Muscle Museum
Muscle Museum was first released as an EP, limited to 999 editions, on 11th January 1999. It was only their second release, after 1998's "Muse EP". The tracklisting for the Muscle Museum EP was:
1. Muscle Museum
2. Sober
3. Uno (original version)
4. Unintended
5. Instant Messenger
6. Muscle Museum #2
Muscle Museum was later re-released on 22nd November 1999 once Muse had signed to Mushroom. It was released as a double single CD and as a 7", as well as a special German release CD. It was also included onthe band's first album, Showbiz, released 7th September 1999 in France and on 4th October 1999 elsewhere. The tracklisting for this release was:
Muscle Museum CD1 :
1. Muscle Museum
2. Do we need this?
3. Muscle Museum Live acoustic
Muscle Museum CD2 :
1. Muscle Museum full length version
2. Pink ego box
3. Con-science
Muscle Museum Vinyl 7" :
A. Muscle Museum
B. Minimum
Muscle Museum German release :
1. Muscle Museum (radio edit)
2. Overdue
3. Jimmy Kane
4. Muscle Museum (album version)
The song was then released again, in the US this time, and again as a double CD and 7". The tracklisting this time was as follows:
Muscle Museum US CD1 :
1. Muscle Museum
2. Agitated (Live)
3. Sunburn Timo Maas Sunstroke Mix
4. Muscle Museum video
Muscle Museum US CD2 :
1. Muscle Museum US Mix
2. Sober (Saint US Mix)
3. Muscle Museum Soulwax Mix
Muscle Museum US Vinyl 7" :
A. Muscle Museum
B. Escape (Live)
The versions of Muscle Museum available (not including ootleg live versions) are:
1. Album version
2. Full length version
3. Live
4. Acoustic
5. US Mix
6. Soulwax Remix
The title Muscle Museum apparently comes from the dictionary - Muse were finding it hard to think of a title and looked up the word "Muse" in the dictionary. The first word on this page was "Muscle" and the last one "Museum"
Lyrics
She had something to confess to
But you don’t have the time so
Look the other way
You will wait until it's over
To reveal what you’d never shown her
Too little much too late
Too long trying to resist it
You’ve just gone and missed it
It's escaped your world
Can you see that I am needing
Begging for so much more
Than you could ever give
And I don’t want you to adore me
Don’t want you to ignore me
When it pleases you
And I’ll do it on my own
I have played in every toilet
But you still want to spoil it
To prove I’ve made a big mistake
Too long trying to resist it
You’ve just gone and missed it
It's escaped your world
Can you see that I am needing
Begging for so much more
Than you could ever give
And I don’t want you to adore me
Don’t want you to ignore me
When it pleases you
And I’ll do it on my own
I’ll do it on my own
Lyrics by Matthew Bellamy © Matthew Bellamy/Taste Media
Guitar Tab
click here for bass tab or here for guitar tab to Muscle Museum
NME review
It shouldn't be allowed, of course. Counting a debut EP that was so limited edition the band themselves probably don't have a copy, this is the third (third!) time 'Muscle Museum' has been released. If Whitney Houston went about selling records like that, there'd be a public lynching.
Still, people have been slow to realise what an important band we have in Muse - a band who are not even close to fulfilling their true potential - and if it takes 'Muscle Museum' to make them realise, it should be out every second week.
It's also truly the mark of a great song that, after all these releases, 'Muscle Museum' still sounds wondrous. Like (gulp) Radiohead before them, there's a ragged fury to it that can only be refined and turned razor-sharp-dangerous with time.
This single is a good place to begin your love affair with Muse. It could be the anthem of every struggling band who've ever faced discouragement, a furious, spitting, bitter riposte to those who never want anyone to do anything out of the ordinary. Such anger could never be born from anything but true experience (though singer Matt Bellamy won't explain further), and there's a real vindictive snarl to some lines here: "I have played in every toilet/But you still want to spoil it/To prove I've made a big mistake".
This is revenge in action. A two-fingered salute to everyone who still doesn't believe. An intrinsic promise that Muse won't stop until they've forced you to understand.
Site Info
This fanlisting uses the Enthusiast script from indisguise
Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with Muse, this site is just a fan effort to show appreciation of their work. All lyrics/music is © Matthew Bellamy/Taste Media
This fanlisting is dedicated to the most amazing person in the world and one of my best friends, Darkshine Assassin
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