Eulogy for a Rock Band
| "Eulogy for a Rock Band" | |||||
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| Album track by Weezer | |||||
| Album | Everything Will Be Alright in the End | ||||
| Released | October 7, 2014 | ||||
| Recorded | 2014, The Village, Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| Length | 3:25 | ||||
| Label | Republic Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo/Daniel Brummel/Ryen Slegr | ||||
| Producer | Ric Ocasek | ||||
| Status | Officially released | ||||
| Live debut | October 19, 2014 | ||||
| Stream |  Spotify |
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 Apple Music |
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| Everything Will Be Alright in the End track listing | |||||
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"Eulogy for a Rock Band" (formerly known by several titles, including "Shining Star", "The Band We Loved the Most", "Rock Star", "Superfan", "Superstars" and "Beatle That We Loved the Most") is the third track on Everything Will Be Alright in the End.
Contents
Overview
According to attendees of fan listening parties in 2013 and 2014, the song that would eventually become "Eulogy" originally went by the titles "Shining Star" and "The Band We Loved the Most", and featured portions of Kurt Cobain's suicide note in the bridge. The existence of these early titles were confirmed when several title iterations of "Eulogy" were listed on the riverscuomo.com demo storefront in October of 2020.
The liner notes for Everything Will Be Alright in the End groups songs by one of three themes. "The British Are Coming" is grouped under the category "Patriarchia" (songs about Cuomo's relationships with father figures). Ryen Slegr and Daniel Brummel of the band Ozma have writing credits on the song. Rivers Cuomo, when asked about the meaning of the song in an interview for the Wall Street Journal, said that the song was about one of Weezer's "forefathers":
- In that case, I was reflecting on one of Weezer’s musical fore-fathers who is in his late stage of his career. Reached the highest highs and I couldn’t help realize that as much as he achieved, there’s gonna come a time when the next generations don’t continue listening to his music. And he will be forgotten, along with the rest of us. And that’s a sobering thought for those of us who are striving now to achieve even a fraction of what he achieved.
When asked who, specifically, the song was about during a Reddit AMA in 2014, Cuomo replied "We'll tell you on the day he dies."
Shortly after EWBAITE's release, an instrumental-only version of the album was leaked online. In December 2017, an early version of the album was leaked.
The song contains a seemingly ambiguous lyric ("Fifteen/fifty years of ruling the planet"). Though the album version seems to use the lyric "fifteen", the earlier version of the song leaked online seems to use "fifty". The album's liner notes reinforces this ambiguity, displaying lyrics for the song with an ink blot over the word in question. Though not an explicit confirmation of the album's inspiration, Cuomo is known to have listened to the Beach Boys album That's Why God Made the Radio via Spotify a year prior to EWBAITE's release, an album released nearly fifty years into the band's career, suggesting that Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, known to have been a massive influence in Weezer's early sound, is the musician described in "Eulogy".
Various demos were released as part of the digital compilation Weezma: Daniel, Ryen & Rivers.
Personnel
- Rivers Cuomo – guitar, lead vocals
- Patrick Wilson – drums
- Brian Bell – guitar, backing vocals
- Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Daniel Brummel - keyboard, piano
- Ric Ocasek - producer
Audio
Lyrics
Eulogy for a Rock Band
Goodbye, heroes
You had a good run
Fifteen years of ruling the planet
But now your light is fading
Adios, rock band that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Women were screaming
Guys were copying you
As you moved the people to sobbing, inspiring
You spoke for the world in your songs
Adios, rock band that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams you made
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, it's time that we laid you in your grave
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, goodbye
Adios, rock band that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Various demos
Beatle That we Loved the Most 21
Goodbye, (?)
You had a good run
13 years of fucking ruling
But all stars fade to black
Adios, Beatle that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Women screaming
The guys were copying you
'cause you moved the people to sobbing, inspiring
You spoke for the world in your songs
Adios, Beatle that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the (?)
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, we'll never forget the (?)
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, goodbye
Adios, Beatle that we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Shining Star 16
For many years you were ruling my world
With the wonders that you made
I often (?)
But all stars fade to black now
Shining star
You're the one I love the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
But I still sing the melodies that you did long ago
You turned me on with the furious sound that inspired me to be real
(?) showed me how to feel
But all things fade to black now
Shining star
You're the one I love the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
But I still sing the melodies that you did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the (?)
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, we'll never forget the (?)
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, goodbye
Shining star
You're the one I love the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
But I still sing the melodies that you did long ago
Rock Star 24
Goodbye matey
You had a good run
10 years fucking ruling the planets
But now your light is fading
Adios rock star that we loved the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Women were screaming
Guys were copying you
'cause you moved the people to sobbing, inspiring
You spoke for the world in your songs
Adios rock star that we loved the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams you made
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams you made
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, goodbye
Adios rock star that we loved the most
This is my toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more when time marches on?
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Superfan 20
When you were living you made enough smashes to win a Coat of Arms
I wonder if you had any suspicion your work would reach so far
Did you know I'd be your superfan?
No one loves you like I can
This is my pledge
I'll study you
'til all of hell is bursting loose
Tell me the truth
I'll watch how you fly
Higher than high
I will be your superfan 'til the day that I die
The educated from time immemorial worship at your feet
And if the commoners don't understand you it ain't no loss to me
I get you, yes I'm your superfan
No one loves you like I can
This is my pledge
I'll study you
'til all of hell is bursting loose
Tell me the truth
I'll watch how you fly
Higher than high
I will be your superfan 'til the day that I die
Ooh, (?) in return
Ooh, not a word
Ooh, (?) in return
Ooh, I hope you heard
Ooh, goodbye
I'm your superfan
No one loves you like I can
This is my pledge
I'll study you
'til all of hell is bursting loose
Tell me the truth
I'll watch how you fly
Higher than high
I will be your superfan 'til the day that I die
Superstars 31
Goodbye, heroes
You had a good run
Fifty years of ruling the planet
But now your light is fading
Adios, superstars we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Women were screaming
Guys were copying you
As you moved the people to sobbing, inspiring
You spoke for the world in your songs
Adios, superstars we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams you made
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, it's time that we laid you in your grave
Ooh, let it fade
Ooh, goodbye
Adios, superstars we loved the most
This is a toast to what you did
And all that you were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
We will sing the melodies that you did long ago
The Band We Loved the Most 6
So many they were ruling the world with the magic that they made
The girls would scream and the boys would compete to do it just the same
But all things fade away now
Adios, to the band we loved the most
This is a toast to what they did
And all that they were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
But we will sing the melodies that we did long ago
They turned us on with the spiritual sound that inspired us to be real
And with the hearts of suffering (?) they challenged us to feel
But all things fall apart now
Adios, to the band we loved the most
This is a toast to what they did
And all that they were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
But we will sing the melodies that we did long ago
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams they made
Ooh, don't be sad
Ooh, we'll never forget the jams they made
Ooh, don't be sad
Ooh, goodbye
Adios, to the band we loved the most
This is a toast to what they did
And all that they were fighting for
Who could do more?
When time marches on
Worlds come and go
But we will sing the melodies that we did long ago
