Love Is Noise

"Love Is Noise" is a song by English alternative rock band the Verve, the second track on their fourth album, Forth (2008). It was released as the first single from the album on 3 August 2008 as a digital download, with the physical release following on 11 August 2008 in the United Kingdom.^[1] The song received its first airplay by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 on 23 June 2008.^[2]

"Love Is Noise"
Single by the Verve
from the album Forth
B-side	"Let the Damage Begin" (live) "A Man Called Sun" (live) "Chic Dub"
Released	11 August 2008 (2008-08-11)
Recorded	2007
Length	5:29 (album version) 4:02 (radio edit)
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Richard Ashcroft Nick McCabe Simon Jones Peter Salisbury
Producer(s)	Chris Potter The Verve
The Verve singles chronology
"The Thaw Session" (2007) "Love Is Noise" (2008) "Rather Be" (2008)

The single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number five after during first week of release via online download alone. The following week, the song peaked at number four and stayed five weeks in the UK top 10, giving the Verve their first top-10 hit since 1997 with "Lucky Man". It was their third UK top-five single and their fourth to crack the UK top 10. "Love Is Noise" also reached the top 10 in Ireland, Italy, and Sweden. The song's music video debuted on the band's Myspace page shortly before the song's release.

Background

The song reworks lines from William Blake's poem "And did those feet in ancient time", commonly known as 'Jerusalem'. Where Blake begins "And did those feet in ancient time, / Walk upon England's mountains green?", "Love is Noise" asks: "Will those feet in modern times / Walk on soles that are made in China?", and alludes to "bright prosaic malls" in place of "dark Satanic Mills".^[3][4] This is the second time Richard Ashcroft has referenced Blake, following 1995's "History".^{[citation needed]}

"Love Is Noise" derived from "Columbo", another song on the album. While recording that track, Ashcroft created a new loop on a vocoder and added it to the song, which was essentially a jam the band had been working on for a few days. The band continued adding to it until it evolved into a different track.^[5]

Music video

The video for the song was released on the band's Myspace page on 9 July 2008.^{[citation needed]} The video mixes up shots of the band performing in a dimly-lit room, with frontman Richard Ashcroft sitting on the floor, with montages of other images, including snow-capped mountains, a North Korean choreography, a couple about to kiss, a dancer and a blonde woman with an eagle.

Live performances

The band played it at 2008's Coachella as the setlist's closer, something that was repeated in Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage on 29 June.

Track listings

On 3 August a digital download of the "album version" of the song was released with the song's video in the iTunes Store. A week later, an exclusive iTunes Store bundle was released featuring a "Freelance Hellraiser" remix at the same time as another bundle featuring the "album version" and the physical format's B-sides. The physical formats (CD and 7-inch vinyl records) were released on 11 August 2008.^[6]

7-inch vinyl gatefold (VERVE002)^[7] "Love Is Noise" "Let the Damage Begin" (live 2007) 7-inch clear vinyl (VERVE003)^[8] "Love Is Noise" "A Man Called Sun" (live 2007) CD single (VERVE004)^[9] "Love Is Noise" "Chic Dub"

Digital download^[10] "Love Is Noise" "Love Is Noise" (music video) – 4:02 Digital EP^[11] "Love Is Noise" – 5:27 "Chic Dub" – 6:09 "Let the Damage Begin" (live 2007) – 4:09 "A Man Called Sun" (live 2007) – 5:18 "Love Is Noise" (The Freelance Hellraiser remix) – 9:09

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2008–2009) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[12] 51 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[13] 29 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[14] 26 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[15] 2 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)^[16] 62 Denmark (Tracklisten)^[17] 18 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[18] 8 Germany (Official German Charts)^[19] 26 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)^[20] 2 Ireland (IRMA)^[21] 7 Italy (FIMI)^[22] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[23] 65 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[24] 35 Scotland (OCC)^[25] 1 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)^[26] 46 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[27] 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[28] 26 UK Singles (OCC)^[29] 4

Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position UK Singles (OCC)^[30] 82 Chart (2009) Position Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)^[31] 64

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[32]	Silver	200,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Cohen, Jonathan. "The Verve Storms Back on Forth Album". billboard.com. 1 August 2008.
2. Zane plays the new Verve single, avail until 30 Jun 08'
3. "Lyrically, look at it in the first few lines, as a kind of remake of Jerusalem by William Blake, rather than those feet in ancient times its those feet in modern times.", Richard Ashcroft, Love Is Noise Interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rXLSWrFVqg
4. Vorndran, Daniela (23 August 2008). "Verve, The – August 2008 (Part II)". Reflections of Darkness – a dark music webzine. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
5. "Interviews".
6. "The first Verve single for over a decade". 6 August 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
7. "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 7-inch RECORD (441475)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
8. "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 7-inch RECORD (441477)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
9. "The Verve Love Is Noise UK 5-inch CD SINGLE (441473)". Retrieved 9 August 2008.
10. "Love Is Noise – Single". Apple Music. 3 August 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
11. "Love Is Noise – EP". Apple Music. January 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
12. "Issue 964" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
13. "The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
14. "The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
15. "The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
16. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200851 into search. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
17. "The Verve – Love Is Noise". Tracklisten. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
18. "Hits of the World – Euro Singles Sales" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 35. 30 August 2008. p. 54. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
19. "The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
20. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Is Noise". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
22. "The Verve – Love Is Noise". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
23. "The Verve – Love Is Noise" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
24. "The Verve – Love Is Noise". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
25. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
26. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200846 into search. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
27. "The Verve – Love Is Noise". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
28. "The Verve – Love Is Noise". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
30. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
31. "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2009" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
32. "British single certifications – Verve – Love Is Noise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 August 2020.