Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Runners Dial Zero (3:57)
Available on Mutations and 3 other releases.
CreditsJustin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass, Mix
John Sorensen: Engineer, Mix
Nigel Godrich: Engineer, Producer
Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Keyboard / Synthesizer, Piano
Beck Hansen: Mix, Producer, Vocals
Joey Waronker: Percussion
Lyrics:
Runners Dial Zero [Version (a)]:
1, 2, 3
By the dried-up stream, we slit our throats and dreamed
When the buildings burned, was it some concern?
Mother laid in bed, what was it she said?
Gather all your worldly jewels and scatter them like fools
Don't you make a fuss, days so perilous
When the day is done, we'll ride... who cares what we find?
Another misspent night, we thought we got it right
The driver lost the wheel, the ice turned into steel
We shivered like refugees way down on our knees
By the dried-up stream, we slit our throats and dreamed
When the buildings burned, was it some concern?
Mother laid in bed, what was it she said?
Ooooh...
1, 2, 3
By the dried-up stream, we slit our throats and dreamed
When the buildings burned, was it some concern?
Mother laid in bed, what was it she said?
Gather all your worldly jewels and scatter them like fools
Don't you make a fuss, days so perilous
When the day is done, we'll ride... who cares what we find?
Another misspent night, we thought we got it right
The driver lost the wheel, the ice turned into steel
We shivered like refugees way down on our knees
By the dried-up stream, we slit our throats and dreamed
When the buildings burned, was it some concern?
Mother laid in bed, what was it she said?
Ooooh...
The Song:
"Runners Dial Zero" is one of the bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of Mutations, as well as a b-side on a couple of singles from the time.
The song feels quite minimalistic, based mainly around some atmospheric piano by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. The stormy fuzz sound is heavily-processed bass guitar. Joey Waronker's percussion work is also quite processed; more specifically, he added a "sequence of single drum hits that are pitched down, so that they are more of a distant rumble than a discrete sound."
Anyway, the whole tone of the song is completely unique, especially in Beck's catalog. Slow and hypnotic, Beck's vocals have a ghostly effect on them. The piano ripples, and the vocals echo, which forces the melody to linger with you long after it vanishes. The whole space of this recording is just fascinating.
Lyrically, the song is just as haunting as the music. The first line also adds a powerful impression of suicide, which lingers throughout the song. While Beck often explores decay and ruin in his lyrics, he's rarely harrowing, as he is here ("The driver lost the wheel / The ice turned into steel").
"Runners Dial Zero" is one of the bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of Mutations, as well as a b-side on a couple of singles from the time.
The song feels quite minimalistic, based mainly around some atmospheric piano by Roger Joseph Manning Jr. The stormy fuzz sound is heavily-processed bass guitar. Joey Waronker's percussion work is also quite processed; more specifically, he added a "sequence of single drum hits that are pitched down, so that they are more of a distant rumble than a discrete sound."
Anyway, the whole tone of the song is completely unique, especially in Beck's catalog. Slow and hypnotic, Beck's vocals have a ghostly effect on them. The piano ripples, and the vocals echo, which forces the melody to linger with you long after it vanishes. The whole space of this recording is just fascinating.
Lyrically, the song is just as haunting as the music. The first line also adds a powerful impression of suicide, which lingers throughout the song. While Beck often explores decay and ruin in his lyrics, he's rarely harrowing, as he is here ("The driver lost the wheel / The ice turned into steel").
Notes:
- The title of the song comes from the secretary at the recording studio where Mutations was recorded. She would page the kids who run errands for the studio (runners) to call the front desk (dial zero) for instructions. She did this all day long and it drove the Beck crew nuts.
- Thanks to John Sorensen for the info above about the title, and the specifics about Justin's stormy bass and Joey's percussion! Cool info.