Our Velocity

"Our Velocity" is a song by English indie rock band Maxïmo Park. It was released on 19 March 2007 as the lead single from their second studio album, Our Earthly Pleasures (2007). The music was written by guitarist Duncan Lloyd and the lyrics by lead singer Paul Smith. According to Smith, the song is about the wars that the UK was involved in at the time, such as Afghanistan and Iraq.^[1]

"Our Velocity"
Single by Maxïmo Park
from the album Our Earthly Pleasures
A-side	"Our Velocity"
B-side	"Distance Makes" "Mary O'Brien"
Released	19 March 2007
Recorded	2006
Genre	Post-punk revival
Length	3:26
Label	Warp
Songwriter(s)	Duncan Lloyd, Paul Smith
Producer(s)	Gil Norton
Maxïmo Park singles chronology
"I Want You to Stay" (2006) "Our Velocity" (2007) "Books from Boxes" (2007)
Alternative cover
7" red vinyl single

"Our Velocity" became Maxïmo Park's first UK Top 10 single, reaching number 9 on 25 March 2007 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on the UK Indie Chart within a week of its physical release.

Critical reception

The song has been highly regarded and in VH1's "50 Greatest Songs of 2007 So Far", it placed at number 1. Teletext's music page Planet Sound named "Our Velocity" as the best single of 2007.

Music video

The music video was directed by Nima Nourizadeh. It features the band being multiplied in a white room while playing the song.^[2]

Usage in media

In August 2007, a segment of "Our Velocity" was used as the title music for the BBC's coverage of Reading and Leeds Festival.

The song was featured on Hollyoaks in 2007. It is also included in the video games Project Gotham Racing 4 (2007) and Guitar Hero: On Tour Modern Hits (2009).

Track listings

• CD:

1. "Our Velocity"
2. "Distance Makes"
3. "Mary O'Brien"

• 7-inch white vinyl:

1. "Our Velocity"
2. "Pride Before a Fall"

• 7-inch red vinyl:

1. "Our Velocity"
2. "Robert Altman"

• 1st-week-only download:

1. "Our Velocity" (home demo version)
2. "Our Velocity" (first live performance)

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[3]	Silver	200,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Wilde, Joe (11 June 2012). "Maxïmo Park, Interview". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
2. Cohen, Jake G. (22 February 2007). "POPSCREEN: Maxïmo Park". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
3. "British single certifications – Maximo Park – Our Velocity". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

External links

• "Our Velocity" music video at YouTube