Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The b… Read Full Bio ↴Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums). They released their debut album, Showbiz, in 1999, showcasing Bellamy's falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style. Their second album, Origin of Symmetry (2001), incorporated wider instrumentation and romantic classical influences and earned them a reputation for energetic live performances. Absolution (2003) saw further classical influence, with strings on tracks such as "Butterflies and Hurricanes", and was the first of seven consecutive UK number-one albums.

Black Holes and Revelations (2006) incorporated electronic and pop elements, displayed in singles such as "Supermassive Black Hole", and brought Muse wider international success. The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012) explored themes of government oppression and civil uprising and cemented Muse as one of the world's major stadium acts. Rolling Stone stated the band possessed "stadium-crushing songs". Topping the US Billboard 200, their seventh album, Drones (2015), was a concept album about drone warfare and returned to a harder rock sound. Their eighth album, Simulation Theory (2018), prominently featured synthesisers and was influenced by science fiction and the simulation hypothesis. Their ninth album, Will of the People (2022), which combined many genres and themes from their previous albums, was released in August 2022.

Muse have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards and eight NME Awards. In 2012 they received the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. As of June 2016, they have sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse_(band)

Studio albums
Showbiz (1999)
Origin of Symmetry (2001)
Absolution (2003)
Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
The Resistance (2009)
The 2nd Law (2012)
Drones (2015)
Simulation Theory (2018)
Will of the People (2022)

Knights of Cydonia/Close Encounters Of the Third Kind
Muse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come ride with me
Through the veins of history
I'll show you why God
Falls asleep on the job

And how can we win,
When fools can be kings
Don't waste your time

Or time will waste you

[Repeat x3]
No one's going to take me alive
Time has come to make things right

You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Muse's song Knights of Cydonia/Close Encounters Of the Third Kind take the listener on a journey through history and question the legitimacy of those in power. The opening line "Come ride with me through the veins of history" invites the listener to join the singer on this journey, where they will see why "God falls asleep on the job". This can be interpreted as a criticism of the idea of a higher power that allows injustice and suffering to occur.

The lyrics also explore the idea of power and who has the right to rule. The line "How can we win, when fools can be kings" suggests that those in power may not necessarily deserve it and that intelligence and capability are not prerequisites for leadership. The repeated line "No one's going to take me alive" followed by "Time has come to make things right" and "You and I must fight for our rights" implies a call to action to overthrow corrupt leadership and fight for justice.

Overall, the lyrics to Knights of Cydonia/Close Encounters Of the Third Kind offer a critique of power structures and a call to action to fight for change and equality.

Line by Line Meaning

Come ride with me
Join me on a journey

Through the veins of history
Exploring the past and its impact on the present

I'll show you why God
Revealing the flaws in the world as it stands

Falls asleep on the job
Leaving us to face the consequences of our actions alone

And how can we win,
Posing a question about overcoming obstacles

When fools can be kings
In a world where the unqualified can rule, how can true progress be made?

Don't waste your time
Urging against futility

Or time will waste you
Warning that inactivity will lead to missed opportunities

[Repeat x3]
Emphasizing the importance of the following lines

No one's going to take me alive
Asserting independence and determination

Time has come to make things right
The time for positive change is now