chart on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Alternative Songs chart at number twenty-one. The track later charted in the Netherlands and New Zealand at number seventy-one and forty-seven, respectively. An official music video for the song premiered on VH1.com
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
on June 27, 2001 that features effects to make objects look smaller than they really are.
Background, release and composition
The song was written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade and was produced by American record producer Ron Aniello. When asked about his experience with making songs for No Name Face in an interview with BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Wade said, "DreamWorks
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
has been amazing in letting us make the record. They're super-artist-friendly. They let us make our record the way we wanted to make it. It's the best label we could be on." In an interview with MTV Radio
MTV Satellite Radio
MTV Satellite Radio was a part of the XM Satellite Radio service from 2001 until September 30, 2005. The studios were located in Times Square in the Paramount Plaza building at the corner of Broadway and 50th Street in New York City....
, Wade explained the message behind "Sick Cycle Carousel" and said, "It's one of those songs I'm really afraid to put an explanation to as far as what it's about for me personally. I don't want it to lose its mystery and mystique. Everyone interprets it differently. It's funny hearing people telling what's it's about to them because then I can go, 'Maybe that's what it's about.' It's got a weird mystique to me still." It was released on March 25, 2002 by DreamWorks Records.
"Sick Cycle Carousel" was described as being a rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
song with an influence of soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, the song is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
with Wade's vocal range spanning from the low-note of C4 to the high-note of G5. The song has a basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of F–G–Am7–F–G–Am7. John DiBiase of Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
called it "a song about the preverbial merry go round we feel like we're on when we keep committing the same sins over and over". Liana Jonas of Allmusic applauded on how Aniello and O'Brien "brought Wade's vocals and lyrics to the forefront of the mix" for all the songs on the album.
Chart performance
"Sick Cycle Carousel" had limited commercial success after the success of Lifehouse's first single, "Hanging by a MomentHanging by a Moment
"Hanging by a Moment" is a song by American alternative band Lifehouse. It was the first single released from their debut studio album, No Name Face . The track was written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade, who said that he wrote the song in about five minutes without thinking about what would...
". The track debuted at number thirty-three on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Alternative Songs chart for the week of May 26, 2001. After it spent twelve consecutive weeks on the chart, the song eventually peaked at number twenty-one for two consecutive weeks. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number eighty four on the Mega Single Top 100
Mega Single Top 100
The Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales and legal downloads and composed by MegaCharts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutch Top 40 and the Mega Top 50. The difference is that these charts also include airplay data.The list is...
for the week of December 8, 2001. It eventually peaked at number seventy-one after it spent six consecutive weeks on the chart. On the New Zealand Singles Chart, the track debuted at number fifty for the week of August 19, 2001. The song then peaked at number forty-seven during the week of September 2, 2001 before leaving the chart.
Music video
The music video was filmed in June 2001 at an airplane hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
and at a Lifehouse show in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was directed by Marcos Siega
Marcos Siega
Marcos Siega is a film, television, commercial, and music video director. He has also worked as a producer and a musician....
, who is most notable for his work with Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
and Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Wade talked about the idea behind the music video and said, "This is the closest we'll probably ever come to being in a Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
fantasy world. It was done in a real 'Jack and the Beanstalk' style. And Marcos used some camera tricks that make it look amazing. From far away, the stage set looked normal, but when you get closer you get smaller and it gets huge. We were being filmed in front of this bookcase that was like 150 feet high. It's a real visual trip." It premiered on VH1.com
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
on June 27, 2001.
It begins with a shot of Wade's face and the guitar introduction. He then sings the first line of lyrics, which is followed by a transition to a boy lying on a bed. As the video switches between Wade and the boy, it zooms on the bed frame
Bed frame
A bed frame or bedstead is the part of a bed used to position a mattress or foundation set off the floor. Bed frames are typically made of wood or metal. A bed frame is made up of head, foot, and side rails...
and opens into another area. The boy is then seen walking around the new area looking around until he goes up nearby stairs. While going up the stairs, the video switches between shots of the boy going up the stairs and Wade singing the lyrics. Once up the stairs, the boy looks around and then walks into a bright light that he sees nearby. He walks through the bright archway into a dark room as the video switches to Lifehouse playing the song. After this, it switches to the boy as he looks up and the camera zooms out to reveal that he is in a giant maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
. He then walks back where he came from to find that he is a house with Lifehouse playing on the television. He then jumps off a window sill and appears tiny as he walks up to a book that is bigger than him. It then transitions to Lifehouse playing the song as the boy gets up on a chair which slowly transcends into his original bed. The video then zooms out on the boy lying on his bed and then switches to the band. It ends with the boy walking into darkness and Wade's face looking on the floor.
Promotion
On January 10, 2001, MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
confirmed that Lifehouse would serve as an opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
on a fourteen-day tour for Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
, who were promoting their album Mad Season
Mad Season (album)
Mad Season, also known as Mad Season by Matchbox Twenty, is the second studio album from American rock band Matchbox Twenty, released in May 2000...
(2000). The tour started February 27, 2001 in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and ended on March 29, 2001 in Universal City
Universal City, California
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
. In July 2001, Lifehouse went on tour with 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
as an opening act on twelve select dates, and performed songs from No Name Face, including "Sick Cycle Carousel". Before they went on tour with 3 Doors Down, the band went on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
on June 25, 2001 and performed "Sick Cycle Carousel".
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting – Jason Wade
- ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– Ron Aniello - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Brendan O'Brien - EngineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Bob Kearny, Marc Green, Paul Hayden
Credits and personnel adapted from Allmusic.
Track listing
- Australian CD single
- "Sick Cycle Carousel" (Edit) — 3:59
- "Hanging by a Moment" (Acoustic Version) — 3:19
- "What's Wrong with That" — 3:52
- European CD single
- "Sick Cycle Carousel" (Album Version) — 4:23
- "Hanging by a Moment" (Acoustic Version) — 3:19
- "Trying" (Live Version) — 5:34
- "Sick Cycle Carousel" (Video) — 4:23
Charts
| Chart (2001–2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
External links
- "Sick Cycle Carousel" Music Video on Yahoo! MusicYahoo! MusicYahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...