The Tower of Babel

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"The Tower of Babel"
The Tower of Babel cover
Demo by Rivers Cuomo
Album Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Released November 20, 2020
Writer(s) Rivers Cuomo
Status Released

"The Tower of Babel" is a demo by Rivers Cuomo. The song originally demoed in consideration for what would eventually become Weezer's ninth album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End. Demos of the song were released as part of the digital compilation Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years beginning on November 20, 2020.

Appearances

Overview

The chorus melody used in "The Tower of Babel" is likely derived from the chorus melody to the 1978 song "Because the Night" by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen (as indicated by the filename of an early piano sketch released as part of Alone XI).

The song's title and lyrical themes are inspired by the origin myth of the Tower of Babel, in which the human race attempts to build a city and tower tall enough to reach heaven, whereupon God confounds their speech and scatters them across the world (a story meant to explain why the world's peoples speak different languages).

Known recordings

Performer(s) Title Filename Date of recording Recording location Length Appeared on Notes
Rivers Cuomo great piano riff because the night.mp3 20112014 2:58 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel 1.mp3 20112014 3:43 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel     2.mp3 20112014 3:34 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel            3.mp3 20112014 6:00 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel 4.mp3 20112014 3:21 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel    5.mp3 20112014 3:26 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel      6.mp3 20112014 3:22 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel      6 1.mp3 20112014 3:22 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years Duplicate of "The Tower of Babel      6.mp3"
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel      6 2.mp3 20112014 3:22 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years Duplicate of "The Tower of Babel      6.mp3"
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel      7.mp3 20112014 3:25 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years
Rivers Cuomo The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel      7 1.mp3 20112014 3:25 Alone XI: The EWBAITE Years Duplicate of "The Tower of Babel      7.mp3"
about this table

Lyrics

The Tower of Babel (ver. 7)

We got Arizona
We got the Rose Bowl
Fair Trade chocolate bars
We got our mothers
We study Baudelaire
Stéphane Mallarmé
The Geico Gecko
We hoard them all away

Here in the Tower of Babel
Our calendars are all full
So many people to meet
But nobody ever says "hi" to me
Here in the Tower of Babel
There is a beautiful girl
Singing the words to this song
As the band keeps on playing along

We bought insurance
For our home loans
So we can clean up
When we go bankrupt
We'll ride our bicycles
To catch the EcoBus
Get on the walking path
Hope you can come with us

Here in the Tower of Babel
Our calendars are all full
So many people to meet
But nobody ever says "hi" to me
Here in the Tower of Babel
There is a beautiful girl
Singing the words to this song
As the band keeps on playing along

We were building up the tower
Making it go ever higher
Almost getting up as tall
As St. Paul in his shawl
But when Jehovah saw us rise
He shot out lightning from His eyes
His righteousness then knocked us down
Where we belong

Here in the Tower of Babel
Our calendars are all full
So many people we get to meet
But nobody ever says "hi" to me
Here in the Tower of Babel
There is a beautiful girl
Singing the words to this song
As the band keeps on playing along
Playing and playing along
Playing and playing along

See also