The song was released to the iTunes Store on 16 May and to shops on 29 May 2006 as the lead single from the album (see 2006 in British music). The single debuted at #15 in the UK Singles Chart on 28 May based on download sales alone but reached #3 with physical sales on 4 June. The song was officially premiered on 17 April on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 1 show. Soon after this, it was leaked into the Internet.
"Is It Any Wonder?" is the first Keane single to be sold in Mexico and other Latin American countries, where it is even more expensive than the album (approx. US$15.00).
The song was featured on the UK compilation Now That's What I Call Music! 64, the soundtrack of the 2006 film Ice Age: The Meltdown and in the video games Madden NFL 07 and Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2. The song was nominated for the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for the 2007 Grammy Awards.
"Is It Any Wonder?" was composed by Tim Rice-Oxley in 2005, being first demoed the same year. The "guitars" actually came out from Tim's pianos and synthesizers, so they are only sound effects. An early demo appeared on the Under the Iron Sea DVD. It was mainly recorded at The Magic Shop studios, New York and programmed and engineered by Andy Green.
"Is It Any Wonder?" was composed under an 8 beat 4/4 time signature and a 130bpm tempo. The main key of the riff is A major, alternating to G major when the bass starts playing. At least three different synthesizer sounds are used through the song.
The riff starts with a deep guitar sound to prelude the distorsion synthesizer sound. Then, the bass and the drums begin to finally introduce Tom Chaplin with the vocals of the first verse. As with almost all Keane songs, it includes a bridge after the second chorus, preceding the outro. Live performances show several differences from the studio version. Firstly, the deep sound is changed for the same synthesizer used for the whole song, which is also quite different from the one of the studio album. During the first verse of the original version, only synthesizer strings are used as a background for Chaplin's singing. However, on the live performance, Rice-Oxley keeps playing his distorted Yamaha CP70 through all the song. Finally, drumming on the main riffs is modified, with Hughes beating the crash cymbal again and again.
Directed by Kevin Godley, the video is almost the same throughout the song. A camera moves along a metal track like a roller coaster. The camera runs through rails until the end of it, stopping again. Keane are in the middle of it, with Tom appearing sometimes on the scene. On the making of the video, it is said by Richard that they "have done something not quite done before." The CD+DVD edition of Under the Iron Sea includes a trailer for the making of the video, as well as the videoclip.
Is It Any Wonder?
Keane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd always have the right to,
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true.
And so on,
But now I think I was wrong.
And you were laughing along
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Sometimes,
It's hard to know where I stand.
It's hard to know where I am.
Well maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand.
Sometimes,
I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time.
Where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme,
A sound-bite.
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Oh these days,
After all the misery you made.
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
Nothing left inside this old cathedral,
Just the sad lonely spires.
How do you make it right?
Oh but you try.
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Oh these days.
After all the misery you made,
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
The lyrics to Keane's song 'Is It Any Wonder?' speak to the disillusionment and confusion that can arise when the reality of a situation doesn't match up with one's expectations. The singer begins by expressing his belief that he has a right to live in a world where goodness and truth prevail. However, he then comes to the realization that this world he's imagined does not exist, and that he has been naive to think otherwise. He feels foolish for having thought that those around him were on his side.
The chorus emphasizes the exhaustion and tension the singer feels in light of this realization. He doesn't know what's right, and he feels adrift and out of place in a world where love is reduced to a "lyric in a children's rhyme, a sound-bite." The bridge complicates things further, suggesting that the singer has experienced deep pain and betrayal that has left him feeling alone and hopeless.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of disillusionment and a longing for something more meaningful and real in a world that can seem hollow and empty. It highlights the importance of acknowledging and confronting uncomfortable truths, even when doing so is painful.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I always thought that I knew,
I have always believed that I knew what was right and just.
I'd always have the right to,
I believed that I had the privilege to live a life of virtue and truth.
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true.
I thought I would be living in a world of honesty and morality.
And so on,
I believed in this ideal for a long time.
But now I think I was wrong.
Now I realize that my belief was misplaced.
And you were laughing along
And you were amused by my naivety.
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on
And now I feel foolish for believing you were supporting me.
My side.
My side in my pursuit of a life of virtue and truth.
Is it any wonder that I'm tired?
Is it any surprise that I am exhausted from my pursuit of virtue and truth?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder that I feel tense and anxious?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
Is it any surprise that I am unsure of what is moral and true?
Sometimes,
At times
It's hard to know where I stand.
It's hard to know what is right and true.
It's hard to know where I am.
It's hard to know where I belong.
Well maybe it's a puzzle I don't understand.
Perhaps it's a mystery that I cannot solve.
Sometimes,
At times
I get the feeling that I'm
I have the sense that I am
Stranded in the wrong time.
Living in an era where morals and values are different from what I believe to be right.
Where love is just a lyric in a children's rhyme,
Where love is trivialized and made as something childish.
A sound-bite.
A catchy phrase or slogan used for public consumption.
Oh these days,
Recently
After all the misery you made.
After all the suffering that you caused me.
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I am scared and anxious?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
Is it any wonder that I am disappointed and hurt by what you did?
Nothing left inside this old cathedral,
This old church is empty, devoid of hope and faith.
Just the sad lonely spires.
Only the towers remain standing, and they look forlorn and neglected.
How do you make it right?
How can things be made right again?
Oh but you try.
You are trying to make amends.
Oh these days.
Recently
After all the misery you made,
After all the suffering that you caused me.
Is it any wonder that I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder that I am scared and anxious?
Is it any wonder that I feel betrayed?
Is it any wonder that I am disappointed and hurt by what you did?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
marco tito
LETRA
I always thought that I knew
I'd always have the right to
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true.
It's so long,
Now I think I was wrong.
And you were laughing along.
And now I look like a fool
For thinking you were on...
My side,
Is it any wonder
I'm tired?
Is it any wonder
That I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder
I don't know what's right?
Sometimes it's hard to know
Where I stand,
It's hard to know where I am.
Well, maybe it's a puzzle
I don't understand.
Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm
Stranded in the wrong time,
Where love is just a lyric
In a children's rhyme.
Is it any wonder
I'm tired?
Is it any wonder
That I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder
I don't know what's right?
Oh, these days,
After all the misery made,
Is it any wonder
That I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder
That I feel betrayed?
Nothing left inside this old cathedral.
Just the sad, lonely spires.
How do you make it right?
Oh, but you try,
Is it any wonder
I'm tired?
Is it any wonder
That I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder
I don't know what's right?
Oh, these days,
After all the misery made,
Is it any wonder
That I feel afraid?
Is it any wonder
That I feel betrayed?
Fiorella Beas
Por este tipo de canciones empecé a comprender que la música no tenia que entenderla, sino solamente sentirla 💜🎶
Paula Andrea Romero
Exacto
Luis Munares
Así es 👍🏾
ESTUDIOS MATEMATICA CON EL PROFE JOSUESITO
exacto
Rodrigo Kusanagi
Debatible.
WLD
@Rodrigo Kusanagi Muy debatible, pero tambien entendible jajaj ! Un abrazo para todos !
FixYourTeeth
It’s 2023 and this song is still the best song ever created.
Joanne J
This song is still it, gets me like right there lol
Nonrev Sdrahcir
Instrumental version through headphones is just epic 😃
Corleone Disco Star
fantastic ❤❤❤